‘Film veterans should take charge of MMFF’

THE QUEZON City Council has urged the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to let more qualified veterans from the film industry manage theMetro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

In a recently passed resolution, the city council noted that the agency already has its hands full with traffic, garbage and other public service concerns.

“It is but proper that the MMDA be relieved of its task of organizing the MMFF [which should be turned over] to Mowelfund (Movie Workers Welfare Foundation) and the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) [whose members] are more qualified to run the film fest because they are from the film industry themselves,” it said.

The resolution was authored by Councilors Ramon Medalla, Anjo Yllana and Roderick Paulate who are both actors. It was co-introduced by Councilor Gian Sotto, son of Sen. Tito Sotto, a former actor.

It pointed out that the MMDA is an outsider and “cannot relate to the real sentiments of people working with the industry.” It added that the MMDA charter does not mandate the government agency to organize the annual film festival.

The Metro Manila Commission which preceded the MMDA was tasked with managing the MMFF although this function was not provided for in the present MMDA charter.

The city council added that controversy hounds the MMFF because the profits, which should be allotted to Mowelfund, FAP and the antipiracy film council, are shared with agencies which were “merely onlookers in terms of operations of the MMFF.”

The INQUIRER tried to get a comment from MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino but calls and text messages to his cell phone went unanswered.