10 movies chosen Metro Manila film fest finalists
Bayani San Diego Jr.
Phil. Daily Inquirer June 02, 2006
A GAY SUPERHEROINE. Everyman Enteng. Teen mutant heroes. The usual “aswangs,” ghosts and monsters. And an action superstar-turned-senator.
These are but some of the reel-life heroes and antiheroes featured in 10 Filipino movies that made the final cut in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.
A 14-man selection and screening committee headed by chair and Marikina City Training Director Julie Borje, formally presented on Wednesday the list of the movies to Bayani Fernando, chair of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and overall chair of the MMFF executive committee.
The MMDA is the agency tasked to oversee the annual two-week festival of Filipino films that will run in December.
Among the films chosen were “Enteng Kabisote 3” from Octo Arts; “Tanging Pamilya” and “Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo,” Star Cinema; “Zsazsa Zaturnnah,” “Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di,” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll 8,” Regal Films; “Short Time,” Virgin Pictures, “Karma” (formerly “Pagkagat ng Dilim”), Canary Films; Batang Maynila, CM Films; and “Tatlong Baraha” by Violett Films.
A variety of genres are represented in the lineup -- two fantasy, two comedy, two drama, two horror and two action films.
A number of big stars are featured in the movies, among them Vic Sotto and Kristine Hermosa (“Enteng”); Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo (“Tanging Pamilya”); Cesar Montano (“Batang”); Rufa Mae Quinto and Ogie Alcasid (“Zsazsa”); and Sen. Lito Lapid (“Tatlong Baraha”).
Borje said that the committee chose the 10 from 19 submitted screenplays based on criteria set by the MMFF on “commercial viability, story development, theme, writing excellence, innovativeness and Filipino culture and historical values.”
“This early, we can assure the movie-going public of a bigger, better and brighter film festival,” Borje said.
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