Sunday, 27 December 2015

Netizens express mixed reactions on MMFF 2015 Awards results, scandals

MANILA, Philippines - The 41st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) awards night is over but netizens expressed their dismay and sentiments over the results with '#RIPMMFF2015' and '#MMFF2015Scandal' trended on social media early Monday, December 28.

My Bebe Love' stars Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza
'My Bebe Love' stars Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza (L) and 'Honor Thy Father' director Erik Matti (R)
Photo Credit: Maine Mendoza and Erik Matti/Twitter
Newcomer 'Yaya Dub' won Best Supporting Actress Award

While the AlDub Nation (fans of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza) are rejoicing for her first acting award as she won the Best Supporting Actress trophy for 'My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore' movie, some netizens questioned if Yaya Dub really deserves her latest achievement.




But instead of bashing Maine, some netizens believed that the MMFF committe should be blamed on how they chose the winners.

netizens dismayed over MMFF results
Photo Credit: Twitter/@xcpaultigs


Fans also defended the 'Eat Bulaga' star and expressed disappointments on how other fandoms reacted to the issue.

AlDub reactions Maine best supporting actress
Photo Credit: Twitter/@ElanGabby
On Monday, Maine Mendoza who is currently on her vacation in Japan reacted to all the bashers and thanked fans for the support.



'Honor Thy Father' Disqualification Case draws sentiments

Erik Matti, the director of the controversial film 'Honor Thy Father' (Con-Man) was a no-show at the recently cocluded MMFF Awards night. But instead, he gave his his acceptance speech read by Shiel Calde of Reality Entertainment at the ceremony.

The speech highlights Matti's disappointments on MMFF trends and encouraged change in the Philippine film industry.

"Sa kabila ng lahat, magandang gabi pa rin sa inyo.

Kahit kailan po, hindi ako gumawa ng pelikula para magka-award. At kung may mga reklamo man ako sa MMFF, hindi ‘yan tungkol sa pagdisqualify niyo sa Honor Thy Father from the Best Picture category. Naglabas na ng statement ang producer namin na si Dondon Monteverde. Sang-ayon ako sa mga sinabi niya doon. Mas malalim kesa d’yan ang disappointment ko sa MMFF.

Mula sa pagpili niyo ng mga sineng isasali hanggang sa pagkunsinti niyo sa masahol na trato ng mga sinehan sa ibang pelikula, lalo na ng maliliit na producers, para sa isang die-hard movie fan na gaya ko, hindi ko na halos makilala ang film festival na dati kong hinangaan at nirespeto.

Maraming salamat na lang sa libreng publicity at higit sa lahat, sa pagbukas ng pinto para pag-usapan na sa wakas ng filmmakers pati ng moviegoers ang mga hinahangad nilang pagbabago sa MMFF.

Sa lahat naman ng Pilipinong hindi pa rin nagsasawang manood ng mga gawa namin dito, salamat sa inyo. You deserve better. Kaya tulungan niyo naman kami. Demand for better films! Demand for more choices in the cinemas! Kaya pa natin baguhin ‘to. Hindi ako titigil kung hindi rin kayo titigil.

Hindi na ito tungkol sa Honor Thy Father. Buong industriya ng paggawa at panonood sa pelikulang Pilipino ang usapan na ‘to. Kaya, salamat na rin sa inyo, MMFF. Binuhay niyo ang pag-asa ko para sa pagbabago."

On Twitter, Matti posted sentiments on alleged 'MMFF 2015 Scandal.'





Netizen Kip Oebanda on Facebook shared his reaction on the disqualification of 'Honor thy Father' and said it is an issue of governance.

"1. I am not discrediting the results. I think that everyone is a victim in this instance. The director of #WalangForever herself has expressed dismay at the disqualification on Twitter. The loss of credibility of the awards is a structural issue. A transparency issue. 2. This is not an argument for the quality. I am not saying one kind of film is better than the other. I will keep that judgment to myself . 3. I am not flat out accusing MMDA of corruption. I am merely pointing out structural problems that could inevitably lend itself to corruption or the perception of corruption. Being perceived as corrupt is pretty bad."

Do you think this alleged MMFF 2015 scandals will change next year's festival? Do you believe that the quality of our movies nowadays is degrading as more producers target is just to earn big money? - TheSummitExpress.com

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Maine Mendoza wins Best Supporting Actress at MMFF 2015

MANILA, Philippines - Maine Mendoza known as 'Yaya Dub' bagged her first acting award at the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) held on Sunday, December 27 at the Kia Theatre, Araneta Center in Quezon City.

Maine Mendoza wins MMFF acting award
CONGRATULATIONS. Maine Mendoza wins MMFF acting award
MMFF organizing committee named Maine of the popular loveteam AlDub as the 'Best Supporting Actress' for her role in the Jose Javier Reyes film 'My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore.'

RELATED STORY
COMPLETE LIST: Winners, MMFF 2015 awards night

The romantic comedy 'My Bebe Love' also stars her on-screen partner Alden Richards and veterans Vic Sotto and Ai Ai dela Alas.

In a report from GMA News, it says that 'My Bebe Love' broke record for the highest first day gross for any Filipino film after garnering P60.5 million total ticket sales last December 25.

'My Bebe Love' also won Gatpuno Villegas 3rd Best Picture Award.

COMPLETE LIST: Winners, MMFF 2015 awards night

MANILA, Philippines - The 41st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) organizers announced the complete list of winners and awardees for the 2015 film competition in the awards night held on Sunday, December 27 at the Kia Theatre, Araneta Center in Quezon City.

COMPLETE LIST: Winners, MMFF 2015 awards night


Eight (8) official entries have competed for the 2015 MMFF major award categories such as best picture, best actor, best actress and best director.

Entries to MMFF 2015 include 'Beauty and the Bestie,' 'My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore,' 'All You Need Is Pag-Ibig,' 'Haunted Mansion,' 'Buy Now, Die Later,' 'Honor Thy Father,' 'Nilalang' and 'Walang Forever.'

8 Entries to MMFF 2015


This year's MMFF also includes 5 full-length entries under New Wave category. This includes 'Ari: My Life with a King,' 'Mandirigma,'Tandem,' 'Toto,' and 'Turo Turo.' Finalists were shown from December 17-24 at Glorietta 4, SM Megamall, and Robinsons Movieworld Cinemas.

The mainstream festival has kicked-off on Friday, December 25, 2015 and will have ongoing nationwide screening until January 7, 2016. During the festival, no foreign films are shown in Philippine cinemas in order to showcase locally produced films.

RELATED STORY
MMFF Ranking 2015: MMDA announces Top 4 Films, First Day Total Gross

Here is the complete list of winners for the 2015 MMFF (Refresh page for the updates):

Major Awards
  • Best Picture:
  • Second Best Picture:
  • Third Best Picture:
  • Best Actress:
  • Best Actor:
  • Best Director:
  • Best Supporting Actress:
  • Best Supporting Actor:
  • Best Child Performer:
  • Best Screenplay:
  • Best Original Story:
  • Best Editor:
  • Best Cinematographer:
  • Best Production Design:
  • Best Visual Effects:
  • Best Sound Engineer:
  • Best Musical Score:
  • Best Theme Song:
  • Best Festival Make-up Artist:

Special Awards
  • Gat Puno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award:
  • FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence:
  • Commemorative Award for Vision and Leadership:
  • Commemorative Award for Vision and Leadership:
  • Guillermo de Vega Memorial Award (posthumous):
  • Celeb Face of the Night:
  • Best Float Award:
  • Youth Choice Award:

41st MMFF New Wave Awards Night Winners

Full Feature Category
  • Best Picture:
  • Special Jury Prize:
  • Best Director:
  • Best Actor:
  • Best Supporting Actor:
  • Best Actress:
  • Best Supporting Actress:

Animation Category
  • Best Picture:
  • Special Jury Prize:

Student Short Film Category
  • Best Picture:
  • Special Jury Prize:

By virtue of Metro Manila Commission Executive Order No. 86-09, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation Nos. 1459, 1485, 1533, 1533-A and 1647, the MMFF is held during the Christmas Season in recognition of the role of the film industry in providing artistic depictions of both this country's stories and history.

2015 is the first festival under the current organizing committee and MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos, after his predecessor Francis Tolentino resigned from his post in October 2015, to run for the Philippine Senate in the 2016 elections.

The MMFF Awards Night (Gabi ng Parangal ) 2015 hosted by Richard Gutierrez and KC Concepcion will be aired via delayed telecast at 9:00 p.m. Saturday on TV5 thru a co-production with Viva Entertainment. - TheSummitExpress.com

MMFF issues statement on 'Honor Thy Father' disqualification from Best Picture Category

MANILA, Philippines - The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Executive Committee issued statement to clarify the misconceptions relating to the disqualification of Honor Thy Father (HTF) of Reality Entertainment Productions from the MMFF Best Picture Category of the MMFF 2015.

 'Honor Thy Father' disqualification from Best Picture Category
DISQUALIFIED? MMFF entry 'Honor Thy Father' received lightest sanction from festival committee.
Photo Credit: Reality Entertainment
Here's the full text of the statement:

Following the pullout of the 8th entry Ang Hapis at Himagsik ni Hermano Puli from the Festival, MMFF wrote to the producers of HTF dated October 21, 2015 informing them that they were the next-in-rank film for the Festival and requesting for a Producer’s Certification."

On October 22, 2015, the producer of the Film wrote the Executive Committee of MMFF that it has complied with all existing MMFF rules and regulations without mentioning its participation in another film festival. Having certified its compliance to all MMFF rules, it was officially included as an entry in the Film Festival on October 23, 2015.

Unknown to MMFF, HTF was slated to have an exhibition and was actually shown at the Cinema One Film Festival held on November 8, 2015. This was only officially revealed to the MMFF through their letter dated November 5, 2015, received on November 6, 2015, only two days before the showing, not giving the MMFF enough time to deliberate on the matter.

After a thorough, lengthy, and careful deliberation, the MMFF decided to impose the lightest sanction of disqualifying HTF from the selection as festival awardee for only the Best Picture category. MMFF could have imposed stiffer sanctions to the film, such as disqualification from all the awards or total disqualification from the Festival altogether.

Let it be forgotten, being included in the MMFF also comes with responsibilities. An official entry is expected to uphold and observe the Rules of the Festival.

On Saturday, a copy of letter addressed to Mr. Ronald Stephen Monteverde, producer of 'Honor Thy Father' surfaced online and has earned mixed reactions from netizens.

HTF, an Erik Matti film is a suspense crime film starring John Lloyd Cruz.

The winners of MMFF 2015 will be announced on Sunday night, December 27.

Duterte, Cayetano promise 'merrier Christmas' for public school teachers in 2016

MANILA, Philippines - "The country's public school teachers will have a merrier Christmas under a Duterte-Cayetano government."

Duterte, Cayetano promise 'merrier Christmas' for public school teachers in 2016

This was the promise made today by presidential contender Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte and his running mate Senate Majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano.

The tandem said if elected in 2016, they will grant an additional P 10,000 compensation for public school teachers over and above the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).

"Tatapusin natin ang malulungkot na pasko ng ating mga guro. Hindi dapat sila tinitipid at kinakaligtaan. Makakaasa ang ating mga guro ng matapang na solusyon at mabilis na aksyon para itaas ang kanilang mga sahod at iba pang benepisyo," Cayetano said.

The senator lambasted the government's proposed salary increase for public school teachers calling it "inconsiderate" and "negligible."

Cayetano said the government's proposed entry-level position of teachers is to grant an additional amount of P2, 205.00 from the present P18, 549.00 or a meager increase of less than 12%, spread over a period of four years, making the annual increase of a little more than P500.00, the lowest in recent history.

"Instead of repairing the government's erroneous compensation scheme for teachers, which past and present salary laws classified teachers as among the lowest paid government professionals, its proposed salary increase only reinforced this flawed system," Cayetano said.

"This what Mayor Duterte and I want to end. We will restore the dignity of the teaching profession. No more cheapskate wage increases which do not address burdensome taxes, cost of living and living conditions in general," Cayetano added.

Cayetano said their proposal is part of his Senate Bill 94, that grants public school teachers, locally-funded teachers, non-teaching personnel, and non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) additional compensation.