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TULOY ang 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival sa December at walong pelikula pa rin ang mapapanood. Hindi na nga lamang sa mga sinehan, kundi sa ating mga bahay dahil mapapanood ito via virtually at online. Sanhi ito ng pandemya na hindi pa rin posible ang mass gathering at para maiwasan na rin ang magkahawahan.
Tuloy din ang iba pang aktibidades na ginagawa tuwing MMFF tulad ng Parade of Stars at Gabi ng Parangal.
Ito ang tiniyak ng 46th MMFF organizers sa ginanap na digital mediacon kabilang na si Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and concurrent MMFF chairman, Danilo Lim.
Kasabay nito ang pahayag at pirmahan ng partnership ng MMFF sa Globe Telecom at Upstream para sa pagpapalabas ng Magic 8 hindi lamang sa Pilipinas kundi maging sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo.
Ani Lim, “MMDA received five proposals, but the best one came from Globe and Upstream, that is set to recreate the Christmas that we love and enjoy.
“Bahagi na ng Kapaskuhan dito sa Pilipinas ang MMFF, bahagi na ng tradition. Gawa ng situation natin ngayon na pandemya, gumawa tayo ng paraan. We hope that during the holiday season, families will still enjoy watching movies,” paniniyak ni Lim. “Kung hindi man sa movie houses makapanood pa rin online,” dagdag pa.
Sinabi pa ni Lim na, “We seem five different proposals from five outfits at ang pinakamagandang proposal na natanggap natin ay ‘yong galing sa Globe. So we hope na during the Holiday season, ‘yung pamilya natin ay mag-eenjoy pa rin sa panonood ng mga pelikulang Filipino na magkakasama sa bahay, hindi lamang sa ating Pilipinas kundi all over the world.”
“We all know the annual film festival held during the Christmas season. Filipino films chosen by the MMFF jurors are shown in the cinemas. That has become a holiday tradition and something to celebrate with the families,” sambit naman ni Direk Quark Henares, head ng Globe Studios.
“We want to end on a happy note. We don’t want to take away the MMFF tradition. We want families to be able to get together, enjoy movies together, enjoy entertainment and enjoy each other as the year ends,” dagdag pa ni Quark.
Sinabi naman ni Ernest Cu, president at CEO ng Globe na, “Tama ho ang sinabi ni Gen. Lim, muntik nang mawalan ng pagkakataon ang mga Filipino na ma-experience ang kanilang annual part of Christmas, iyong Metro Manila Film Festival. Kasi itong film festival has been engaging the Filipino audiences for so many years. Pinakahihintay ito ng mga Filipino para mapanood nila ang mga paboritong artista na lumabas sa mga sine.
“At dahil sa pandemya nasara ang mga sinehan at malamang na hindi magbukas in time at kung hindi man marami ring matatakot pumasok sa cinema. Alam naman natin the dangers that Covid-19 has brought to close environment and close contact. Kami naman sa Globe we try our very best to kind of bring solutions to everyday flight of day to every Filipino people and particularly when it comes to pandemic.
“The aim to recreate the Christmas we love is one of the things we wanted to do using digital means. Na despite the fact na hindi tayo makakarating sa sinehan, hindi natin mapipigil na ma-enjoy itong MMFF line up na talagang naging bahagi na ng ating Filipino Christmas. Umaasa kami na millions of Filipinos will be able to access the MMFF entries wherever they are in the world or wherever in the cities. Kahit ang ating mga OFW eh, maaabot ito dahil stream ito virtually.”
Idinagdag pa ni Lim na, “MMFF has been part of the Filipino tradition every holiday season. We will not allow the pandemic to decline our people their chance to see Filipino movies. The cinemas will be closed. At least, the families will enjoy the films at home. Hindi pwedeng mawala ang tradition na ‘yan.”
Apat na pelikula na ang napili noong July at ito ang horror film na Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan ni Joshua Garcia; ang fantasy-adventure Magikland ni Bibeth Orteza; ang comedy na Praybeyt Benjamin 3 ni Vice Ganda; at ang The Exorcism of My Siszums ng magkapatid na Toni at Alex Gonzaga.
At dahil pa rin sa pandemya, ini-extend ang deadline para sa pagsusumite ng entries ng hanggang November.
Bukod sa G Movies ng Globe, mapapanood din ang MMFF 2020 entries sa Upstream ni Dondon Monteverde. Aniya, “This is a big thing for producers who met uncertainty during this time of pandemic.
“Last June, the summer MMFF was already cancelled. I am delighted with this venture that we connected it with the infrastructure of Globe. We can stream the films to all Filipinos here and abroad.
“We did this platform for content producers. We want to bring Filipino ingenuity abroad. We want to entertain the Filipino audience. We want to tell everyone that MMFF 2020 will push through.”
Maricris Nicasio
