The line up of the Metro Manila Film Festival entries this year is indeed a happy pill for those who want to see quality films for the season of Christmas. For the past years, I have always skipped the film festival noting not to waste my money on films that would probably have gazillions of ad placements from one frame to another. It was a relief to see that films made with quality and effort made a break even for just a week to the Philippine cinemas.

Out of the eight finalists, I set my eyes on the one played by Paolo Ballesteros where he portrays as a gay beauty queen struggling to have a good life despite discrimination, rape culture and the hardship of getting by life without a stable job. It opened my eyes to the many realities that the third sex is facing and how we are very insensitive to that need. In turn they look for ways to help them survive only to have their hearts broken or worse have their money being taken advantage of.

I have learned back in school that films is a mirror of reality. It may be an artistic depiction of how life actually works but it makes us learn culture and ethnicity. On an even higher scale, it makes us think hard on what we can do to make the society a better world. More than just a work of fiction, the purpose of an on-screen performance is to stir the consciousness of man so that he in turn can do a good turn after viewing it.

True enough, I walked out of the cinema reasonably disturbed and scouring the many ways I can do to alleviate the poor status of the third sex in our community. Right now homophobes are still around the corner and even the very institution that called out to love one another could not accept their presence in the present day. We were told to accept one and all despite the differences, but it seems that society could not turn the other cheek. These are simple day to day happening that needs to be addressed but we are too busy on our own agenda.

Last week the winners from the film fest were announced and everyone clamoring for more quality films couldn't be any happier with the outcome. I heard that one that won best picture was a documentary on the lives of OFWs abroad and how they spent their one day off per week. After the successful run of the eight films and the poor appreciation of the public, the brains behind the new face of the MMFF are appealing to the theaters to give the new breed of films another chance to be shown for the public to see.

It is sad that even the noblest intention has to be tied on the neck by the number of pesos it makes. I remember one independent film about our national hero being pulled out of the cinemas after no reception from the public and how social media antics won their way back. I hope it doesn't have to be the same this time.

We are already done with the era of having films do not have depth and meaning. It is time to take our understanding and appreciation of the world through motion pictures up a notch by having quality films like these. Remember, there is such a thing as the agenda setting theory where the media sets the norm for the people's mindsets.

If we keep on having films like these, not only are great producers (who are given distinction abroad) being noticed by the crowd but we are giving our minds a favor. Eventually, our mindsets will change which could impact our own community. I wish the appeal moved the conscience of those who owns the theaters, please, for the revival of the Philippine cinema's sake.

thefreemanopinion@gmail.com.