Fantasy, horror, usual fare up at MMFF

Hear ye, hear ye! Here are the 10 official entries to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) which will begin streaming digitally starting on Christmas Day, 25 December.

Instead of the usual eight entries, here are the 10 locally produced movies and their genres — Magikland (fantasy adventure), Coming Home (family drama), The Missing (horror), Tagpuan (romance), Isa Pang Bahaghari (family drama), Suarez, the Healing Priest (biopic), Mang Kepweng, Ang Lihim ng Bandang Itim (comedy), Pakboys Takusa, (comedy), The Boy Foretold by the Stars (romantic comedy), and Fan Girl (drama).

Festival overseer Metro Manila Development Authority said the entries were chosen based on the criteria artistic excellence (40 percent), commercial appeal (40 percent), Filipino sensibility (10 percent), and global appeal (10 percent).

While the pandemic prohibits the screening of the films on cinemas, the tradition of watching MMFF films will continue through streaming services such as Upstream and GMovies, MMDA said.

“MMFF 2020 will not be limited to Filipinos residing in the country but will allow overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to enjoy the festival on a legitimate platform, anywhere they are in the world. We are grateful to our partners for making the MMFF 2020 possible. We urge everyone to support the film festival,” MMDA chair Danilo Lim said.
He said the Parade of Stars and “Gabi ng Parangal,” MMFF traditions, will also be streamed online in compliance with health and safety protocols for Covid-19, he said.