Big prizes at stake in 2014 MMFF New Wave tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino announced that the cash prizes for the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) — New Wave (Indie) section are bigger and more exciting for this year.

“This year, as we celebrate our 40th year, MMFF will continue the tradition of supporting independent films through a bigger, better and bolder New Wave Section,” said Tolentino.

A brainchild of Tolentino, the MMFF’s New Wave competition was introduced in 2010 due to the continued popularity of indie films that serve as a platform for aspiring students and indie film enthusiasts to showcase their talents.                                     

The festival has four categories: Full Length, Animation, Student Shorts and Cinephone. Entries for all categories are now being accepted in the MMDA office in Makati City.

A cash prize of P300,000 will be awarded to the winner of the Best Picture of the Full Feature category and a Special Jury prize will also be given with P200,000 in cash.

In celebration of the Ruby Year of the festival, all feature film entry finalists will be given the rare opportunity to show their films in commercial run in at least 20 cinemas in early quarter of next year, 2015.           

The Best Picture in the Animation section will get a P100,000 cash prize.

For Student Shorts, the Best Picture will receive P50,000 and P25,000 each for special awards.           

 Six winners in the Cinephone competition will each receive P25,000, plus paid internships from  Viva Films, Scenema Concept and Quantum Films.

All the winners will be announced during the MMFF Awards Night in late December.   

For Full Length category, entries must have a minimum running time of 75 minutes and must have been completed from 2013 onwards.             

Student Shorts category is open to student filmmakers from local colleges and universities. Entries must have a maximum 20 minutes running time and must have been filmed within 2014.

For Animation category, entries must have a maximum total running time of 12 minutes and completed from 2013 onwards.

The Cinephone competition, meanwhile, is a nationwide cellphone movie-making contest for high school and college students. This year’s theme is Pagbangon Pagkalipas ng Kalamidad, a timely theme that would showcase the resilience of Filipinos in times of calamity, to the world.

Previous Best Film winners of MMFF New Wave (full feature) include Lee Meily and Nelson Caguila’s Pintakasi (2011); Tyrone Acierto’s The Grave Bandits (2012) which had its market premiere in Festival de Cannes 2013 and participated in international film festivals  (USA, Malaysia, Cambodia, Spain); and Armando Lao’s Dukit (2013) which was nominated in Gawad Urian 2014 in more than 10 categories including Best Picture, Best Direction, etc.

Meanwhile, winners for the New Wave Best Actress category include Iza Calzado for HIV (2011), Liza Diño for In Nomine Matris (2012) and Agot Isidro for Mga Anino Ng Kahapon (2013).

Former New Wave Best Actors were JM de Guzman for Pintakasi (2011), Allan Paule for Gayak (2012) and Wilfredo Layug, Bor Ocampo and Bambalito Lacap for Dukit (2013).

Entries must be submitted to Office of the Chairman, MMDA Main Bldg. (ground floor), EDSA cor. Orense St., Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City. Look for Gigi Mallillin or Ria Rubia. Deadline for submission of entries in all categories is on Oct. 7. Official finalists will be announced a week after. For details, log on to www.mmff-newwave.ph, www.mmda.gov.ph/mmff, www.facebook.com/metromanilafilmfest, twitter.com/mmfilmfest or call 882-1801, 442-4151 loc. 315.