Award-winning director Louie Ignacio is speaking up against what he calls destructive and dishonest film criticism—and he's not holding back.

Director Louie Ignacio (BG Productions)

During a story conference for his upcoming romantic comedy “The Flying Red Balloon,” held in Quezon City, Louie made clear that while he can take a hit, he draws a sharp line between genuine film critique and what he sees as baseless, uninformed bashing.

"Iba kasi ang film review sa pang-ookray ng pelikula o sa mga naninira sa pelikula. Dapat ang film review is constructive, hindi destructive. (A film review is different from mocking a movie or tearing it apart. A film review should be constructive, not destructive),” said Louie during an exclusive interview after the story conference for the upcoming rom-com "The Flying Red Balloon" held in Quezon City.

For Louie, the mark of a truly skilled critic is balance and responsibility. "A good film critic is someone who can identify the flaws in a film, but doesn’t tear it down to the point where people are discouraged from watching it," he said. "There’s a way to be honest without being cruel."

He went on to describe a pattern he finds troubling among some online commentators. "What some of them do is pick apart a film, and then just trash it. It’s like they never really studied film at all — that’s why they can’t write a proper review. They don’t know how to analyze; they only know how to criticize."

Louie drew a pointed comparison to the broader entertainment industry, noting that the problem isn’t unique to critics.

"There are a lot of people like that. Some directors are only out to scam — and the same goes for reviewers. They can’t properly dissect a film, so they just put it down. It’s a shortcut that does a disservice to everyone involved," he said.

Despite the strong words, Louie was careful to clarify that his frustration isn’t personal — it’s professional. The negative reviews, he said, don’t wound him so much as they wear on him.

The cast and production staff of 'The Flying Red Balloon' under DGTAL Productions.

"I’m not hurt by their reviews — but they are annoying," he admitted. "Filmmakers don’t deserve to be treated that way. These are people who pour everything they have into their work, and to have it dismissed so carelessly is just disrespectful."

"Making a film is blood and sweat," Louie said, his voice firm. "And then someone comes along and tears it apart in a single flick of their finger. That’s not criticism—that’s just cruelty."

Louie closed with a direct message to the local film reviewing community — both a thank-you and a challenge.

"Thank you to the movie reviewers who actually review — who do the work, who think critically, and who write with integrity. You are different from those who just tear things down and call themselves critics. Just because you can trash something doesn't make you a reviewer. There's a world of difference between a legitimate critic and a fake one. Remember that."

Produced by DGTAL Film Productions, "The Flying Red Balloon" stars Liezel Lopez and McCoy De Leon. The line producer is Dennis Evangelista. Acy Ramos and Rish Mangubat-Lunasco wrote the script.

Also starring in the movie are Richard Yap, Jayson Gainza, Lianne Valentin, Paolo Gumabao, Kimson Tan, Sue Prado, and Rebecca Chuansu.

"The Flying Red Balloon" will begin shooting in Taiwan in two weeks.