2016 MMFF shifts to international standards

Even with President Rodrigo Duterte’s revolution of change yet to take effect officially, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) had started its cinematic lead with the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) #reevolution, with actors Iza Calzado and Epy Quizon, presented with significant changes in a well-conceptualized grand launch held at the SMX Convention Center on Tuesday.
In the June 19, 2016, column, Buzzstation asked: Is the 2016 MMFF turning into an indie filmfest? The media huddle that followed, with MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos, Mowelfund president Boots Anson-Rodrigo and Movie Producers and Distributors Association of the Philippines president Wilson Tieng as resource persons, gave the definite answer to the pointed question.
No, they said, the 2016 MMFF has been repackaged as a Filipino film festival with international standards using the finished film format.
Criteria for judging entries are as follows: 40 percent for story, audience appeal and overall impact; 40 percent for cinematic attributes or its technical excellence; 10 percent for global appeal; and 10 percent for Filipino sensibility. Commercial viability has been altogether ditched. There will be no more cash prizes for the winners.
The grand launch turned out to be an encouraging indication of participation of traditional MMFF players as reps of Star Cinema, Regal Films, Viva Films, Cinema One Originals and the Dondon Monteverde-Erik Matti group were in attendance. Award-winning directors like Joselito Altarejos were seen as well. Even Orly Ilacad sent reps. His partner, Vic Sotto of M-Zet Productions, had previously stated that he may not participate.
Cannes Best Director Brillante Mendoza, however, has fielded entries, but was not represented. Gil Portes, who earlier announced he’s entering the Japanese occupation drama, Moonlight Over Baler, did not attend. Lawyer Joji Alonzo of Quantum Films, a major player in the last three festivals and its major winners in the last two editions, was not represented.
This will not disqualify them from participation, but Buzzstation hopes it will not be a cause for discrimination.
A glamorous awarding ceremony like the Oscars has been set on the last day of the festival such as the Cannes Film Festival, on Jan. 8, 2017, no longer on the third day, usually on Dec. 27.
In said column, Buzzstation asked other questions that now have answers.
 
Question: Is the 2016 MMFF facing serious problems due to the sweeping.changes the MMDA made to its mechanics starting this year?
Answer: There should be none as such changes were made in direct consultation with producers and theater owners and they were the ones who suggested the finished film format. It is the standard of film festival the world over, not the script format which is the standard of subsidized film festivals such as Cinemalaya and Cinema One Originals. And to think the MMFF is never a subsidized filmfest.
 Q: Is MMDA Chairman Carlos still the head of the 2016 MMFF executive committee?
A: During the launch, there was no mention of the part of Chair Carlos or the other resource speakers that he will exit. As of this deadline, there has been no announcement on the part of the Duterte government that he had been replaced. So the assumption is he is on a hold-over capacity, but he did hint his term will not be in the position forever.
 Q: Will the selection committee act as the board of jurors as earlier written about?
A: No, the selection committee’s role ends once members pick the eight official entries. This year’s members are Sid Lucero, Lawrence Anthony Fajardo, Mae Paner, legal counsel of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and station manager of DZRB-Radyo ng Bayan Trixie Angeles, Allan Allanigue, Krip Yuson and Crispina Belen. An entirely new board of jurors, the composition of which is still unannounced, will select winning entries.
Q: Are official entries guaranteed a minimum run?
A: There is no definite answer although Tieng said the minimum guarantee may be extended from “three to five days” and the theater owners are still to decide on the issue.
Q: What happens to the New Wave section of the MMFF?
A: It has been deleted, replaced by a Short Film section wherein eight short film entries will be selected in a competition and screened
during the showing of the official entries.
 
Innovations and variations. THE 2016 MMFF will also introduce the following changes:
1. While it will continue screening eight official entries, genres are open and not limited to pre-determined numbers. This freewheeling
standard continues as there is no rule as to the minimum of entries a producer can enter and/or a lead star can make.
2. Full-length films should be no longer than 150 minutes, while the short films should not exceed 5 minutes in running time but with “no minimum length required.” Short films can be in narrative, documentary, or experimental form, and live action or animated.
3. In place of the Best Child Performer award, there will be a Children’s Choice Award, designed to encourage filmmakers to create works geared for younger audiences with children of ages nine to 12 selecting the winners.
4. Filipino artists and designers are invited to submit entries for a logo and theme song competition. The winner of the logo contest will also be tasked with creating key visuals for the months leading up to the festival proper. The theme song, meanwhile, will be selected by a panel, which includes Jimmy Bondoc, Jerrold Tarog and former Undersecretary of the Office of the Press Secretary Robert Rivera. Submissions will be from July 15 to Aug. 15/ Winners will be announced by Sept. 15.
5. The Parade of Stars, the date of which is yet to be announced, will be a bigger extravaganza.
 
Schedules. Stakeholders will follow the following schedules: by July 8, submission of a letter of intent from those planning to enter feature-length films. They should be sent to the MMFF to gauge how many films will be screened by the selection committee.
No later than Oct. 19, submission of requirements and hard drives of the short films should be submitted, while full-length films should be handed over by Oct. 31.
By Oct. 27, finalists will be announced for short films and Nov. 10 for full-length films.