By the time this column sees print, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) may have announced the biggest box office draws of the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). For the MMDA, achieving the monetary target has always been the most important qualifier of “success” in managing the festival.

For the past 51 years — dating back to when the Metro Manila Commission became the MMDA — one cannot help but wonder why this agency was given absolute authority to run the festival. After the EDSA Revolution, this responsibility fell under the Movie Workers Welfare Fund (MOWELFUND). Today, it is the MMDA that manages the yearly festival.

Film festival management is not listed as part of the MMDA’s mandate. Its chief responsibilities are, among others, transport and traffic management, solid waste disposal, public safety, urban development and pollution control.

One need not be a social scientist or developmental communication expert to declare that, given their mandate, this government agency has neither the authority nor the expertise to manage the annual movie festival. There is no available literature suggesting that the MMDA ever amended its by-laws to include MMFF management as part of its official functions.

Frankly, the administration, control and implementation of the MMFF should fall under the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), in partnership with the Committee on Cinema of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Film Academy of the
Philippines (FAP).

Errs

One of the biggest errors the MMDA consistently commits during the MMFF is the inequitable distribution of cinemas. This year, Call Me Mother and Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins received the largest cinema allotments — over 100 theaters each — resulting in the highest pre-sales and box office earnings. The remaining six films were allotted 80, 70, or just
over 60 theaters.

This distribution was clearly unfair and highlighted the biases of the MMDA and, of course, cinema exhibitors and owners, who exert significant influence over theater allocations.

A fair-minded approach would have been to divide the available cinemas equally among the eight films and maintain that allocation until the festival concluded.

Equal cinema distribution is standard practice in festivals such as Cinemalaya, QC Film Festival, Sinag Maynila, and Puregold’s Cine Panalo. The recurring inequity in MMDA-managed MMFF suggests that “commercial appeal” is prioritized above all else, while “artistic excellence” is merely for press releases. Only the filmmakers and producers seem to take that aspect seriously.

Another error is the exorbitant ticket price, ranging from P400 to P500. At the Director’s Club, prices exceed P700. These rates cater exclusively to the middle class, leaving lower-income families unable to enjoy movies in cinemas.

All they can access are clips, reels, teasers and trailers — if they have internet access — or pay for tabloids, which cost nearly as much as a single egg. Movie-watching with family and friends has become a luxury, now enjoyed mainly by the privileged, alongside dining at restaurants, fast-food chains, or international coffee franchises.

There was a time when going to the movies was a source of enjoyment for the masses — a shared experience where audiences could momentarily escape their worries and dream of endless possibilities.

Yet the MMDA leadership and cinema owners offer no discounts, nor do they subsidize tickets. Worse, free MMFF movie passes often end up in unscrupulous hands, resold at high prices. This is not speculation; the prevailing ticket prices during the MMFF prove that these practices are intentional. There was no effort to negotiate more affordable rates so that more people could watch the festival offerings.

Despite long queues, high prices did not deter middle-class audiences with disposable income. But the majority — the “descamisados” and hoi polloi — cannot afford to spend P500 or more, given the daily priorities of food, rent, utilities and family needs.

In effect, the MMDA and cinema owners have stripped away the magic and accessibility of cinema, which was once a cultural lifeline for the masses.

Additionally, for all the MMFF earnings managed by the MMDA, questions remain: How much goes to their coffers or the 16 cities under their jurisdiction? Are portions allocated to their respective cultural affairs offices, if they exist? And how much is properly distributed to MOWELFUND, FAP, FDCP, the Motion Picture Anti-Piracy Council, or the Optical Media Board — the legitimate beneficiaries of the MMFF?