MANILA, Philippines — The 50th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is set to continue for an additional week due to “insistent public demand.”
Originally scheduled to end today, Jan. 7, the annual festival will extend the theatrical run of its 10 official entries until Jan. 14 in select cinemas across the Metro Manila area.
The official lineup for the 50th edition of the MMFF includes “My Future You,” “Uninvited,” “Topakk,” “Hold Me Close,” “Espantaho,” “And the Breadwinner Is…,” “The Kingdom,” “Green Bones,” “Isang Himala” and “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital.”
MMFF complimentary passes will also be honored until Jan. 14, making it easier for the public to attend and support the films.
In a statement, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman and MMFF overall chairman lawyer Don Artes expressed hope that the extended festival will boost earnings and continue to promote the growth of local films.
“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,” stated Artes.
Artes added in the announcement that the MMDA is hopeful that the 2024 MMFF earnings will continue to increase.
In an earlier interview with The STAR, Artes expressed hope that the festival box-office sales for the 2024 will at least match that of the 2023 MMFF, which went on to become the highest-grossing edition of all time with earnings surpassing P1 billion.