Comedy King Dolphy as ‘Father Jejemon’


BY W. M. BELEN CONTRIBUTOR


“JEJEMON” is currently the craze among texters—and apparently, if you don’t understand it, you are not part of the “in crowd.” All the same, here’s what it means: Jejemon is a funny way of sending text messages, with capital and small letters thrown in together. In a way, it is a bit of a challenge to text in such a style because you have to form words that perhaps you alone can understand. From that craze, Comedy King Dolphy


was quick to conceptualize the movie Father Jejemon, his official entry to the 36th Metro Manila Film Festival, which begins on Christmas Day.


“I don’t even know how to send a text message,” the 82-year-old movie and TV legend confessed laughingly at his press conference on Tuesday. “But ZsaZsa [Padilla]


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showtime The ˜Manila Times FRIDAY December 10, 2010


Best Picture criteria changed in 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival


T


HIS year, under the new leadership of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which undertakes the annual


Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), there will be some major changes in the criteria for the selection of the Best Picture Award. In previous years, the movie entry eligible for the title must first be a top grosser, a criterion that takes 50 percent of the total score of 100 percent.


According to MMDA Chairman Francis


■ For his 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Dolphy will play the role of a priest for the very first time


Tolentino, this criterion has been removed, with the new criteria as follows: Artistry, Creativity and Technical Excellence, Innovativeness, Thematic Value and Global Appeal (70 percent) and Filipino Cultural and/or Historical Value (30 percent). Also this year, Tolentino said they are expanding the composition of the board of jurors to include representatives from the “masa” in addition to the appointed and established jurors. Another notable part of 2010 MMFF is a tribute to independent filmmakers with the showing of five selected Indie films to be shown as a prelude to the actual film festival, which officially begins on December 25. These Indie films—Nasaan si Hefte by Jonnah Lim; Rindido by Noriel Jarito; Presa by Adolf Lix Jr.; Slow Fade by Rommel Sales; and Senior Year by Jerrold Tarof—will be shown at SM Megamall Cinema one week before the film fest run from December 16 to 22. “This tribute is our way of helping young and promising independent


filmmakers whose works are normally not exhibited commercially, but are nonetheless earning acclaim and awards in international film festivals,” Tolentino noted. The yearly film festival, which is the subject of at least six related Presidential Proclamations, and two Metro Manila Commission Executive Orders, is held from December 25 of the current year to January 3 of the following year. To be featured are eight official entries, chosen from among the scripts submitted by legitimate movie producers/companies. In the Presidential Proclamations, the most important provision that became the essential condition to mount the MMFF is the creation and composition of the Executive Committee, the role of which is “to assist the Metro Manila Commission to run and manage the festival.” The Executive Committee, headed this


year by Tolentino, with Mayor Herbert Bautista of Quezon City as co-chairman, producer Jesse Ejercito as executive chairman and director Mark Meily as vice chairman, is “authorized to engage in


‘Dalaw’ – to hit the 3rd rank at 2010 MMFF? BY W. M. BELEN CONTRIBUTOR


“I WILL only aspire for No. 3,” multi-awarded TV host and actress Kris Aquino said of her movie, Dalaw, her official entry to the 36th Metro Manila Film Festival, which opens on December 25. “I prefer Dalaw to make at least P100 million from the box- office rather than receive an award,” added the 40-year-old celebrity, who is also dubbed as “Queen of Horror Movies.” Aquino is known for such blockbusters as Sukob and Feng Shui. She was also known earlier as the “Massacre Queen” for having done a number of true-to-life films of gruesome murders, as serial- ized by Director Carlo Caparaz. In Feng Shui, she portrayed a


wife and mother who was seduced by wealth but paid dearly for its price when she was haunted by grim misfor- tunes. In Sukob, she played a newly-wed who terrifyingly eluded the horrors brought about by her cursed wedding. In Dalaw, Aquino faces the challenge of giving life to a complex persona. “I play Estella who is a widow and then remarries. I draw inspiration from my personal experiences during the last six years,” she revealed. “And to say the least, I have found my niche, that of appearing in a horror movie,”


she added. Dalaw is a joint production


of Star Cinema, Cinemedia and MGM Productions, with Direc- tor Dondon Santos at the helm. Asked if she would be voted


festival Best Actress, “No, please!” she stressed. “That will cause a lot of controversy!” she explained. “And Noynoy [her brother, President Benigno Aquino 3rd] will be the victim. You know, he appointed the chairman of the MMDA [Metro- politan Manila Development Authority] who also serves as


the festival’s chairman. You can just imagine the suspicion of biases in voting for the festi- val’s best actress.” “We gave all that we could in


doing Dalaw,” she continued. “There was even a time when we had to shoot straight more than 24 hours and I had to catch some sleep in my trailer.” While she commended the


team of writers who wrote the screenplay, Aquino said there were also instances where she asked for the revision of some sequences. A veteran actress especially in the genre of horror, she could not just let slip away an error. “I did not have a hand in choosing the stars, except for Ms. Gina Pareno whom I insisted to be in the cast,” Aquino also revealed. The other members of the cast are Diether Ocampo, Alessandra de Rossi, Karylle, Maliksi Morales and Ina Feleo.


fundraising among all sectors of society including the local government units,” and has the power to “authorize the accrual or allocation of amusement tax and other proceeds derived from the 10- day festival.”


The proceeds from the MMFF are allocated to the beneficiaries, among them the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, the Film Academy of the Philippines and the Motion Pictures Anti- Film Piracy Council. The films vying for awards in this


year’s film festival are: Rosario by Cinemabuhay International Inc.; Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote, a co- production of APT. Inc., GMA Films, Imus Production, M-Zet TV Production Inc. and OctoArts Films; Ang Tanging Ina Mo Rin (Last Na ‘To!) by ABS-CBN Productions Inc.; Dalaw by Cine Media/ Star Cinema; Father Jejemon by RVQ Productions Inc.; RPG Metanoia by ABS- CBN Productions/Ambient Media; Shake, Rattle & Roll XII and Super Inday and the Golden Bebe by Regal Entertainment Inc. The traditional MMFF Parade of Stars


(Parada ng mga Bituin) on Christmas Day, considered as a treat to Filipino moviegoers and much-anticipated, will kick off at 1 p.m. at the parking lot of the SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia and will proceed to the Quirino Grandstand via Roxas Boulevard. On the other hand, the Gabi ng Parangal


(Awards Night), which will honor and give recognition to the winning performing artists and technicians in the festival, will be held at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas on December 26 at 6 p.m. W. M. BELEN CONTRIBUTOR


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■ Reunited: Best friends in real life, Ai Ai de las Alas (left) and Eugene Domingo reprise the roles they love.


‘Tanging Ina


Mo, Last Na ‘To’ A HILARIOUSLY TOUCHING REUNION OF FRIENDS


BY ED UY STAFF WRITER


THEY say the best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories— which is probably why Ai Ai de las Alas and director Wenn Deramas decided to make the Tanging Ina series a trilogy. It was, after all, Tanging Ina that made Ai Ai de las Alas a household name, earned her a true friend in co-star Eugene Domingo, and gave her enough memories to try to assemble the original cast for this third and “final” movie.


“Bringing together all the actors who


played my children was actually one of the requirements of director Wenn Deramas before he agreed to do the movie,” explains the famous comedienne. “We wanted Tanging Ina Mo, Last Na ‘To, to serve as a reunion of sorts para sa mga gumanap na mga anak ko [for those who portrayed my children], especially for those who were not in the sequel Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat, like Marvin Agustin, Nikki Valdez, Marc Acueza and Yuri Kadooka.” De las Alas said it wasn’t easy bringing the cast back together as some the actors


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‘SI AGIMAT AT SI ENTENG KABISOTE’ A CLASH OF HEROES AND EGOS?


TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ED UY STAFFWRITER


GETTING top billing has always been a major issue for movie stars, especially for big name actors who are used to seeing their names prominently appearing first. There are even instances where actors have refused to do movies just because they couldn’t agree on whose name would be given more importance. So imagine two of the biggest names in the local movie industry— Vic Sotto and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.—coming together in what could arguably be one of the most ambitious films ever made. It may be a dream-come-true for producers and moviegoers, but it definitely could have been a potential nightmare at the negotiating table. Instead of letting egos get in the


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way, however, the two actors say they never had a problem working together on Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote, their entry to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). “Wala kaming naging problema sa


ON JAMES YAP? KRIS Aquino’s reply to the question is: “We have already reached the stage of being friends. One time he slept in my condo and I had to sleep in my youngest son’s room.” James has a visitation rights to the kids three times a week. Asked when she would fall in


Asked if she would be voted Metro Manila Film Festival Best Actress, Kris Aquino replied, “No please! That will cause a lot of controversy.”


love again, “In 2011!” Aquino readily answered, followed by a burst of laughter. We did not know if she meant it


or not, but we all hope that love will soon make dalaw to her!


[We had no problems with the] billing,” says Vic Sotto. “It has never been an issue, nakita ko ang [I saw the] layout, gano’n na. Senator Bong didn’t have a problem with it and neither did I,” Sotto adds. In the movie poster, Sotto who is more senior than Revilla, comes ahead in the billing but the latter’s character comes first in the title. Sotto also denied that they had


any issues as far as talent fees or production costs. Revilla shares that everything was fair and they never had any arguments: “Pantay kami sa mga scenes, at pati sa share sa production costs, wala kaming pinagtalunan [We had the same number of scenes and


shared the production costs. We had no disagreements].” The movie is being produced by


five film companies: GMA Films, Revilla’s Imus Production, OctoArts Films, APT Entertainment and Sotto’s M-Zet Films. Asked why they were able work together so seamlessly, Sotto says it was because they had a com- mon goal in doing the movie. He says the most important thing for the two of them was to create a great movie that everyone would enjoy watching. For the past several years, it has


always been these two actors’ movies that have dominated the MMFF box office, and now that they are working together, everyone is expecting their film to be this year’s top-grosser.


When asked if he was confident that their movie would be No.1, Sotto replied, “Confident na magiging matagumpay [that we will succeed], but we’re not that conscious about it. Hindi namin


iniisip na kelangan maging [We don’t think of the need to become] number one or [the] top-grosser. “Ang gusto namin ni Senator Bong [what we want], is for this to become the record-breaking festival. All of the entries are good so we are hoping that this will be the biggest- grossing Metro Manila Film Festival,” he says, adding “at maka- sama lang kami ni Senator Bong doon, ayos na [and just for us to be part of it is good enough for us].” Revilla says working with Vic was already a huge honor, and he certainly has no regrets working with him. “Before, every time we would run into each other, we’ll say ‘gawa tayo ng pelikula [let’s make a movie],’ but it was nothing serious until finally, this year we decided it was time to really do it.” Revilla and Sotto’s pairing also breathes new life and opens up new possibilities to both movie fran- chises. Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote features the magical crossover of


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■ Action legend Sen. Bong Revilla


■ Vic Sotto, a comedy king in his own right


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