CinemaBravo

There’s no stopping the MMFF 2023 Best Picture, ‘Firefly,’ as it goes to Hollywood for the inaugural Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) in California, right after the month-long success of GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs’ entry to the annual Christmas season event in the country.

In a recent intimate roundtable gathering that marked the homecoming of the film, key figures associated with ‘Firefly,’ along with select members of the media, candidly shared their insights into the unexpectedly triumphant journey of their family fantasy-drama film.

One of its main cast members Alessandra De Rossi shared, “Personal experience ko lang. Siyempre ang tagal kong puro romance, romance, romance, romance. Na pinapanood rin naman ng mga tao — with essay contest din,” she quipped. “Iba naman yung offer and pinanood pa rin nila nang walang love angle — salamat! — pwede naman pala tayong mag-offer.”

(“It’s just my personal experience. Of course, I’ve been doing romantic stories for a long time—pure romance. It’s amusing that people still watch them, even with an essay contest involved. It’s a different genre this time, and they still watched it despite having no love angle—thank you! Turns out, we can offer something different.”)

She added, “Grateful ako na anumang genre, merong naniniwala.”

(“I’m grateful that no matter the genre, there are people who believe in it.”)

Awards and recognitions galore

GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs, the production powerhouses behind ‘Firefly,’ secured not only the prestigious Best Picture award but also three additional accolades and three nominations during the MIFF Awards Night on February 3.

• Best Screenplay: Angeli Atienza, GMA Public Affairs SAVP and ‘Firefly’ creator
• Best Director: Zig Dulay, celebrated film and TV director
• Best Supporting Actress: Alessandra de Rossi, acclaimed actress

For its director, Zig Dulay, the connection to the audience is more important than the awards.

He said, “Maliban do’n sa awards, mas importante sas akin yung connection na naki-create ng pelikula sa audience… Yun talaga yung nangyari…“

(Besides the awards, what’s more important to me is the connection that the film created with the audience… That’s what really happened…)

“Even before hindi pa manalo yung pelikula: first day no’ng [December] 25th, then no’ng 26th. Ang dami! Ang daming nagta-tag, ang daming nagpi-personal message… nagbibigay ng videos sa iba’t ibang sulok ng Pilipinas.“

(“Even before the film won any awards: on the first day [of December] 25th, and then on the 26th. So many people were tagging, sending personal messages… sharing videos from different parts of the Philippines.”)

“Ang weird kasi parang ang sarap sa pakiramdam na nagmi-message sila… nagpapakita sila ng suporta do’n se pelikula… No’ng napanood na nila yon, gusto nilang i-share sa iba… kung ano yung pakiramdam nila no’ng pinapanood nila.”

(“It’s strange because it feels so good that they are messaging… showing their support for the film… Once they watched it, they wanted to share it with others… express how they felt while watching.”)

“Yung mga personal essay nila, yung mahahaba, yun yong isa sa pinakahindi ko makakalimutan dito sa experience ko sa ‘Firefly’ na ang daming mga tao na na-touch.”

(“Their personal essays, the lengthy ones, those are some of the things I will never forget in my experience with ‘Firefly’—the numerous people who were genuinely touched.”)

In addition to securing four major awards, ‘Firefly’ received nominations in key categories, such as Best Supporting Actor (Epy Quizon), Best Supporting Actress (Cherry Pie Picache), and Best Cinematography (Neil Daza).

Connection to our kababayans and even foreigners

As for the screenwriter, Anj Atienza, even the American audience was responsive to the film despite its Filipino touch.

She said, “Nakakatuwa na yung Filipino-American community, and even non-Filipino na nanood na lumapit sa akin after the screening, naintindihan nila yung movie — well, may subtitles naman, pero naka-relate pa rin sila.”

(“It’s delightful that the Filipino-American community, and even non-Filipinos who watched, approached me after the screening. They understood the movie — well, there were subtitles, but they still could relate.”)

“Kumbaga, sabi namin, pwede pala siyang maka-connect kahit hindi Filipino audience, yun yong isa naming na-realize. Yung mga Filipino community natin do’n, feeling ko, na-nostalgic sila for the Philippines — nakita nila yung Mayon, yung Pilipinas. Very emotional sila after the screening.”

(“It’s like, we realized that it can connect even with a non-Filipino audience. Our Filipino community there, I feel like they felt nostalgic for the Philippines — they saw Mayon, they saw the Philippines. They were very emotional after the screening.”

“Nagulat ako na kahit doon, after nila mapanood, nakikipag-usap sila sa amin. Ang tagal no’ng nagli-linger sila sa cinema after, hindi sila umaalis agad.”

(“I was surprised that even there, after watching, they engaged in conversations with us. They lingered in the cinema for quite a while, not leaving immediately.”)

The awards ceremony witnessed the presence of key figures from GMA Network, including Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Senior Vice President for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group, and President of GMA Films. Notable acceptances were made on behalf of the winners, adding to the jubilation.

Future prospects await

Exciting news is bound to be revealed soon through a partnership with a National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, as well as a veteran screenwriter of blockbuster hits. This information comes from Nessa Valdellon, Senior Vice President for GMA Pictures and First Vice President for Public Affairs.

“We have a lot in the pipeline,” she said. “Right now, there are secret projects. I can tell you that we’re working with our National Artist Ricky Lee for an upcoming MMFF [prospect]. And we’re working with Enrico Santos [writer of #MMFF2023 box-office hit Rewind] for our next movie.”

Following the Best Picture triumph, the ‘Firefly’ team was bestowed with a $200,000 co-producing package by Birns and Sawyer, affirming the film’s global appeal. This exciting reward aims to facilitate the production of a US-based feature film.

The MIFF serves as a crucial international platform, bridging Filipino films to global audiences while showcasing the richness of Filipino culture and art. With its mission to connect diverse cinematic narratives, the festival has solidified its place as a key player in the global film landscape.

The heartwarming tale of ‘Firefly’ revolves around themes of family, dreams, and bravery. The film follows the journey of Tonton, portrayed by MMFF Best Child Performer Euwenn Mikael, as he embarks on a quest to find the mystical island of fireflies, inspired by his mother’s bedtime stories.