Here’s why you should watch the 2016 MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival)

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

If you’re a staunch critic and basher of the industry, this entry is for you.

I worked in TV and video production in my former life – that’s my background. When people talk about the “industry” (film and TV), I get protective because it is close to my heart. It was an industry I threw myself into for the longest time. It is not perfect and it may not be for everyone but I do get protective. The quality of work that the industry produces has some hits and misses. A lot of people have crap to say about it.

 I hear people complain so much about the lack of creativity or cookie cutter story lines of material out there. CHANGE is HERE. When I saw the line up for this year’s MMFF, it was exactly what I dreamed of. Quality films that we can be proud of – FINALLY! We have a festival that truly celebrates the artistry and immense ingenuity that our countrymen have to offer.  There was never a lack of quality films in the industry; there was a lack of opportunities for them to be distributed and seen. These films just didn’t reach more people.

If you’ve always complained about how awful Filipino films are, the time is now. Put your money where your mouth is. If you’ve always been a fan then this is a fantastic time for you.

WHY IS IT MORE IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT THESE FILMS MORE THAN EVER?

If we don’t support these films, if they don’t make money – there’s a massive chance things will go back to the old way. I believe this line up is a risk because the move is unconventional. Let’s show them that the Filipino audience deserve and want to see quality films every year. I truly believe this isn’t about being pro-mainstream or pro-indie film; it’s about being pro-Pinoy film.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough

Synopsis: Eugene Domingo is back as “Eugene Domingo” in this much-anticipated follow-up to the independent box-office hit movie, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank. Together with her director/writer (Rainier), her line producer (Jocelyn) and their rookie production assistant (Lennon), Eugene prepares for her comeback vehicle after a long sabbatical from moviemaking. Rainier proposes “The Itinerary,” a heartbreaking anatomy of a crumbling marriage as told through a couple’s trip to Baguio, their former honeymoon location. Eugene Domingo is excited by the project but she has other ideas in mind. In the film-within-the-film, we see Eugene’s absurd suggestions and recommendations -- changing Rainier’s script by employing the poetics of the Pinoy romantic comedy genre into what is supposedly a realistic portrayal of love and marriage.

Die Beautiful

Synopsis: A transgender woman’s corpse is stolen by her friends to honor her wish to be presented as a different celebrity on each night of her wake. A poignant character study celebrating individuality.

Kabisera

Synopsis: Inspired by a true story that takes place in Batangas, this drama revolves around a close-knit family that struggles with violent crimes and extrajudicial killings, sociopolitical issues that the country is facing in real life.

Oro

Synopsis: "When nature becomes an excuse for violence, everything that is gold turns into blood." Alvin Yapan's film revolves around the people in a small mining community that encounters trouble when an armed group claiming to be environmentalists begins to harass them and take over their mining operations.

Saving Sally

Synopsis: Marty is an aspiring comic-book artist who is secretly in love with his beautiful best friend, Sally, the gadget inventor. Like every love story, there are complications: Sally has abusive monster parents and a literal dick for a boyfriend, while Marty has the innate ability to do nothing about everything despite his vivid fantasies of defending the love of his life from the big bad world.

Seklusyon

Synopsis: Want some horror during the Christmas season? This film is for you. The movie is set in the 1940s and is about a ritual of seclusion where new priests in training confine themselves in a retreat. Secluded in the retreat house, they are now left to confront their inner demons and the arrival of a nun and a child.

Sunday Beauty Queen

Synopsis: Beneath Hong Kong's glittering facade, Filipinas working as domestic helpers work in relative anonymity and for near slave wages. In a beauty pageant like no other in the world, five helpers give themselves makeovers for a day and gleefully reclaim their dignity.

Vince & Kath & James

Synopsis: When Kath (Julia) starts receiving sweet, anonymous texts, she wonders who they might be from. Could it be from Vince (Joshua), the nerdy, torpe guy she can’t stand, or James (Ronnie Alonte), the cute varsity player she likes? How will her love story unfold? Will someone love her in real life, beyond the bright screen of her phone?

The 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival is from December 25, 2016 – January 8, 2017.

* All trailers and synopses are from the respective movies’ website or Facebook Page. Except for Kabisera, Oro, and Seklusyon who’s synopses are from here. Photo from this article was grabbed from here.

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