President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the public Thursday to support the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“The Christmas season is a time for families and each of us to come together and express our love for each other,” Marcos said.

“This Christmas season, the stories of the Filipinos will be featured because of the special celebration of the 50th year of the Metro Manila Film Festival, which is now part of our lives and culture as Filipinos,” he added.

There are 10 film entries for this year’s MMFF which began showing on Christmas Day.

According to Marcos, the films in this “Golden Year of MMFF” will surely impart life lessons while entertaining audiences.

“Let’s enjoy the story of the Filipinos. Let’s support the Metro Manila Film Festival 2024,” he emphasized. “Bring the whole family and friends, and watch the 10 films offered by the MMFF.”

“Mabuhay ang pelikulang Pilipino! (Long live Philippine Cinema!),” he enthused.

The film festival, organized by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, will run for two weeks and conclude on 7 January.

It aims to support the preservation and promotion of Philippine cinema and its filmmakers. During the festival, no foreign films will be shown, excluding specialty cinemas such as IMAX and 4D theaters.