Cebuano movie gets March 7 playdate
Initially eyed for a January commercial run, Bisaya romantic comedy film “Magbuwag Ta Kay” is finally getting an ultimate play date in cinemas nationwide.
“Magbuwag Ta Kay,” also known as “#MTK,” is produced by Heritage Productions of couple Charles and Sunshine Lim. Announced in July 2017 during its postproduction, the film starring online sensation Rowell Ucat popularly known as Medyo Maldito, and Cebuana singer and “Star Power” finalist Akiko Solon, will be showing in SM cinemas nationwide starting March 7, Wednesday, as revealed yesterday in a press conference at Manang Juling’s Kilawan.
Distributed by entertainment giant VIVA Films, “#MTK” is directed by Janice Perez and RJ Aquino and is said to be the untold story of Medyo Maldito, showing a more intimate and in-depth look into Rowell’s back story beyond his “hugot” persona. Written by Therese Marie Villarante and Jude Gitamondoc, “#MTK” features Bisaya talent with homegrown personalities such as Dante Luzon, Ligaya Rabago, Rio Delizo, Snake Princess, Alem Garcia, Samantha Midel, Denise Tan and Shawna Irizari among many others.
“What we did for the film really wasn’t easy.
We gave our effort, all of our emotions just so you guys would be happy with it , enjoy it, and hopefully appreciate the film,” says Akiko who plays Kay. “Us Bisayas, I know that we’re going to help each other out, and support each other so thank you!”
Lead star Rowell, who portrays Roy, adds that they’ve done their best, and now they’re doing all that they can to get the news out there.
Yesterday, the cast and crew began a Twitter party and trend a hashtag for “MTK” in the form of a countdown until its opening day.
“I hope that if you’ve seen ‘Magbuwag Ta Kay’ during the advance screening that you invite your friends and family to come see it. And I hope that when you do see it, you feel proud about being a Bisaya,” Rowell offers.
“Magbuwag Ta Kay” follows the story of Kay and Roy – college sweethearts whose relationship is shaken with Kay’s looming trip to Canada. The two decide to break up, giving themselves 30 days to cut off ties without the drama. The film also shows values in relation to family, friendships, romance and ambition.
“I am honestly filled with courage and hope,” executive producer Sunshine Lim says when asked about the struggles and delayed play date. “The excitement I’ve felt seems like a first time mother about to give birth for her most awaited bundle of joy. The challenges were rewarding because it gave us strength and wisdom at the same time.”
“#MTK” will be shown exclusively in SM cinemas. Having a full-on Bisaya film open in theaters across the country is no ordinary feat: it not only says a lot about the Cebuano filmmaking industry, it also empowers creatives throughout the archipelago to put out more content despite not belonging to the mainstream filmmaking industry. The nerve to create and share a piece of home and local sensibility to the rest of the nation might be striking enough to inspire more filmmakers and storytellers to just put their work out there.
Thespian-turned-businesswoman Sunshine Lim – who produced the award-winning independent film “Lily” starring Shaina Magdayao, and the Sinulog Short Film “Lunchbox” directed by Remton Siega Zuasola — has made it her mission to build a foundation for sustainable Cebuano filmmaking. Her dream is to see that one day, Cebuano films might prosper and stand on their own without grants or without being dictated by Manila entities.
“This time, we feel like we have to be of service to the local film industry. So we told ourselves to make a film. Let’s keep doing this. We’re hoping to lift up Cebuano films. It feels great to know that Cebu isn’t getting left behind, that we’re carrying on,” Lim says.
Despite opening in selected cinemas instead of the entire 257 cinemas in the entire country, Lim and the rest of the production behind “#MTK” is grateful for the opportunity to be able to screen across the country, as the opportunity doesn’t come very often for independently produced films. She hopes that viewers seek “#MTK” out and watch it not because anyone told them to but because they want to. With the Philippines as one of the biggest market for Hollywood films, she also hopes that Filipinos take the time to appreciate homegrown work.
Lim adds that despite working on a meager budget (around P3-P5 million) relative to mainstream films, she wants the rest of Philippine cinema to know that the Bisaya talent and sensibility can compete and is worth hearing out.
As for their critics, each person involved in the creation of “#MTK” is holding out for the best. They urge fellow Cebuanos to dig deeper, because at the end of the day and in the eyes of the world, we are all Cebuanos.
“We aren’t fooling around. We really care about what we’re doing. We wouldn’t get here, we wouldn’t spend so much, or seek out big film distributors, we wouldn’t fight for this film if it didn’t mean anything to us,” quips Lim, who also shared that Heritage Productions plans to make a horror movie based on Bisaya urban legends this year.
“This is an investment. Whatever happened during the making of this film and whatever will happen after the nationwide screening, these will never be a hindrance to what we are doing. We will keep going. Hopefully ‘#MTK’ is well-received nationwide. Through this, we want to show that Cebuanos indeed have a place in the film industry not only in Cebu, but in the entirety of the Philippines,” Lim concludes.