Umiyak daw ang Regal matriarch na si Lily Monteverde nang nalaman niyang hindi nakapasok ang Mano Po 7: Chinoy sa 42nd Metro Manila Film Festival.
Inamin niya ito sa press conference ng nasabing pelikula sa 38 Valencia Events Place, Quezon City, kahapon, November 22.
Biro muna ni Mother Lily, "I am rich in heart, not in money!"
Ngunit dagdag niya, "Well, of course, I feel so sad.
"When I heard about it, talagang umiyak ako.
"Quietly, I cried.
"Talagang ano... it's there already, wala na tayong magawa."
Pagpapatuloy niya, "I heard daw, we are number 8, e, or 9 [sa ranking].
"It's fighting between the 8 and 9. It's really sad."
INDIE FOR CHRISTMAS. Ayon pa kay Mother Lily, hindi naman daw sa tinuturuan niya ang MMFF Executive Committee, subalit sana raw ay naisip nila ang mga bata na siyang audience ng pelikula sa panahon ng Kapaskuhan.
Saad ng batikang movie producer, "Sana naman after this year, next year's festival, they should understand.
"It's not that I'm teaching them, it's that all these people—like [class] C, D, E, like yung mga carpenters, tao na they belong to this C, D, E—meron silang bonus.
"Once they get their bonuses, they'll bring their family to the GP [General Patronage films].
"Kasi sayang, nanghihinayang ako sa mga bata. This is a family movie.
"Let's hope next year, the entire system should be changed."
Nilinaw naman ni Mother Lily na hindi siya tutol sa pagpapalabas ng independent movies, subalit hindi raw Pasko ang tamang panahon para ipalabas ang mga ito.
Sabi niya, "You know, I don't take [anything] against indie movies, because I was the original.
"Lav Diaz, Jeffrey Jeturian... lahat sila [naging direktor ng mga movies ko]. I also had a festival, can you still remember?
"You know, there is a time for the indie movies, but not Christmas season.
"Christmas is for the family."
Dahil hindi nakapasok ang Mano Po 7 sa MMFF 2016, napagdesisyunan ng Regal Entertainment na ipalabas ito sa December 14, o sampung araw bago ang Pasko.
Natanong naman si Mother Lily kung hindi ba siya nag-aalala dahil sampung araw lang ipalalabas ang kanilang pelikula?
Sagot niya, "Well, it runs for 10 days, let's see if it can extend pa more after the festival."
Ang Mano Po 7 ay pinagbibidahan nina Janella Salvador, Jean Garcia, Enchong Dee, Jake Cuenca, Jessy Mendiola, Marlo Mortel, at Richard Yap.