Other than local “Spider-man” fans expressing their dismay over the delayed showing of “Spider-man: No Way Home” in the Philippines, some opinions and responses about the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) are pretty shocking if you just type in MMFF on Twitter.
Producers and actors anticipated the comeback of cinemas for this annual event. Yes, it went viral but due to unlikely reasons. It was an annual festival that ran from December 25 through New Year’s Day, it was a successful local opening like the previous MMFF showing that focuses on Filipino films and exclusively in the theaters but what happened is the opposite. Few photos and reports about the festival, spotting no crowds or long queues.
This year was extremely challenging for filmmakers because of the factors that caused the film festival’s slow start with the looming COVID-19 surge in tow, cinemas can only operate at 50 percent capacity so cinemas are also forced to increase their ticket prices a bit. But why does it seem like no one wants to say the reason why few are watching the MMFF many have lost their jobs, gone hungry, lost a source of income, and are stuck in debt due to the pandemic.
Besides that, there is a lack of local marketing compared to Hollywood which takes marketing seriously and has a budget on it that can hype the viewers. Who would even take the risk of getting COVID just to watch a movie that is not that marketed well?
For instance, every time you refresh your feed you will repeatedly see the movie that they are marketing. Some netizens suggested doing a hybrid showing but Noel Ferrer, the MMFF spokesperson, explained the situation where he said “Naaalala naman natin last year we were purely streaming. Napag-usapan naman iyon pero ang lumalabas ayon sa aming dialogue is that naging talamak ang piracy last year, hindi na talaga napigilan.” What people don’t get is that MMFF is also a fund-raising event so maybe that’s why many are heartbroken in the box-office turnout.
Rod Magaru posted on Twitter about MMFF’s affordability of expensive local cinema tickets, accessibility of movies since most people transitioned to online entertainment platforms and marketing because FREE TV played a big role in MMFF students but sadly, we lost a huge marketer of local cinemas, ABS-CBN.
Additionally, due to COVID-19 restrictions, you cannot eat or drink in movie theaters and people recovering from the effects of Typhoon Odette. Some people say they want to see good-quality content. The irony is that MMFF started showing “better” films in 2016 like Oro, Saving Sally, and Seklusyon to give examples.
Don’t forget also we have a lot of award-winning films that were even recognized abroad, like “Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag” (1975), “Himala” (1982), “Metro Manila” (2013), and “Ma’Rosa” (2016). Few appreciated the movies because admit it or not, people want to see a movie during Christmas that is “child-friendly” content either comedy or romantic genres like most viewed movies of Vice Ganda and Vic Sotto.
Commended to film directors, scriptwriters, production teams, and actors who are making an effort to pull off the films that were chosen as a line-up. MMFF has been trying hard to move away from bad films ever since 2016. But maybe, if we put in more effort in creating quality films without the mediocre dysfunctional family, slapstick comedy storylines, or the love triangle then maybe more filmgoers would be willing to watch them. What people don’t get is that MMFF is also a money-raising venture for those in need.
Best Actor Christian Bables (‘Big Night!”), said he experienced first-hand how strict health and safety protocols are being implemented in cinemas. He stated “Watching inside movie houses is safe. I’m not saying this because I have a film that’s being shown today.
People close to me know how paranoid I am when it comes to getting infected by the virus.” “I know they’re safe because, for one, people who aren’t vaccinated cannot enter. Eating and drinking inside the establishments, as well as taking off face masks, aren’t allowed,” he added. “I think it’s now time for us to somehow get back to what we used to do, and the MMFF is a good start. Now, more than ever, the industry needs the support of Filipino viewers.”
