MMFF 2016 box office haul significantly lower compared to previous years

MANILA, Philippines - With its promised change to Filipino moviegoers, the box office haul of the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) had significantly dropped compared to previous years.

MMFF 2016 entries
Photo Credit: Cinema Bravo
All the 8 entries to the MMFF amassed only P373.3 million, which is less than half of the earnings of the MMFF 2015 that raked P1.020 billion from December 25 to January 7, 2016. It should be noted that the recent MMFF ran four days shorter than usual, from December 25 to January 3, 2017.

On Thursday, January 5, Star Cinema announced that its official entry “Vince & Kath & James” was the overall top grosser earning P105 million. Meanwhile, the Paolo Ballesteros starrer “Die Beautiful” came in second with P98 million, as claimed by Star Cinema. This was followed by Erik Matti’s “Seklusyon” which earned P82 million, the Eugene Domingo starrer “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2” with P45 million, “Saving Sally” with P27 million, “Sunday Beauty Queen” with P7.8 million, “Kabisera” with P4.3 million and “Oro” with P4.2 million.

Earlier, MMFF Executive Committee member and actress Booots Anson-Roa said that there is a possibility that the earnings in the 2016 festival will be negatively affected due to the exclusion of mainstream movies like “The Superparental Guardian” and “Enteng Kabisote 10 and The Abangers”.

"If history will will repeat itself over the last 10 or so many years... 'yung dalawang pinakamalakas kumita sa festival ay ipinalabas na kahapon. So traditionally again halos kalahati ng film festival ay attributed doon sa kinikita ng box office hits natin. Hindi kagulat-gulat kung guguho ang kita ngayon. May target pero di naman lagi nasusunod ang target,” Roa explained.

Despite the fact that Roa disagreed with the change in the selection process of the MMFF, she cited its several positive effects to the industry.

"Unang-una, I would like to think na mayu-unify ang industry. Kasi may great divide between the indie and mainstream. Ngayon pinagsama ang indie at mainstream 'di kagaya ng mga nakaraang taon na may indie section na tinatawag na New Wave at may mainstream, ngayon ay pinagsama na,” Roa said.

Moreover, Roa said that filmmakers will be forced to come up with quality films in the future.

--Mini, The Summit Express



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