Issue No. 69 - March - April 2012 - DOH

Tobacco-FreeMetro Manila Film FestivalWeeeeh... Hindi Nga?!?Metro Manila Film FestivalIn a decade that was regardedas the second golden age of Philippinecinema after the 1950s’, the Metro ManilaFilm Festival began in 1974. It showcasedquality films besting each other out foracting and technical awards as well as boxoffice success. The Festival was organizedmainly to help promote and enhance thepreservation, growth and development ofthe local film industry.According to Dr. Romulo A.Virola, secretary-general of the NationalStatistical Coordination Board, posted in“Statistically Speaking” on February 13,2012 at , over theyears, the production of local films saw adecline, from the average of 140 films peryear from 1960 to 1999 to only 73 filmsper year during the past decade. Television(TV), telenovela or soap opera, and theInternet and intellectual copyright piracymay have caused the problems faced by thefilm industry at present. The film industryhas also been producing films far from thequality of those made during the goldenyears of Philippine cinema, and the numberof local box-office hits also dipped. In fact,byANTHONY R. RODA, MaHeSoS*National Center for Health PromotionThis film is adjudged as quality and best film in the 37thMetro Manila Film Festival but is looks like one big andlong tobacco advertisement and promotion.among the frontrunners of the box-officehits for the year were Festival entries.The MMFF, which happens fromChristmas Day to the Feast of the Three Kings,now becomes the biggest and most excitingevent for the Philippine film industry. ItHEALTH researchstarts off with a parade of stars aboardextravagant floats on December 24, 2011,to the opening day on Christmas, to theglittering awards night two days later,and onto the last day on January 7, 2012.During this period, no foreign movies areshown in all cinemas.Most producers gamble theirmulti-million peso budgets in the hopesof drawing moviegoers eager to splurgesome of their holiday cash. The MMFF hasalso become one of the more prestigiousaward-giving institutions in the country,offering huge cash prizes to the winners.The Best Picture receives P800,000, whilethe Second Best Picture and Third BestPicture gets P550,000 and P300,000,respectively. On the other hand, thewinner of the Gatpuno Antonio VillegasAward brings home P550,000. Meanwhile,the Best Actor, Actress, Director andScreenplay each get P100,000, while theBest Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress,Child Performer and technical winners winP50,000. Moreover, the earnings acquiredduring the 14-day Festival are dividedamong institutions/organizations involvedin film development, welfare of movieworkers and anti-film piracy.- - -*This article is based on a study entitled “Tobacco-Free Movies: Is It Possible in the Metro Manila Film Festival?” by Anthony R. Roda, Acting Division Chief ofthe National Center for Health Promotion and one of the Editors-in-Chief of HEALTHbeat. He is also one of the ASEAN focal points on tobacco control. The studywas first presented as a poster in the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore on March 20-24, 2012.March - April 2012 I HEALTHbeat 25