On the other hand, rival network GMA Network failed to make its presence felt at all. The only big Kapuso stars with entries are Bong Revilla in “My Super Kap” and Vic Sotto in “Torky”.
Their GMA Films should have fielded an entry for the sustained cultivation of their own corporate image as ABS-CBN’s foremost competitor. Now it looks like they just gave up that easily. Their foremost goal from hereon should be building up more stars to strengthen their stable of home grown talents. GMA Artist Center should be more active in discovering and building up new stars so that they could be at par with Star Magic whose stars are more dominant now even in the field of ads and endorsements.
Also missed in this year’s filmfest is Mother Lily Monteverde. Her Regal Entertainment is just a “kasosyo” in “Pagpag”, where she used to field two to three entries yearly and the filmfest is never complete without her. Another one missing in action is Ai Ai de las Alas, whose “Tanging Ina” series enlivened the filmfest for several years. She must have been affected by her personal problems with ex-husband Jed Salang. Actually, she has a new movie, “Kung Fu Divas”, with Marian Rivera, which is of festival quality, but they chose not to enter it in the MMFF. Sayang.
Movie writers say they’ll miss a Gov. ER Ejercito entry because in the past two years, he held grand presscons cum Christmas parties to promote his entries “Asiong Salonga” and “El Presidente”, even raffling off various big appliances. Now, no one will do that among the stars who have entries in the 2013 Filmfest.
