Thy Womb pullout raises a firestorm

Director Tikoy Aguiluz was up in arms last week after several theaters pulled out Thy Womb, one of the biggest winners at the 38th Metro Manila Film Festival.

The theater owners stopped showing the film because of poor gate receipts and replaced it with more bankable filmfest entries like Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote At Si Ako and One More Try.

In his Facebook account, Tikoy called on Nora Aunor’s fans to “occupy” the Meralco theater where the awards night was held. "Let us stop the cinemas from pulling out Thy Womb because of box office crap,” he ranted. “This is a festival and the film deserves a full run. The box office should be irrelevant.

"The MMFF is our trade-off to the absence of the quota system. Let the MMFF show its balls and stop the theaters from pulling out Thy Womb.”

Nora won the best actress award for her portrayal of a midwife in a Tawi-Tawi village in Thy Womb. The film also won the Gat Puno Villegas Cultural Award, Best Director for Brillante Mendoza, Best Original Story for Henry Burgos, Best in Production Design, Best in Cinematography, and the Most Gender Sensitive Award.

Tikoy was not alone in raving against the pullout of Thy Womb. Jeorge ER Estregan, who portrayed Emilio Aguinaldo in El Presidente, criticized the system of raffling off the entries for showing in provincial theaters, saying it favored films with box-office potential.

He said the festival was originally confined to Metro Manila theaters. “But times have changed. There are now cinemas all over the Philippines…I hope the MMFF changes its name to The Filipino Film Festival to level the playing field for all eight entries.”

In a TV interview, Brillante Mendoza also expressed disappointment that his movie was yanked out just because it did not attract enough viewers. “It defeats the mandate of the film festival to be the showcase” of films that are outstanding but are not commercially attractive, Brillante said.

In a statement I received, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which runs the filmfest, denied there was favoritism in assigning the number of theaters for the entries. “MMDA Chairman Atty. Francis Tolentino and MMFF executive chairman Jesse Ejercito reiterate that the assignment of theaters to the 8 official entries is done fairly. In Metro Manila theaters are raffled. In theaters in the provinces, MMFF helps all 8 entries get theaters, but in the end it is the theater owners’ decision,” the statement read.

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Jeorge ER Estregan was an early favorite for best actor, but it was Dingdong Dantes who grabbed the award for his role in One More Try.

One More Try also took the trophies for best picture, best screenplay, best editing, and the FPJ Memorial Award.

El Presidente settled for runner-up honors in the best picture category. But it picked up the plums for best theme song, best sound, best float, best musical score, and best makeup.

Sisterakas was second runner-up for best picture.

Cesar Montano, who played Andres Bonifacio in El Presidente, was best supporting actor, and Wilma Doesn’t, the best supporting actress for Sisterakas.

Miguel Vergara was best child actor for One More Try. The trophy for the best special effects went to Shake, Rattle and Roll 14.

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TV5 will overhaul its programs starting next year to stop the network’s revenue hemorrhage.

InterAksyon.com reported that the major program makeover was announced by Manny V. Pangilinan, chairman of ABC Development Corp, which runs TV5.

Pangilinan said TV5’s losses in the second half of 2012 reached almost P2.8 billion.

“[But] we do expect it to reduce in the coming years,” he said.

The buzz is that the contracts of the network’s talents will not be renewed.