As recent films' more diverse storytelling and accolades have shown, Philippine cinema has come a long way. But while 2023’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) witnessed an outburst of love for local projects, certain movie-goers still cling to a bias against Filipino films. Industry players like producer-actor Richard Juan and actress Janella Salvador faced this point of view themselves, which they bluntly called out.
LOOK: Janella Salvador Calls Out Filipinos Who Look Down on Local Movies
In an Instagram post, actor, TV host, and Under Parallel Skies co-producer Richard Juan shared a snippet of an online conversation with his acquaintance, who wrote: “’Di ako nanunuod ng local films sorry [emoji]. No time for that.”
Richard, who was taken aback by the message, expressed his full thoughts in the post’s caption. “As a new producer, these words really broke my heart. Ang sakit. [emoji]”
“But this really highlights the challenge that [we] Filipino filmmakers face, because let’s be real–lahat tayo may mga kaibigan na ganun ’din. I get it, not every film will resonate with everyone, and that’s 100% fine. Criticism is part of it naman talaga. But dismissing all local films outright?”
He continued: “When they say that they want to watch ‘international films,’ they always think [of] Hollywood films. Pero hindi ba pwede international film din ’yung Filipino film? [emoji]”
Adding onto Richard’s post, Under the Parallel Skies’ lead actress Janella Salvador echoed his sentiments on her personal Instagram Story. “People who think they’re too good for local films,” she wrote. “It doesn’t make you sound more sophisticated, just straight-up arrogant and condescending.”
In Richard’s original message, the producer clamored for local movie-goers to become patrons of Asian cinema as a whole. “[With Under Parallel Skies] being the first Filipino romance film distributed by THE Warner Bros., many eyes globally are on us and the whole Philippine entertainment industry. Because what we have in Under Parallel Skies goes beyond simply showcasing actors; but it also celebrates the Filipino and Asian creativity behind the cameras,” he wrote.
“Let’s champion not just Philippine cinema, but also Asian cinema with immense pride.”
Well said, Richard and Janella!
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