THE director and producer of Your Mother’s Son “panicked” after the film earlier merited an X-rating from the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board).

The X happened for the first time for director Jun Lana, so he had to remove certain scenes from the original cut and the film was re-submitted to merit an R-18 classification.

“Nagtimpi ako when I learned about the original X rating,” said Direk Jun. “Marami akong gustong gawin, pero pinagsabihan ako ng mga producers ko na tumahimik rather than hindi kami maipalabas. At the end of the day, they gave me the Director’s Cut.

“I looked at it as another version of the film that I made. The version of the vision that I had in the beginning. I don’t think I compromised anything. It was just another way of telling the story. Tanggap ko na ‘yun as a filmmaker and a producer.”

The Director’s Cut of Your Mother’s Son will be for the international film festivals, according to The IdeaFirst Company producer, Perci Intalan. “Ayaw naming pag-initan kami ng MTRCB,” he said.

“Hindi lahat sexy. Double whammy kami. You will see it in the film. Humarap pa ako sa board at nag-defend pa ako.”

On the tenth anniversary of The IdeaFirst, they will screen Your Mother’s Son on April 12, along with the other films that they produced in the last decade.

They needed to get new classifications for their memorable films like Intalan’s Dementia, with Nora Aunor (2014) and Lana’s Die Beautiful (2016), to be shown again in The IdeaFirst anniversary film festival.

‘Your Mother’s Son’ had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September. The last film that the Philippines fielded at the Toronto Film Festival was Bwakaw, more than a decade ago.

“Ang Pilipinas suki tayo ng Toronto even before, with director Carlitos (Siguion-Reyna) ang laging nandiyan,” said Perci.

‘Your Mother’s Son’ also premiered at the Tallinn Film Festival in Estonia last November and it was attended by lead actress Sue Prado.

Simultaneous with Tallinn was the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei. That was graced by Kokoy De Santos. Others in the cast are Elora Españo and Miggy Jimenez.

“After Toronto, we received many inquiries from distributors for ‘Your Mother’s Son,’ since it’s a big market,” shared Perci. “Suntok sa buwan naman ‘yung mga inquiries. If they will pick up your film and magkasundo kayo sa rates.

“‘Yung iba, malaki ang hinihingi ng distributors. We are wary about some of them. Magandang sabihin na may distributor ang film mo sa isang country, but tali naman ang project. Kasi they will charge all the marketing costs to you.

“Even the posters, sending them abroad. After the computation, you will realize it was not worth it. Negative ang ending. Ikaw na lang ang gumawa.”

“Terrific, terrifying and brave,” were some of remarks . Marami ang na-shock what happened in the end. But they liked it. This is in the vein of Peque Gallaga’s ‘Scorpio Nights’ (1985) and ‘Unfaithful Wife’ (1986).

“This is no secret that Your Mother’s Son is sexy. This is like the storytelling of old Pinoy films, where you will get shocked as it unfolds.”

This year there is a plan for The IdeaFirst to produce a film with Vice Ganda to be directed by Jun Lana.

“Our goal is to produce a film and finish it,” said Perci. “If we really want something for the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), gagawin naming maganda. It will really be nice for Vice to work with Jun.

“Ayokong pangunahan kung ano ang status ng project nila. Basta, pareho nilang gusto to work together. They both want to develop an idea of the project they want to do. Jun wants to do something with Vice pero magmamarka pa rin ang style niya (Jun).

“He has a way of story telling na ‘pag pinilit mo siyang ibahin, aatrasan niya ang project kung ang feeling niya that’s no longer his mark. Kung magagawa ng ibang tao, gawin na lang nila.

“Sana matuloy si Vice at si Jun. Since they will work together, dapat pareho silang may ambag sa project. Kung aabot at handa na sila, go.”

For the 50th anniversary of MMFF this December, there is apparently big pressure to the entries. The projects are big budgeted.