By NESTOR CUARTERO
JUST A THOUGHT: “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
PPP IS GOOD NEWS: Only on its second year, Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino is proving to be the biggest thing yet to happen in the local movie industry.
At an industry conference last week, Film Development Council of the Philippines chair Liza Dino noted the active participation of practically all major film producers. The body agreed to revitalize the long dormant Philippine Movie Producers Association (PMPPA) to address current financial issues affecting the industry.
The producers also expressed their intent to take part in future editions of PPP, taking into consideration FDCP’s desire to present films that are both artistic and commercially viable.
PPP 2018 has enlisted the participation of Regal Entertainment with its entry, “Unli-Life,” starring Vhong Navarro.
The seven other films showing under the PPP banner from Aug. 15 to 21 nationwide are:
“Ang Babaeng Allergic Sa Wifi” (directed by Jun Robles Lana); “Bakwit Boys” (Jason Paul Laxamana); “Madilim Ang Gabi” (Adolf Alix Jr.); “Pinay Beauty” (Jay Abello); “Signal Rock” (Chito Roño); “The Day After Valentine’s” (Jason Paul Laxamana); “We Will Not Die Tonight” (Richard Somes).
NEXT TO MMFF: Ms. Dino says FDCP’s goal is to institutionalize Pista and make it a lasting tribute to the film industry. She downplays any compare and contrast scheme against the Metro Manila Film Festival, which she says operates on a different master plan.
The success of the first Pista in 2017 has generated much buzz in local film circles. Its top grosser, “100 Tula Para Kay Stella” (Viva Films) fetched over P100 million at the box office.
Second best “Patay na si Hesus” (T-Rex Entertainment) raked in around P37 million.
PPP is by far the most successful film festival in the country after MMFF.
PPP aims for diversity in voices heard through film, says Dino. There are stories about poverty as there are also stories about other aspects of Filipino life.
The films are selected by a seven-member panel that includes the FDCP chair as tie breaker. They are curated carefully, says Dino.
In addition, producers are offered a grant of P500,000 as seed money to promote and market their films. Dino says she’s quite upbeat that participating indie producers are exerting all efforts to push their films.
