Welcome changes in 2010 MMFF

Curtain-raisers:

• Could it be true that Willie Revillame (photo) is just biding his time before he starts courting his new Willing Willie co-host, Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad (photo)? No problem since both of them are fancy-free, Willie having been loveless (daw!) since he broke up with his wife Liz Almoro (now going steady with Victor Aliwalas) while Shalani has obviously recovered from her breakup with Pres. Noynoy Aquino. Asked about it, Willie said, “Hindi n’ya ako magugustuhan.” Said Shalani, “Not true!” Spoken too soon?

•  What about Bobby Yan (photo) and Francine Prieto (photo), hosts of the dzMM program Ka-Date (from 12 midnight to 2 a.m., Monday thru Saturday)? Both are also fancy-free. Nights are getting colder and the constant togetherness can lead to something deep, you know. Asked about it, Francine admitted, “Hindi pa kami but we are dating.”

•  Confirmed: Julius Babao (photo) joins Ces Oreña Drilon (photo) as anchors of the ABS-CBN late-night newscast Bandila. Ces’ co-anchor Henry Omaga Diaz goes back to being field reporter. By this time, Karen Davila must have made up her mind to also join Bandila. If she did, it would be poetic justice. Years back when Karen moved from GMA to ABS-CBN, she and Julius became co-anchors of TV Patrol World, with Karen taking the place of Korina who was moved to Bandila until late last year when she quit to help campaign for her husband, former Sen. Mar Roxas, in the presidential race. Korina has reclaimed her post in TV Patrol (now minus World) with former Vice Pres. Noli de Castro as Ted Failon’s co-anchors. As they say, what goes around comes around. Actually, Karen didn’t have any choice. She couldn’t go back to GMA or go to TV5 (where her husband, DJ Sta. Ana, is head of the news department) since she had already turned down an earlier offer. Besides, the TV5 news slots are filled up. Incidentally, Korina, Noli and Ted do make a formidable trio in the new TV Patrol.

•  A comedian and the non-showbiz ex-girlfriend of an action star left for Hong Kong yesterday to “re-enact” their alleged recent wedding there. A Funfare DPA said that the couple decided to return to Hong Kong also for a wedding pictorial. They said that friends were asking for their wedding photos but they “forgot” to have their picture taken, so…Their next plan? Get married in Singapore! That’s three weddings in a row, can you beat that?

* * *

Nasaan si Herbert?

The guys at my table were asking where, oh, where was Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista who was visibly missing at the star-studded launch of the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) last Thursday at Club Filipino. All the officials involved were there, led by MMDA head and also MMFF chairman Francis Tolentino and Jessie Ejercito who co-chairs the MMFF with Herbert. The annual event is held in cooperation with the 17 Metro Manila mayors. The presence of the 16 other mayors at the launch was not really required but that of Mayor Herbert was a “must” because not only is his city one of the MMFF participants, he’s also, as I said, the event’s vice-chairman. Besides, Mayor Herbert is of and from the industry (is he still “with it”?), that’s why his absence was conspicuous, indeed.

Had he been at Club Filipino, Mayor Herbert would have rejoiced with those present over the “welcome changes” in this year’s MMFF, such as the exclusion of “commercial viability” (box-office gross) as one of the criteria in Best Picture, something that has been a constant bone of contention year after year. The criteria: artistry, creativity and technical excellence, innovativeness, thematic value and global appeal, 70 percent; and Filipino cultural and/or historical value, 30 percent.

Marian Rivera and John Lapus, stars of Super Inday and the Golden Bibe. Right: Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo, stars of Rosario.

Another “welcome change” is the inclusion of a Tribute to the Indie Films-Philippine Premier with five indies set for exhibition at SM Megamall from Dec. 16 to 20, namely: Senior Year by Jerrold Tarog, Nasaan si Hefte by Jonnah Lim, Presa by Adolf Alix Jr., Slow Fade by Rommel Sales and Rindido by Noriel Jarito.

The seven official entries are: Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote (APT Int’l., Inc.; GMA Films, Inc.; Imus Productions, Inc.; M-ZET TV Productions, Inc.; and OctoArts Films); Ang Tanging Ina Mo Rin (Last Na ‘To), ABS-CBN Productions, Inc.; Dalaw (Cine Media/Star Cinema); Father Jejemon (RVQ Productions, Inc.); Rosario (Cinemabuhay International, Inc.; RPG (ABS-CBN Production/Ambient Media); Shake, Rattle & Roll XII (Regal Entertainment, Inc.); and Super Inday and the Golden Bibe (Regal Entertainment, Inc.).

MMFF’s target gross this year is P500 million (which is the unwon jackpot prize at the super lotto).

3 Filipino films vying at 34th Cairo Filmfest

Three acclaimed Filipino films are competing in two sections of the 34th Cairo International Film Festival in Egypt from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9.

They are:

•  Chito Roño’s Emir, Official Competition (direk Chito is attending);

•  Joel Lamangan’s Sigwa, in the Digital Competition (in which Alvin Yapan’s Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe won last year, with $10,000 as part of the prize); and

•  Danny Añonuevo’s Rekrut, also in the Digital Competition.

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)