The Metro
Manila Film Festival (MMFF) was established with the best of intentions –
invigorate the local cinema industry by providing a venue for film makers,
writers, and producers to showcase exemplary work that captures the spirit of
Philippine culture, the interest and fancy of the local audience, and to push
the envelope of Philippine cinema. But over the decades, it has lost sight of
this mandate and objective and has become a parody of formulaic and uninspired output.
The trend
towards independently-produced and curated films over the past few years have
birthed some of the most exciting (and, once in a while, dismal) film festivals in the
country. With a carte blanche of inspiration as its impetus; writers,
producers, directors, and filmmakers have come-up with some of the most
memorable films in the last two decades – the Cinemalaya and CinemaOne
Originals being two of the most notable stalwarts of the movement.
In the end,
the MMFF has lost both its meaning, relevance, and mandate to represent quality
local films. Its yearly roster of re-hashed, regurgitated, and humdrum films
indicates a lack of insight into the audience’s interest. Banking on its
unquestioned monopoly over the cinema houses throughout the holiday season,
this absence of healthy competition have left the big-name and big-ticket
production houses to annually churn out one of the following blasé themes: a
triptych horror series or some form of supernatural terror fest, a tongue-in-cheek
rom-com with the most recent and popular love-team as its top-billers, some form
of adventure-format or magical sojourn based on a superficial premise, the
classic struggle of good versus evil, a farcical slapstick comedy, a
semi-biographical action flick, or some gritty drama with the un-evolving theme
of third-world struggles.
It’s no
wonder and surprise then that discerning moviegoers respond more to indie-films
and film fests than they do to the MMFF. Primarily because patronizing the sort
of films they have released lately borders on insulting the capacity of their
audience to accept, digest, and appreciate more complex, uncomfortable, or
extreme themes.
It’s a
challenge, then, to the MMFF organizers; and indirectly to the producers, to push
the boundaries of film-making in the future, and produce content that is truly a
zeitgeist of Philippine culture, a tranche de vie of the sentiments of a more and
more discerning, vocal, and discriminating public.
The premise of every artform
and medium is insight, perspective. Without this, it is nothing more than
glorified nonsense.
Cinéma vérité (/ˈsɪnɨmə vɛrɨˈteɪ/; French: [sinema veʁite], truthful cinema) is a style of documentary filmmaking, invented by Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about Kino-Pravda and influenced by Robert Flaherty’s films. It combines improvisation with the use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subjects hidden behind crude reality.
3 redmarks:
I think it's better to scrap MMFF altogether--if only for the sheer fact that people have NO CHOICE but to watch the worst Filipino films at a time of the year when everyone has time to spare!
And thanks for visiting my website. Looking forward to reading more of your eloquent writing. I wish I was as good in stringing words together. Hehe.
@Arwind The good thing about the cinema industry (and the film festival enterprise for that matter) is it's a free for all. There's renewed interest in independent filmmaking that are experimental and willing to pursue unpopular themes. Every year, new Film Festivals are organized, besides the now staple Cinemalaya and Cinema One Originals.
These are appropriate venues to test the maturing palate of the Filipino audience; a platform that gives opportunity and valuation to elevate the artform.
Thank you, too, for the generous compliment. :)
In furness, yung Deadma Walking of 2017 was one of the most entertaining and substantial movies I've seen in years.
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