CELEBRATING its golden year, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) returns on Dec. 25 with a 10-film lineup — including one directed by a UST alumnus — aiming to surpass the record-breaking success of last year’s edition.
The films were chosen from 31 completed entries and 39 scripts and will be shown at cinemas nationwide until Jan. 7, 2025.
Among the highly anticipated entries is UST communication arts alumnus Jun Robles Lana’s “And the Breadwinner Is…,” a diaspora comedy-drama starring Vice Ganda.
It centers on Bambi Salvador (Vice Ganda), an overseas Filipino worker and the breadwinner of a dysfunctional family. A case of mistaken identity offers the possibility of resolving their financial struggles.
“And the Breadwinner Is…” is a departure from Lana’s 2023 MMFF entry “Becky and Badette,” a lighthearted comedy. This year, Lana seeks to balance humor and drama while working with one of the country’s top comedians.
“It’s challenging,” Lana said during a media conference. “We are telling a story that is going to reflect the situation of so many Filipino families, but at the same time we wanted to be entertaining.”
“I believe that when you witness a comedian cry is also the time that you witness true devastation,” he added.
Among this year’s entries is Chito Roño’s horror flick “Espantaho,” which features drama icons Judy Ann Santos and Lorna Tolentino as a mother and daughter uncovering dark family secrets during a pasiyam, the nine days of prayer for the departed.
In “Green Bones,” director Zig Dulay presents a morality drama contrasting the lives of prison guard Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid) and reformed murder convict Domingo Zamora (Dennis Trillo).
Seasoned filmmaker Jason Paul Laxamana offers “Hold Me Close,” a love story set in Japan starring Carlo Aquino and Julia Barretto as Woody and Lynlyn, whose paths intertwine in the land of the rising sun.
Another anticipated film is Pepe Diokno’s “Isang Himala,” an adaptation of the 2003 stage musical inspired by the 1982 film “Himala.” Like the original, written by National Artist Ricky Lee and directed by National Artist Ishmael Bernal, the story follows Elsa, a faith healer whose miracles draw the attention of the people in her small town of Cupang.
MMFF household names Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual star in “The Kingdom,” an action-adventure drama set in the Kingdom of Kalayaan, an alternate Philippines that was never colonized.
For romance enthusiasts, Crisanto Aquino’s “My Future You” explores a time-travel narrative where two characters, played by Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin, connect despite living 15 years apart.
Kerwin Go’s “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital” brings horror fans an ensemble of online personalities and amateur ghost hunters exploring a haunted medical facility. The film is inspired by the 2018 Korean horror “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum.”
Another thriller, Richard Somes’s “Topakk,” delves into the struggles of post-traumatic stress disorder through the story of Miguel (Arjo Atayde), a former special forces operative.
Director Dan Villegas delves into thrillers in “Uninvited,” where Lilia (played by Vilma Santos) looks to avenge the murder of her daughter at the hands of a billionaire. This film also features Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre.
MMFF’s Gabi ng Parangal will be held on Dec. 27.
