‘Big Night’ Wins Big At MMFF Awards; FilmFest’s Box Office Performance Defended

“Big Night” won big at the Metro Manila Film Festival’s Gabi ng Parangal on Monday, Dec. 27, bagging the best actor, best director and best picture awards, among others.

The movie is a dark comedy and the tells the story of a gay beautician named Dharna who learns that he is part of a drug watchlist. Fearing for his life, Dharna tries to clear his name, enlisting the help of his community members.

Aside from Christian Bables as best actor and Jun Lana as best director and best screenplay, other “Big Night” winners include John Arcilla (best supporting actor); Carlo Mendoza (best cinematography); and Teresa Barrozo (best musical score).

It also brought home the Gender Sensitivity Award.

Other winners at the Gabi ng Parangal held at SM Aura in Taguig City were:

• Best Actress – Charo Santos Concio, “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”

• Best Supporting Actress – Rans Rifol, “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”

• 3rd Best Picture – “A Hard Day”

• 2nd Best Picture – “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”

• Best Short Film Content Creator – Pio Balbuena’s “Kandado”

• Best Float – “Huwag Kang Lalabas”

• Best Sound – Albert Michael Idioma for “A Hard Day”

• Best Original Theme Song – “Huling Ulan sa Tag-Araw”

• Best Visual Effects – “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”

• Best Production Design – Whammy Alcazaren, “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”

• Best Theme Song – “Huling Ulan Ng Tag-Araw” by Louie Ignacio

• Best Editing – Law Fajardo, “A Hard Day”

• Special Jury Prize – Daniel Padilla

• FPJ Award – “A Hard Day”

• Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award – “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”

• Marichu Vera Perez Memorial Award – Rosa Rosal

Highest first day gross

Amid reports of a dismal performance, MMFF spokesperson Noel Ferrer said the first day gross earnings of this year’s filmfest was the highest since the reopening of cinemas amid the pandemic.

Ferrer bared that the Dec. 25 earnings of the MMFF alone covered one-third of the total online earnings of the filmfest last year.

“With more people going to the cinemas by the day, sa first 3-4 days pa lang, pwede nang malampasan ang total gross last year. Wala pang major sakit ng ulong problema sa piracy,” Ferrer wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday night, Dec. 26.

Ferrer noted that “not even the big Hollywood films (like Eternals)” were not able to generate earnings as big as this year’s filmfest.

He said the important thing is that MMFF took the challenge and had to take the “painful step” of reviving the film industry amid the pandemic because “we really have to start somewhere.”

Ferrer stressed it is already a “big achievement” to have MMFF entries this year despite the pandemic.

He said movies were considered “non-essential” and the MMFF is a good way to bring back the trust of people and the producers in the movie industry.

With regard to the absence of movies for children, Ferrer explained that Vice Ganda, Vic Sotto, and Coco Martin did not submit entries this year as they were not able to shoot because of the pandemic.

He also pointed out that MMFF is still trying to follow the health and safety protocols imposed by the government under Alert Level 2 status, which includes social distancing inside the cinemas. Eating is also not allowed inside the movie houses.

On the expensive tickets ranging from P320 to P345 for regular screening and P450 for premium/deluxe cinemas, Ferrer urged the public to give movie theaters some leeway for their “additional expenses” during the pandemic, including for the disinfection and sanitation of their facilities.

He urged the public to support Filipino films as the pandemic affected the livelihood of people working in the entertainment industry.

The MMFF is held during the Christmas season in recognition of the role of the film industry in providing artistic depictions of both this country’s stories and history.