Official film entries for MMFF 2024 completed

WE’RE only counting a few weeks before Christmas, which means we are closer to seeing another batch of diverse Filipino films for the upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the annual film festival celebrates its 50th anniversary with the theme, “Sine Sigla sa Singkwenta.”

A total of 10 movies were selected from the 70 entries submitted for the film festival this year. The 2023 edition also had 10 official films, veering away from the usual eight entries.

For the 2024 edition, movies topbilled by several biggest names in the entertainment industry made the cut.

The MMFF released the final batch of entries on Tuesday, which include:

• “My Future You”
• “Uninvited”
• “Topakk”
• “Hold Me Close”
• “Espantaho”

Helmed by Crisanto Aquino, “My Future You” is the first big-screen project of the popular Gen Z love team Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin, also known as FranSeth. It is a romantic-comedy film that follows two lovers from different timelines, 30 years apart, but connected by a mysterious comet through a dating app.

Award-winning filmmaker Dan Villegas is back to the big screen, this time, with a thriller film titled “Uninvited,” starring Vilma Santos, Nadine Lustre, Aga Muhlach, and Mylene Dizon. The movie tells the story of Eva Candelaria, a mother who crashes a birthday party of the billionaire who brutally murdered her only daughter 10 years ago but got away with it. 

Directed by Richard Somes, “Topakk” is about a former platoon leader named Miguel who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In his new role as a security guard, he meets a girl and her brother whom he has to protect from a corrupt police force. The film stars Arjo Atayde, Julia Montes, Kokoy de Santos, and Sid Lucero.

“Hold Me Close” is a romantic-fantasy movie starring Julia Barretto and Carlo Aquino, and directed by Jason Paul Laxama. It follows a wanderer who arrives in a peaceful town in Japan and meets a charming yet mysterious girl who has the special ability to determine if a person, who is within her three-foot radius, can bring joy or harm into her life.

Meanwhile, “Espantaho” is a horror film that revolves around a mother and her daughter who both ended up falling in love with married men. They eventually found themselves unraveling a mystery of people’s disappearance following the last day of “pasiyam” for Rosa’s lover, Pablo. The film, directed by Chito Roño, stars Judy Ann Santos and Lorna Tolentino.

It was in July when the MMFF announced the first batch of official entries for its 2024 edition, which include: 

• “And the breadwinner is…” directed by Jun Robles Lana, starring Vice Ganda and Eugene Domingo
• “Strange Frequencies: Haunted Hospital” directed by Kerwin Go, starring Enrique Gil and Jane de Leon
• “Green Bones” directed by Zig Dulay, starring Dennis Trillo and Kylie Padilla
• “Himala, Isang Musikal” directed by Pepe Diokno, starring Aicelle Santos and Bituin Escalante
• “The Kingdom” directed by Michael Tuviera, starring Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual

The MMFF 2024 will be held from December 25 to January 7, 2025, with no foreign films to be screened in Philippine cinemas.

Student Short Film Caravan

In April, MMDA chair Romando Artes said they would bring back the Student Short Film Caravan for the MMFF’s 50th edition, allowing young individuals to show their filmmaking skills and learn more about their craft.

In collaboration with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the program presented a two-day filmmaking masterclass at Unibersidad de Manila from October 18 to 19.

It had three sessions conducted by different mentors who shared their storytelling and filmmaking skills: director Mark Meily for “Session 01: Directing,” cinematographer Tey Clamor for “Session 02: Cinematography,” and screenwriter Dustin Celestino for “Session 03: Scriptwriting.”

The MMFF also brought back the Student Short Film Competition. Ten entries will be selected and will have the privilege of being showcased alongside the 2024 full-length MMFF entries. The deadline for submission is set for November 8.