Presidential adviser for creative communications and director Paul Soriano shared his thoughts on the state of Philippine movie industry on Tuesday.
Soriano pointed out the high ticket prices and international movie rivals as main reasons why the industry is struggling.
During a hearing for House Resolution 451 from Deputy House Speaker Camille Villar which aims to revive the ‘golden era’ of the movie industry, Soriano said some films struggled during the recently held Metro Manila Film Festival.
“The only reason why I think there is only one or two big hits is because the general public can only afford to watch one film, or maybe two at most, so that’s why the other five or six films don’t get seen,” said Soriano.
Soriano’s wife Toni Gonzaga starred in the film ‘My Teacher’ during this year’s MMFF but did become a blockbuster success. The movie also got low reviews from movie critics.
“I understand that there have been many debates and discussions on ticket prices, but I think that is maybe a first step to take a look at,” Soriano said.
Soriano believes there is no problem in terms of quality of Philippine movies.
“If there’s ”Libreng Sakay, mayroon Libreng Cinema’?” the director quipped.
“We’re also competing with foreign cinema, where you have the MCU, the Avengers, which I think is a top choice,” Soriano added.