There were 70 submissions to the last five official entries to the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival, according to Don Artes, chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the main carrier of the MMFF.
Kinda competitive.
Water Plus Productions’ “Idol The April Boy Regino Story” was one of the submissions against the sixty nine equally no-nonsense aspirants.
Unfortunately, the Efren Reyes, Jr.-directed filmbio of OPM icon April Boy Regino didn’t make it to the narrowest selection.
But Marynette Gamboa, the producer of the movie, isn’t worried at all.
“Inisip ko kung mapipili kami, malalakas ang kalaban. Tapos, matindi ang mga publisidad ng mga ‘yan. Pareho rin naman kung tutuusin ang preparasyon pero gano’n talaga (I was thinking that if ever we would be chosen, the competitors are all strong. Then, their publicity machinery will be big. The preparation is all the same, anyway. That’s how the cookie crumbles),” said Marynette.
“Kung napili kami, mabibigyan ba kami ng maraming sinehan sa buong Pilipinas? Alam mo na naman ang booking sa pelikula. Malalakas ang box-office names ng mga kalaban (I was also thinking that if ever we would be selected, shall we be given enough movie houses to show our film all over the Philippines? You know how booking films work in the country, right? Many of our competitors have box-office names),” Gamboa added.
“I have to be realistic. I don’t have to compete with them so I decided and adapted our Plan B and that is to show ‘Idol…’ weeks before the official start of this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival,” explained the producer who has been a major player in the industry for decades.
Marynette took the practical way by booking her project in November.
“Maganda rin ang playdate na (Screening the film is also good on the) last week of November,” she exclaimed.
Last week, the biopic of April Boy who is portrayed by newcomer John Arcenas was previewed by the members of the entertainment press at Mowelfund Plaza.
Let us just wait and see how “Idol…” will fare in the box-office and in the critical eye of the moviegoing public.
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