MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) will return to cinemas this year.
In the advisory released through MMFF execom spokesperson Noel Ferrer, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the COVID-19 cannot dampen the Filipino Christmas spirit.
"The COVID cannot dampen the Filipino Christmas spirit and the MMFF Executive Committee has decided to bring this back again to the cinemas," MMDA said.
The MMDA and MMFF Executive Committee are hoping to expand the audience percentage by the holiday season so that the MMFF may reach more people.
“We enjoin the public to be one with the entertainment industry and the other stakeholders including the MMFF beneficiaries who have been hardly hit by this pandemic to make this re-opening of the theaters and this year’s MMFF 2021 a success,” MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos said in the advisory.
The MMFF execom already received 19 finished film submissions and they are now evaluating them. The entries will announce on the third week of November.