“Honor Thy Father”, an official entry in the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) starring John Lloyd Cruz, had experienced an unexpected twist in the fight for the best picture classification.
The film has been disqualified from the race for the Best Picture category for this year’s MMFF drawing negative reactions from the surprised followers and supporters of John Lloyd.
MMDA chairperson Emerson Carlos said in a letter dated December 26, that the decision to disqualify the entry was due to the failure of the film’s producer, Ronald “Dondon” Monteverde, to “disclose its participation to the CinemaOne Originals Festival 2015 as the opening film.”
Carlos remarked: “After careful and thorough deliberation, the Metro Manila Film Festival executive committee has disqualified your entry, ‘Honor Thy Father,’ from the selection of the Best Picture Category of the MMFF 2015 Awards.”
Erik Matti, the director of the movie, shared a statement on Saturday from Dondon Monteverde on his Facebook account, together with a photo of the letter from the executive committee of MMFF and a document from CinemaOne Originals exhibiting that the special screening of ‘Honor Thy Father’ was considered as “non-revenue generating and by invitation only” class.
Monteverde also elaborated: “Let me refute this allegation of non-disclosure. If you will recall, Honor Thy Father was a late addition to the MMFF 2015 lineup. It had been rejected by their selection committee when the lineup was announced in June.
We complied with their request for a letter from CinemaOne head Ronald Arguelles attesting that the screening was non-revenue generating and by invitation only. We have all of this on record.
Let me repeat: we complied with all the MMFF’s requirements; we did not commit any non-disclosure of any kind; no MMFF rule was ever violated by ‘Honor Thy Father.'”
“I am questioning the reasons, the timing, and the means employed in enforcing this decision by the MMFF Executive Committee. Where is due process in all of this? We were merely informed of their decision, not given any opportunity to air our side.” He further added.
Meanwhile, the alluring girlfriend of John Lloyd, Angelica Panganiban said: “”Nakakalungkot. Heartbreaking.”
Her statement was based on the decision of the executive committee of 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) to pull out “Honor Thy Father” from the Best Picture race.
Angelica posted on her Instagram page a follow- up message, wherein she also encouraged Filipino moviegoers to watch the crime movie, starring her boyfriend, actor John Lloyd Cruz which she said was a good movie worth watching.
She said: “Ganun talaga eh. Kibit balikat at mag move on na lang. Nood kayo pag may time at kapag walang time, bigyan natin ng halaga, katulad ng ginawa ng mga bumuo ng pelikulang ito.”
