Director Pepe Diokno says PH cinema ticket pricing ‘a little too high’

Nikka Avegail Sabio

GomBurZa director and Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2023 Best Director recipient Pepe Diokno shared how he sees the soaring prices of cinema tickets as not a good way of encouraging people to go back to cinemas.&nbsp;In an interview on ANC&rsquo;s Headstart, the 36-year-old director said he also sees the surge in ticket prices affecting the number of people heading to cinemas to watch films.&nbsp;<iframe width="1349" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLCOaD4LJ6M" title="Pepe Diokno urges film industry to think beyond box office success" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> &quot;Honestly, I also do find ticket prices a little too high and I think they need to be rethought. I think that as an industry our goal should be not just to increase box office. I think box office is not a good metric. I think a better metric would be admissions to track how many people are actually going to cinemas,&quot; Pepe said.&nbsp;The director also shared that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to improve the number of moviegoers.&nbsp;&quot;Even if you look at the highest-grossing films in the Philippines, and you translate it into admissions, it will still show you that the penetration of cinema can still be improved,&quot; he remarked.&nbsp;&ldquo;We need a bigger segment of the population to come back to the cinemas and watch our films,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Pepe also noted that the industry and cinemas should rethink ticket prices and come up with other innovative ways of giving a great cinema experience to people.&nbsp;&ldquo;I think other countries for example, they have packages where they bundle films or they have unlimited films for a certain amount,&rdquo; he explained, as it may be a good way to foster love again for the Filipino cinemas.&nbsp;&ldquo;We need to love our own cinema so that it grows and grows and then, eventually, hopefully, our industry grows to such a level that our films are being watched around the world,&quot; Diokno said, emphasizing that it should start with our own industry.&nbsp;The award-winning director also noted how the Korean industry built their film industry by having affordable ticket prices as well as a screen quota where cinemas are required to showcase several Korean films to protect and grow their own.&nbsp;&ldquo;It started with them developing their own industry and I hope we have programs like that for us, as well,&rdquo; he expressed.&nbsp;The film director, on the other hand, also shared how he wanted more Filipinos to watch the historical biopic he directed in places across the country as well as in the international market.&nbsp;&ldquo;I hope to really bring the film around hopefully to schools, universities as well,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;Really, it is to reach the widest audience possible. So, I think we would be doing that.&rdquo;&nbsp;<iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-12" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzQGXfkrsPf/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=540&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A12%2C%22os%22%3A2425009.199999988%2C%22ls%22%3A148670.39999997616%2C%22le%22%3A149082.29999998212%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-12" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>&nbsp;As of writing,&nbsp;GomBurZa&nbsp;has already been screened in 86 theaters around the country, which has since doubled from its initial 39 cinemas.&nbsp;&nbsp;The historical biopic, which was one of the 46th MMFF entries, has bagged seven awards, including Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award, Best Actor for Cedrick Juan, and Second Best Picture during the Gabi ng Parangal last December 27.&nbsp;<a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/12/28/firefly-and-gomburza-win-big-at-the-2023-mmff-awards-night-814" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/12/28/firefly-and-gomburza-win-big-at-the-2023-mmff-awards-night-814" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ:&nbsp;&lsquo;Firefly&rsquo; and &lsquo;GomBurZa&rsquo; win big at the 2023 MMFF Awards Night</a><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/12/28/firefly-and-gomburza-win-big-at-the-2023-mmff-awards-night-814"></a> GomBurZa&nbsp;and other MMFF film entries will screen in cinemas until January 7, 2024.

&nbsp;<iframe width="1349" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLCOaD4LJ6M" title="Pepe Diokno urges film industry to think beyond box office success" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> &quot;Honestly, I also do find ticket prices a little too high and I think they need to be rethought. I think that as an industry our goal should be not just to increase box office. I think box office is not a good metric. I think a better metric would be admissions to track how many people are actually going to cinemas,&quot; Pepe said.&nbsp;The director also shared that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to improve the number of moviegoers.&nbsp;&quot;Even if you look at the highest-grossing films in the Philippines, and you translate it into admissions, it will still show you that the penetration of cinema can still be improved,&quot; he remarked.&nbsp;&ldquo;We need a bigger segment of the population to come back to the cinemas and watch our films,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Pepe also noted that the industry and cinemas should rethink ticket prices and come up with other innovative ways of giving a great cinema experience to people.&nbsp;&ldquo;I think other countries for example, they have packages where they bundle films or they have unlimited films for a certain amount,&rdquo; he explained, as it may be a good way to foster love again for the Filipino cinemas.&nbsp;&ldquo;We need to love our own cinema so that it grows and grows and then, eventually, hopefully, our industry grows to such a level that our films are being watched around the world,&quot; Diokno said, emphasizing that it should start with our own industry.&nbsp;The award-winning director also noted how the Korean industry built their film industry by having affordable ticket prices as well as a screen quota where cinemas are required to showcase several Korean films to protect and grow their own.&nbsp;&ldquo;It started with them developing their own industry and I hope we have programs like that for us, as well,&rdquo; he expressed.&nbsp;The film director, on the other hand, also shared how he wanted more Filipinos to watch the historical biopic he directed in places across the country as well as in the international market.&nbsp;&ldquo;I hope to really bring the film around hopefully to schools, universities as well,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;Really, it is to reach the widest audience possible. So, I think we would be doing that.&rdquo;&nbsp;<iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-12" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzQGXfkrsPf/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=540&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fent-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A12%2C%22os%22%3A2425009.199999988%2C%22ls%22%3A148670.39999997616%2C%22le%22%3A149082.29999998212%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-12" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>&nbsp;As of writing,&nbsp;GomBurZa&nbsp;has already been screened in 86 theaters around the country, which has since doubled from its initial 39 cinemas.&nbsp;&nbsp;The historical biopic, which was one of the 46th MMFF entries, has bagged seven awards, including Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award, Best Actor for Cedrick Juan, and Second Best Picture during the Gabi ng Parangal last December 27.&nbsp;<a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/12/28/firefly-and-gomburza-win-big-at-the-2023-mmff-awards-night-814" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/12/28/firefly-and-gomburza-win-big-at-the-2023-mmff-awards-night-814" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ:&nbsp;&lsquo;Firefly&rsquo; and &lsquo;GomBurZa&rsquo; win big at the 2023 MMFF Awards Night</a><a href="https://push.abs-cbn.com/2023/12/28/firefly-and-gomburza-win-big-at-the-2023-mmff-awards-night-814"></a> GomBurZa&nbsp;and other MMFF film entries will screen in cinemas until January 7, 2024.

GomBurZa director and Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2023 Best Director recipient Pepe Diokno shared how he sees the soaring prices of cinema tickets as not a good way of encouraging people to go back to cinemas.&nbsp;In an interview on ANC&rsquo;s Headstart, the 36-year-old director said he also sees the surge in ticket prices affecting the number of people heading to cinemas to watch films.

"GomBurZa" director Pepe Diokno shared his insights on how to grow the number of cinema-goers in the country.

"GomBurZa" director Pepe Diokno shared his insights on how to grow the number of cinema-goers in the country.

Director Pepe Diokno says PH cinema ticket pricing ‘a little too high’ | PUSH.COM.PH