The 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival kicks-off in a few days facing certain limiting factors that may affect its eventual success. While expected to breathe new life to an industry that has slumbered over the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s edition has led its own organizers gunning for more realistic targets instead of a total rebound.

MMFF Screening Committee Chairperson Boots Anson Rodrigo admits, “I believe the MMFF is being very practical and very realistic. I don’t think aambisyunin nitong abutin yung mga inabot noong pre-pandemic years na 1 Billion or a little over 1 Billion. We have to face the realities that our venues are not as vast or not as big as those na pre-pandemic like yug mga theatres. Syempre yung ibang mga producers ngayon pa lang nagrerecuperate from inactivity. We are trying to approach normalcy as much as possible. That’s a very tough act.”

Among the limiting factors that will be faced by the festival, which has become an annual tradition for Filipino cinema fans, is the heavily reduced number of cinemas where the films will be shown. Before the pandemic struck, there were more than 1,000 cinemas operating nationwide. After not having operated for more than two years, most of these cinemas now have defective projector systems, such that the festival will now only be shown in about 500 theatres all over the country. Already, that’s a 50 percent cutdown on viewership potential for the eight film entries. Solving such problem is not seen to be resolved anytime soon. Movie theatres worldwide that are experiencing the same predicament are all scrambling for parts necessary for repairs.

Another setback faced by moviegoers who may want to catch the entries is the amount they now have to shell out for a cinema ticket, which is priced at a hefty P300 at the very least.

“Hindi mo rin naman masisi yung mga producers saka theater owners dahil matagal silang nawala they have to recuperate also,” Anson-Rodrigo explains.

Just like in previous years, eight films, that are supposed to be the creme dela creme of entries submitted by producers this year, have been selected as official entries to the festival. While some quarters question the quality of some movies that made it to the final cut, Anson-Rodrigo is quick to defend the judging process, which she admits is based solely on average numbers.

“Hopefully, maintindihan nila na the entries were considered according to the criteria, wala namang personal na influences dyan. As closely as the selection committee followed the criteria in our deliberations, never nagka-consulta sa isa’t isa ang members eh. Hindi namin alam yung preferences. We discussed the merits of the film, as objectively as we can, pero yung score di namin pinag-usapan like kung anong score mo, o ano. In the end, it was only the tabulators from the secretariat ang nag-tabulate and it was only in the final move that they asked me to sign,” she defends.

In spite of this, the MMFF Selection Committee Chair also admits being perplexed with the exclusion of some entries which she found to be deserving to be in the final 8: “Merong mataas sa akin na hindi pumasok but hindi ko naman pwedeng i-giit yun. You’re talking about a consolidated number. There were also surprises pero paglabas ng scores, we respect the numbers, di ba? I never wielded my influence on that.”

This year’s edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival with the much anticipated Parade of Stars on Wednesday, Dec. 21, in Quezon City.