After the CineSilip Film Festival entry Dreamboi received its two “X” ratings from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Board last month, content creator Sassa Gurl was one of the most vocal to come out and defend the film and its director Rodina Singh. During the film’s premiere last October 22, she blasted the agency again for their initial ratings, declaring, “T*ng ina niyo, MTRCB!” in a short interview on the red carpet.
READ: Sassa Gurl cries foul over 'Dreamboi' getting an X rating from MTRCB: ‘This is transphobia!’
This outing has led to the MTRCB sending a letter to Viva president Vincent Del Rosario, which also serves as a summons to Viva Communications Inc., under which Sassa is a talent, for a dialogue. They plan on discussing her foul and disrespectful comments directed at the agency. The MTRCB called for a meeting in order to "promote mutual understanding and responsible conduct in public events."
In their statement issued last October 31, the MTRCB stated, “In line with our 'Responsableng Panonood' campaign and our vision for healthy collaborative practices with our stakeholders, we would like to invite you for a dialogue on the said report. While we respect freedom of expression, the Agency views with serious concern the use of language that undermines respect for public institutions and the standards governing film classification.”
The letter did not mention the content creator who made the remarks in their report.
Their dialogue is currently scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, which the MTRCB hopes will be a "venue for constructive discussion and reinforce the importance of professionalism and accountability within the entertainment industry.”
Last month, Sassa originally blasted the agency for alleged transphobia after Dreambois received the only “X” rating in the CineSilip Film Festival.
She said, “Diyos ko, nakakaloka ha ang MTRCB. Samantalang ang mga kasama namin sa festival ay kalibugan din naman pero bakit kami lang ang na-X-rated di ba? I guess medyo mas discrimination na ginawa ang MTRCB sa amin.
“So ngayon, nilalaban namin ng malala ng todo kasi hindi ma-e-X-rated ang kuwento ng queer people. Hindi dapat i-X-rated ang kuwento ng mga LGBT. Kaya talagang ilalaban namin ito. Dahil sobrang sikip na nga lang ng space na ino-occupy namin sa industry tapos tatanggalan pa kami ng MTRCB. So patuloy pa rin namin nilalaban itong pelikulang ito dahil napaka-importante nito.”