Metro Manila Film Festival announces the 10 films for its 50th anniversary lineup

THE TEN-FILM roster of the 50^th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) competition is now complete.

The first five films in the lineup were announced last July. The final five which complete 10 festival films are:

• Crisanto Aquino’s romance My Future You (Regal Entertainment), starring Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin;

• Dan Villegas’ thriller Uninvited (Mentorque Productions), starring Vilma Santos, Nadine Lustre, and Aga Muhlach;

• Richard Somes’ thriller Topakk (Nathan Studios), starring Arjo Atayde and Julia Montes;

• Jason Paul Laxamana’s romance Hold Me Close (Viva Films), starring Carlo Aquino and Julia Barretto; and,

• Chito Roño’s horror movie Espantaho (Quantum Films), starring Judy Ann Santos and Lorna Tolentino.

They join the first five official entries:

• Zig Dulay’s drama Green Bones (GMA Pictures), starring Dennis Trillo, Ruru Madrid, and Sofia Pablo;

• Jun Robles Lana’s comedy-drama And the Breadwinner Is (Star Cinema and The IdeaFirst Company), starring Vice Ganda and Eugene Domingo;

• Kerwin Go’s Strange Frequencies: Haunted Hospital (Reality MM Studios), starring Jane de Leon and Enrique Gil;

• Pepe Diokno’s musical adaptation Himala: Isang Musikal (Kapitol Films and UxS), starring Aicelle Santos and Bituin Escalante; and,

• Mike Tuviera’s action drama The Kingdom (APT Entertainment, M-Zet TV Productions and MQuest Ventures), starring Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual.

The films were chosen from a record number of 70 submissions.

The MMFF Selection Committee is headed by producer Jessie Ejercito.

The films were chosen based on the following criteria: artistic excellence (40%), commercial appeal (40%), Filipino cultural values (10%), and global appeal (10%).

The MMFF’s 50^th year “signifies the unwavering passion of the film industry despite the many challenges it continues to face,” said Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief and MMFF chairman Ronaldo “Don” Artes in a statement. The film festival is run by the MMDA.

The 50^th edition of the MMFF will run from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2025 in theaters nationwide.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/mmffofficial. — Brontë H. Lacsamana