as if they weren't a part of the film fest scam wayback...
That was the Manila Film Festival... Anyway, here's an interesting read regarding the Metro Manila Film Festival and its tradition of sourgraping.
The MMFF
FROM THIS CORNER
By Armida Siguion-Reyna
The Daily Tribune, 01/10/2006
The most recent Metro-Manila Film Festival post-awards night
brouhaha brings to mind other controversies of many an MMFF in the
past. Thanks to my computer archives, I remember some.
"This year's MMFF started on a sour note. Rules were violated with
impunity, no thanks to the brainless imperative that empowered the
MMFF Executive Committee to change existing guidelines and
regulations as it saw fit, with the selection of festival films
already in process. It was bad in the `70s, when deadlines were as
early as then moved to accommodate the superstars. Worse now, with
deadlines not only extended but the number of entries more elastic
than Lastikman, at first "7 `official' and 2 `unofficial' entries,"
then "9 `official' entries," at one point rumored "4 `official'
entries," and finally back to "7 + 2." Whew!" (Jan. 7, 2003, From
This Corner, on the 2002 MMFF)
The 2002 MMFF was the year of the first Mano Po. Dekada '70
screenwriter Lualhati Bautista walked out of the awards night
because she was not nominated. Director Chito Roño was also said to
have minded losing the Best Director award to Joel Lamangan, but I
did not see him as grievous as he was when his work in Itanong Mo sa
Buwan lost to Patrolman in the 1988 MMFF, where Melanie Marquez got
the Best Actress trophy for The Melanie Marquez Story, beating,
among others, Amy Austria in Bubbles (The Celestina Sanchez Story)
Jacklyn Jose, Chito's star in Itanong….
On Jan. 20, 2002, I noted, also from this corner: "I've been a MMFF
juror myself. There was a year the entries were generally below par,
we decided not to give a Best Picture and a Best Director award, to
the chagrin of the organizers. They never asked me back.
"I've likewise been a festival participant, either as actress or
producer. Reynafilms' Kung Mawawala Ka Pa won Best Picture in 1994
over May Minamahal, a much more touted-to-win Joey Reyes film
produced by Star Cinema. Joey did not gripe over his Second-Best
Picture trophy. Neither did he make reference to buying a trophy in
Recto, nor cast aspersion on the integrity of the jurors."
The 2001 MMFF had Cesar Montano dropping a bomb in his acceptance
speech for Best Actor, saying that he didn't mind not receiving Best
Picture recognition for Bagong Buwan, because trophies for such
could be bought in Recto, anyway. Soon as he said this, naghalo na
ang balat sa tinalupan. Lily Monteverde was bruited about to have
thrown her cellphone on the floor as an angry response to the quip,
but wait—d'on nga ba sa MMFF na iyon nagbato si Mother ng cellphone?
I'm getting confused.
Then again, I'm not surprised that I am confused. MMFF history has
always been acrimonious; it's hard to recall exactly who fought whom
over what award in what year with rabid Vilmanians to this day still
shouting foul over Nora Aunor's MMFF Best Actress win for Atsay,
over Vilma's Rubia Servios.
I've had my fair share — how odd to use the word fair, in connection
with the MMFF! — of heartaches over this yearly movie industry
affair.
In 1977, I fielded Mga Bilanggong Birhen under the banner of PERA
Films, during which I fought—and how—with then San Juan Mayor Joseph
Estrada. In 1994, I entered Reynafilms' Kung Mawawala Ka Pa, and
there fought with no one except my son Carlitos, who resigned in the
pre-production stage due to "creative differences," which resulted
in Jose Mari Avellana taking over. Of course I had my own set of
squabbles with Jose Mari, but those were nothing compared to what
took place between Mario O' Hara and me, in Mga Bilanggong Birhen.
I had just made up with Lino Brocka (galit-bati kami ni Lino, but
God, how I miss the man!), when he mentioned to me a period story
that Mario was working on. I invited Mario for lunch to discuss the
material and two weeks later he presented me the first draft of a
beautiful love story set at the turn of two centuries ago, to star
Alma Moreno, Rez Cortez, Mario Montenegro, Leroy Salvador, Barbara
Luna and Trixia Gomez. Lino loved the story and encouraged us to go
ahead with it.
To cut the story short, Mario and I had a (major) falling-out, and
Romy Suzara took over as director. Lino sided with Mario, and during
Bilanggo's post-production at LVN where Lino was also working on his
MMFF entry. INAY, he would give me dagger looks na parang talagang
gusto niya akong sakmalin, and even demanded that his scenes be
removed from the movie.
Acceding to his request, I eliminated his scenes except the one
where Alma Moreno was abducted, because that was a full shot which
included the lead star, in a major sequence. Galit na galit siya.
When I was nominated Best Actress in the MMFF awards night, Lino, by
his admission when we had again made up, prayed for me not to win.
Only three of us were nominated for Best Actress: Liza Lorena for
Ishmael Bernal's Walang Katapusang Tag-Araw, Vilma Santos for Celso
Ad Castillo's Burlesk Queen and me. Vilma won, and I didn't feel
bad.
That MMFF is also remembered for the "bagama't-bagama't" citations "…
bagama't makabagbag damdamin ang pag-ganap ni (name of one being
cited) sa walang kabuluhang pelikula…"
Burlesk Queen won practically all the awards except for production
design and cinematography, which were won by Laida Perez and Romy
Vitug, respectively, for Bilanggung Birhen.
At the awards night, with his Mangarap Ka't Magising bombarded with
a series of "bagamat" citations Mike de Leon walked out. Lino
followed him and bumped into Rolando Tinio, member of the Board of
Jurors and perceived to have written the citations. Lino screamed at
Rolando: "Bakla!" Rolando shot back: "Bakla ka rin!"
Lino rolled up his barong sleeves, and challenged Rolando: "Ano,
sabunutan tayo, bakla sa bakla!"
MMFF Chairman Doroy Valencia, out in the hallway, raised his voice
at the fighting duo: "Pareho kayong bakla!" And right there and
then, nagmistulang palengke ang reception room of the Coral Ballroom
of the Manila Hilton Hotel.
No one knew that both Rolando and Lino were going to be National
Artists one day. And when they were awarded, no one said they didn't
deserve the honor. Rolando, for his work in theater as writer,
producer and actor, and Lino, for his work in films and anti-
censorship position that pushed him to include the phrase "freedom
of _expression" in the 1987 Constitution's Bill of Rights.
By the way, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's handpicked supposed wise men —
pending approval in a national plebiscite or referendum na lulutuin
rin nila — have rewritten the particular proviso: "No law shall be
passed abridging the responsible exercise of the freedom of speech,
of _expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances."
This is beyond the MMFF, pero ito ang talagang dapat labanan.
