| Father Jejemon | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Gray Jr. |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Produced by | Rodolfo V. Quizon |
| Starring | Dolphy |
| Cinematography | Alex Espartero |
| Edited by | Efren Jarlego |
| Music by | Mon Del Rosario |
Production company | RVQ Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
Father Jejemon is a 2010 Philippine comedy drama film directed by Frank Gray Jr. and starring Dolphy, in his final film role before his death in 2012, as the titular priest. [1]
The town of Parmbil is assigned a new parish priest. Fr. Jeremiah Jerome Montes, better known as “Fr. Jejemon”, succeeds Fr. Baby who’s stepped down due to declining health.
Not all the townsfolk immediately accept Fr. Jejemon and his unusual approach to pastoral care, so he works hard to win their confidence. The priest also deals with Mr. P, a rich businessman who wants to seize control of the church grounds and the town.
Father Jejemon was produced under RVQ Productions with Frank Gray Jr. as its director. The film is Gray's first work since the 1977 film Omeng Satanasia. [5] Bibeth Orteza and Rhandy Reyes did the screenplay. [3] Dominican priest Larry Faraon served as a story consultant. [4] [3] [6]
Dolphy came up with the idea to create a film about a priest, as it was his long-time dream to portray a clergyman since his real-life uncle was a priest. Dolphy was initially hesitant due to fear of the film being censored, but his uncle offered to help write the script. The idea was shelved when his uncle died. [3]
The film still received backlash from leaders of the Philippine Catholic Church for depictions of the communion; one scene shows the priest accidentally dropping a host between a woman's breasts, while another host is caught in a worshipper’s false teeth. [6] [7] The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board received a complaint over these contentious scenes. [8] Consultant Fr. Faraon approved the scenes, reasoning that these scenarios actually happen in real life. [4] These ultimately were voluntarily edited out by the production studio for the theatrical release, [6] and the film passed a second review by the MTRCB. [9]
Father Jejemon was released in the Philippines on December 25, 2010 as one of the official entries of the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival. [1]
| Year | Award Giving Body | Category | Nominated Work/ Person | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 29th Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Awards | Best Actor | Dolphy | Won [10] |
| 2010 | 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival | Best Actor | Dolphy | Won [11] |