RENOWNED lawyer and film producer Ferdinand Topacio is calling for the transfer of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to agencies that actually understand the movie industry.
I fully agree — especially with his point that since being handled by the MMDA, the MMFF has failed to significantly contribute to film excellence.
In a recent press conference, Topacio even revealed that aside from being in the hands of people who know little about filmmaking, the MMFF is not even part of the MMDA’s mandate under its charter.
Clearly, this makes the MMDA’s handling of the film festival legally questionable. Oooppps!
Topacio stressed that reforms must be undertaken as soon as possible, starting with placing the MMFF under institutions such as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) or the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) — bodies far more equipped to handle matters concerning cinema.
He further pointed out that under the MMDA’s setup, local government units prioritize gross income because of their revenue shares. As a result, “gross” often prevails over “greatness,” leading to mediocrity in what should be a showcase of the country’s finest films.
Citing prestigious festivals like Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, and Venice — where meaningful, high-quality films thrive — Topacio lamented the state of the MMFF, saying:
“This is supposed to be a festival. There are films for every taste — may malalim, may mababaw — but when it’s a festival, utang na loob naman, give us the best.”
He went on to question how comedian Vice Ganda was awarded the best actor over Piolo Pascual for the best actor award.
“In fairness, Vice Ganda’s acting in his fillm entry “Call Me Mother” is okay, “pero over Piolo? No way, no way, no effing way,” Topacio said emphatically, adding that Pascual’s film ‘Manila’s Finest’ was apparently ‘ignored.’
The feisty lawyer, who also happens to be a film producer, also took the opportunity to call on Vice Ganda to begin coming up with films that impart values and offer substance and follow the steps of Vic Sotto.
Sotto, he notes, had also produced movies in the past that were meant for profit but redeemed himself when he, lately, came up with the film, ‘The Kingdom’ and took the risk of offering a kind of film that was not promising in terms of profit but had real quality. The said film was a success and is now not only on Netfix but will soon be a TV series.
It is true, movies are meant to entertain. But I agree that they should not always be slapstick or even promote mediocrity, especially during festivals which are supposed to feature the movie industry’s best of the best.
It is incumbent upon those who have the capacity or capability to help raise the standards of movies and theater-goers as well.
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