Firefly: How the MMFF underdog became the Best Picture of all
When GMA Public Affairs decided to expand from producing award-winning documentaries and venture into making films this year, they chose to wait and present Firefly to a broader audience through the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2023 because “it was meant to be seen on a big screen.” Their decision proved to be worth the wait.
The mother-and-son tale that blends magic realism and road movie elements was hailed Best Picture during MMFF’s just-concluded Gabi ng Parangal on Wednesday at the New Frontier Theater. It also earned the Best Screenplay and Best Child Actor honors.
Directed by Zig Dulay (fresh from the success of GMA teleserye Maria Clara at Ibarra), written by Angeli Atienza, and produced by GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs under Nessa Valdellon, Firefly stars Euwenn Mikaell as the 10-year-old boy who searches for the mythical island described in the bedtime stories of his mother (Alessandra De Rossi), where one can make a wish upon seeing the light of a thousand fireflies.
To those who have seen the film, the win might not be expected given its formidable competitors, but at the same time, it was not surprising. Firefly is the quintessential MMFF movie — feel-good, family-oriented and child-friendly, among other production merits.
Shortly after their big triumph, The Philippine STAR had an e-mail interview with GMA Pictures senior vice president and GMA network first vice president for public affairs Nessa Valdellon to talk about their little film that could and did.
The Kapuso executive also shared how this passion project, which almost didn’t materialize, simply continued the legacy set by previous GMA Pictures projects such as Rizal and Muro-Ami, which secured Best Picture honors in consecutive MMFFs.
Before the Gabi ng Parangal and even before the MMFF started, what were your expectations for Firefly? And what does this award mean for GMA Public Affairs and its foray into filmmaking this year?
“This means so much to GMA Public Affairs. Firefly is a story about a small boy with a big and heartfelt dream. It’s also the story of GMA Public Affairs, this small team that could. We were the underdog in the MMFF this year but somehow, magically, became the biggest winner of all.
“So, I just want to tell everyone to continue being brave and to believe in the power of stories! I had no expectations at the start. I just prayed very hard we would make it into the festival.
“Firefly is a beautiful and moving story; I told Mr. Gilberto Duavit Jr. (GMA network president and incoming chief executive officer) — who headed our GMA Pictures committee when Firefly was greenlit — that if GMA didn’t want to produce it, I would produce it myself.
“Mr. Duavit was a supporter of Firefly from the start. We are continuing the legacy he and Butch Jimenez started when they produced Rizal and Muro-Ami, which won Best Picture in two succeeding MMFFs.
“In the credits, we thanked Mr. Duavit with a surprise mention: ‘Maraming salamat, Jimmy R. Duavit, sa paniniwala sa isla ng mga alitaptap.’
“You just know, you get shivers up your spine when you find a story that has to be told and you feel blessed to be the one to be able to tell it.”
How’s the box-office reception and the number of cinemas? Can you share your initial challenges and what are the most positive developments so far?
“The box-office reception has been surprisingly good. We sold out all our theaters on the first day although we had so few theaters! Every day, we gain more. On the first day, we had a little over 30 theaters. Today, the day after the MMFF awarding, we have almost 70 theaters and counting.
“It’s still nowhere near the other entries, but we’re happy.
“My only hope is that more people watch and come to love Firefly ... as it’s a film made with so much love and respect for our audience.”
What was your biggest asset that enabled the film to win amidst the presence of bigger-budget films?
“It’s the power of the story. Such a beautiful story.
“Then and because I see this from a producer’s viewpoint: The biggest asset is really putting together the best team to bring a beautiful story to life. If you work with the best people, with their hearts in the right place, you will succeed.
“Anj Atienza’s story matched with Zig Dulay’s direction and Neil Daza’s cinematography and Alex de Rossi’s acting ... How can you go wrong?
“Our CGI was great care of Mothership, the music of Len Calvo absolutely gorgeous. All the way down to the poster, we worked with the best in the business — Justin Besana.
“Then the back end for this project was the Public Affairs team producing it. People often ask me what the secret is for Public Affairs doing so well in narratives. And it’s because our stories are based on real life, real people we met and interviewed on the field. We couldn’t have invented these characters from scratch even if we tried! We’ve met real people with struggles like our characters, we have felt their pain.
“Technically, as documentary and magazine producers first, we all know how to write a script, how to write a caption, how to frame a story, how to direct on field, how to edit or supervise an edit, even how to market our content. We were trained to do every part of the production process because docu and magazine budgets are tiny and we have to save on costs by doing things ourselves. It’s part of our Public Affairs DNA. I am so proud of our small GMA Public Affairs team that moonlights in GMA Pictures.”
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