The Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) announced the postponement of its second edition due to the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

The announcement was made via MIFF’s official social media account on Wednesday, 15 January. The 2025 edition, originally scheduled for 30 January to 2 February, will be rescheduled to a later date.

“We are devastated by the tremendous impact of the wildfires on many people, including the Filipino community. At this time, as we pray for the people experiencing trauma and loss, we ask all to continue supporting the fire relief efforts,” MIFF said in a statement.

In a recent interview, actor and TV host Vic Sotto also expressed his regret over the postponement.

“We were supposed to go to Los Angeles, but most probably it would be cancelled for the MIFF, sayang naman,” Sotto said.

Sotto's film The Kingdom is among the movies invited to the festival.

Despite the setback, Sotto assured fans that his movie The Kingdom will still be screened in other locations. “It will be showing in other states like San Francisco and Las Vegas. Aside from the USA, it will also be screened in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, and Europe — kung saan marami tayong kabababayan (wherever lots of Filipinos are)," he added.

The inaugural MIFF was held in January 2023 in Los Angeles, California, with Star Cinema’s Rewind as one of its highlights.