Film producer and lawyer Joji Alonso clapped back at her critic, film director Emmanuel Dela Cruz, for insinuating impropriety over her films’ Gabi ng Parangal wins at the 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival.
Dela Cruz thought it was “disheartening” how one producer “dominated” the festival’s awards.
To which, Alonso replied, “Are you saying that the winners did not deserve to win? Or is it simply because you have a beef with me? Why fault someone who risks hard-earned money to produce films not knowing if the money will ever come back?”
Film producer Alemberg Ang jumped in, saying it’s not the producer’s fault if she has wonderful projects and highly skilled directors.
Meanwhile, film writer Noel Ferrer stated that the MMFF Jury’s goal is not to distribute the awards in order to make everyone pleased.
Alonso, who also writes a column in Daily Tribune, produced the two top-awarded films at the inaugural Summer MMFF: “About Us But Not About Us” which took home 10 awards, and “Here Comes the Groom” which garnered four awards.