Today would have marked the last day of the 50th Edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival. This golden edition of the MMFF was undeniably spectacular, meaningful and deeply felt.
The efforts of the Executive Committee (EXECOM) and the working group headed by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Atty. Romando “Don” Artes and Executive Director Atty. Rochelle Ona leveled up to new standards set in terms of activities, inclusivity and even media coverage and support from all the sectors.
In the 50 years of the MMFF, it has initiated efforts like the New Wave Cinema section, the Student Short Film Caravan, Film Master Classes, the Covid Vaccination and Pandemic Support Program, the Subsidy for International Film Festivals for the Best Picture winners, and most recently, the Multi-Agency Serbisyo Fair for all the members of the entertainment industry.
This year’s golden edition will be hard to top, from the announcement of the official entries at the Grand Media Conference and Fans Day, to the spectacular Parade of Stars starting at Kartilya ng Katipunan, and the star-studded Gabi ng Parangal featuring the highly valued special trophy by international award-winning artist Jeffre at the Solaire Ballroom in Parañaque.
At a certain point, there were some quarters griping about the non inclusion of big-name stars in the nominations, and some of the supporters of artists who didn’t win the awards were easy to throw vile at the festival, but the results of the awards stay. They were borne out of a very transparent process and thorough deliberations of the members of the jury. The credibility of the members of the jury prevailed and as soon as the credible reviews came out, everything evened out.
Amid calls for an extension by numerous movie enthusiasts and the general public, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) will extend the theatrical run of the official entries until January 14 in select cinemas only.
MMDA Chairman and concurrent MMFF overall Chairman Artes expressed his deepest gratitude for the continued patronage of moviegoers to the MMFF.
“We, at the MMFF, are overwhelmed with the continued support of the public for the festival’s 50th edition. Due to public clamor, we have decided to extend the theatrical run of the MMFF movies to further showcase the locally produced films that are truly impressive and artistically excellent,” said Artes.
With the said extension, MMFF complimentary passes will also be honored until January 14.
Artes added that the MMDA is hopeful that the 2024 MMFF earnings will continue to increase.
Organized by the MMDA, the MMFF is aimed primarily at promoting and enhancing the preservation and development of Philippine cinema.
With the MMFF extension, we hope to get more support and patronage from the audience who have been very vocal with their praises in the exceptional film line up. Noteworthy too are the series of talkback sessions done in block screenings jointly sponsored by the MMFF Execom and the Film Development Council of the Philippines all in the name of film education and audience development.
As we await for the final gross receipts of this year’s festival, we redefine and reset the measure of success to something beyond numbers; because there are a lot to things to learn and celebrate with the changing audience landscape for Filipino films. Salamat MMFF50 for making all these possible!
