The exclusion of a Nora Aunor film from the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival is a disregard to the stature and relevance of a National Artist.
No matter the perceived non-viability of a product and its contents, the essence and meaning of a film festival must also be considered.
A film fest is a show window of quality and no-nonsense tent poles and inclusion of a Nora Aunor (National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts) work would prove its worth.
It's been a consistent decision of the MMFF to take in a Nora Aunor project —for whatever it is worth— in the past editions of the annual film fiesta.
In the 70s, 80s, 90s up to the early millennium, the event wasn't complete without a Nora Aunor presence in the lineup.
Queen of the MIFF
In her movie comeback after her hiatus and infamous drug case in the US where she stayed long enough, Brillante Ma. Mendoza's "Thy Womb" (2012) was a welcome treat to her untiring Noranians and to the festival audience in general even if in the final counting at the box-office receipts it was almost a cellar dweller at the tills.
In 2016, “Kabisera” directed by Real Florido and Arturo “Boy” San Agustin was entered to the fest but it received a lukewarm reception from the filmgoers.
In 2020, Joel Lamangan's "Isa Pang Bahaghari (Another Rainbow)" which Nora shared spotlight with Phillip Salvador, Zanjoe Marudo, Sanya Lopez, Michael de Mesa, among others, was an entry.
All those years, Nora was the toast if not darling of the MMFF.
Even Nora herself and the whole caboodle were made to believe she was the Queen of MMFF simply because her movies sold well.
Until this year.
Not only one but two movies, namely Alternative Vision's "Pieta" (which she stars with Gina Alajar, Jaclyn Jose, Alfred Vargas, Bembol Roco and Ina Raymudo) and BC Entertainment's "Mananambal," where she both starred in and directed by no less than the award-winning filmmaker Adolf Alix, Jr., were entered to the September 29, 2023 deadline in the hope that anyone of them could be included in the initially quantified Magic 8 circle.
What Gives?
But even if the 2023 MMFF Selection Committee headed by producer Jesse Ejercito added up two more selections to make up for a revived Magic 10 batch, the submission of the two Nora Aunor projects were snubbed by the body.
What gives?
There were more than 30 film submissions to fill up the last four — later extended or allotted to six — entries and no Nora Aunor starrer was ever selected.
If the criteria for judging in the process of selection were applied to Nora's films, they could at least keep one of them if two were excesses.
Let me pose some questions that could challenge some inquisitive souls to rack their brains:
Are MMFF authorities myopic enough to an oversight that Nora films are good festival items?
Are they laidback to analyze that local cinema to go global or just national in scope and competitive and fresh to expand its market is to explore possibilities of untested territories and uncharted boundaries but guided just the same by universal principles of art and commerce?
Are they easily swayed by public taste that Nora's masterpieces are mind-boggling, deep, dark, depressing narratives that don't sit well with the mass movie-going public whose penchant is only shallow, spoon-fed and feel-good movies?
Are they reactionary about changes and rocking the boat to make a dent in the revolution of cinema?
The Magic 10 49th MMFF entries are:
"(K)Ampon" which stars Beauty Gonzales and Derek Ramsay, "Rewind" which features Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes, both directed by King Palisoc; "Pedro Penduko" which showcases Albert Martinez, Matteo Guidicelli and Kylie Padilla directed by Jason Paul Laxamana; "Family of Two (A Mother and Son Story" which highlights Sharon Cuneta and Alden Richards directed by Nuel Naval; "Firefly" which presents Alessandra de Rossi, Euwenn Mikaeli etc. directed by Zig Dulay;
"Gomburza" which top bills Enchong Dee and Dante Rivero directed by Pepe Diokno; "When I Met You in Tokyo" which brings back the perennial Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon directed by Rado Peru and Rommel Penesa; "Mallari" which stars Piolo Pascual directed by Derick Cabrido; "Becky and Badette" which puts together comic talents of Pokwang and Eugene Domingo directed by Jun Robles Lana and "Broken Hearts Trip" which casts Christian Vasquez and Teejay Marquez directed by Lemuel Lorca.
Shorts: Former flight attendant Abegail Rait is passionate and determined to show to the world she's ready to expose everything about her confessed illicit relationship with the late rapper Francis Magalona, also known in the rap scene as Francis M. As we go to press, Abegail has divulged that she has a daughter with Francis and the lovechild is already in her teen years and ready to launch her own singing career. According to Rait, she and Francis met when she watched the live show of "Eat Bulaga" 15 years ago. The singer, she said, got her cell phone number and started calling her. Dates led to intimate relationships until she bore a daughter, Gail Francesca, who at the moment is also a rapper. It was a heavy heart, Abegail said, that she learned her lover was stricken with leukemia which claimed his life. To prove her claim, Rait showed the jersey Magalona gave her with matching "I Love You..." dedication and is now sold to a pawn broker for P500k ... According to Art Tapalla, entertainment journalist and this columnist's co-host in the online show "The National Entertainment Today," GMA Network plans to produce separately the pinch hitter "It's Your Lucky Day" for "It's Showtime" when the Luis Manzano noontime show is done after the 28th of October, the date when Vice Ganda and her cohorts return in air. Art said Luis' show might be a pre-programming of the beleaguered show of Vice, et al.
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