Guide to MMFF 2020: Entries, ticket prices, how to watch from home

MANILA, Philippines — This year’s Metro Manila Film Festival has transitioned online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Christmas-time staple where families flock to malls and form long lines at cinemas now looks entirely different.

The upside is households now only need to pay for one ticket, valued at P250 per movie, for the whole family to enjoy at their own pace.

However, you would need to start streaming the movie rental within five days and finish watching within 24 hours of your first play before it expires.

Moreover, viewers can only rent these movies until 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2021.

Ahead of the festival run which begins on Christmas Day, Filipinos can already reserve their tickets. Here’s how:

1. Visit video-on-demand platform Upstream to view the MMFF 2020 movie lineup. Click "Reserve Now" under the desired film.
2. Click "Pay" to avail your ticket on Upstream's partner ticketing site GMovies.ph. If you have the applicable voucher, simply input your voucher code on the "Enter Promo/Claim Code" field and click "Apply.'
3. Click "Create an Account" if you do not yet have a GMovies account. This is free-of-charge.
4. Starting December 25, you can begin watching your chosen films under "My Shows" at your GMovies account.

Here are the 10 movie entries available for viewing during the festival.

Coming Home

Starring: Jinggoy Estrada, Sylvia Sanchez, Martin del Rosario, Edgar Allan Guzman, Smokey Manaloto, Shaira Diaz, Jake Ejercito, Julian Estrada, Jana Agoncillo, Ara Arida, Samantha Lopez, Almira Muhlach, Alvin Anson and Luis Hontiveros

Genre: Drama

Running time: 1 hour 54 minutes

Synopsis: It is Salve’s dream for her children to live happily after working hard to raise them alone. Now in her daughter Sally’s wedding, she feels she has accomplished that seeing her children giving tribute to her. Unknown to her, a big surprise awaits when they arrived home. An unconscious man is in their gate. Salve is quite familiar who the man is. She can never forget him – he is the man who left him years ago for another woman – her husband Benny. And to the shock of her children, Salve accepts Benny and even helps him get well.

Director: Adolfo Alix Jr.

Fan Girl

Starring: Charlie Dizon, Paulo Avelino, Sheenly Gener, James Fajardo, Mina Cruz and Joshua Cabadiles

Genre: Drama

Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes

Synopsis: A high school fan girl’s obsession with huge celebrity Paulo Avelino – 1⁄2 of the country’s most popular love team – leads her to hide at the back of his pick-up truck and follow him home. She ends up in an unfamiliar house in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar Paulo Avelino, the idol she thought she knew from head to foot, heart and soul. They say, never meet your heroes, and she finds out exactly why.

Director: Antoinette Jadaone

Isa Pang Bahaghari

Starring: Nora Aunor, Phillip Salvador, Michael de Mesa, Sanya Lopez, Zanjoe Marudo and Joseph Marco

Genre: Drama

Running time: 2 hours

Synopsis: A former seaman long presumed dead returns to the Philippines and tries to reconnect with his wife and three children with the help of his gay best friend.

Director: Joel C. Lamangan

Magikland

Starring: Miggs Cuaderno, Joshua Eugenio, Elijah Alejo, Princess Rabara, Bibeth Orteza, Jun Urbano, Haley Mendez and Jamir Zabarte

Genre: Fantasy

Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Synopsis: On Christmas eve, four lonely kids are chosen to save Magikland, a fantastic and magical world where all the world’s toys and games come from.

Director: Christian Acuna

Mang Kepweng: Ang Lihim ng Bandanang Itim

Starring: Vhong Navarro, Barbie Imperial, Jaclyn Jose, Joross Gamboa, Benjie Paras, Ryan Bang, Ion Perez, Ritz Azul, Fumiya Sankai, Yamyam Gucong, Alora Sasam, Rubi Rubi and Mariko Ledesma

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes

Synopsis: Determined to save the world from the evil plans of a powerful “engkanto” who has the magical black bandana, Mang Kepweng, together with his friends, embarks on an exciting adventure to complete the magic ingredients needed to revive the powers of his magical red bandana to defeat the enemy.

Director: Topel Lee

Pakboys: Takusa

Starring: Janno Gibbs, Dennis Padilla, Jerald Napoles, Andrew E., Ana Roces, Angelu de Leon, Maui Taylor, Marissa Sanchez, Leo Martinez and Nathalie Hart

Genre: Comedy

Running time: 2 hours 3 minutes

Synopsis: Four married men living in a condominium often go out with women who are not their wives. Their wives try to catch them redhanded but often rather fail as they think of ingenious ways to hide their cheating.

Director: Al Tantay

Suarez: The Healing Priest

Starring: John Arcilla, Jin Macapagal, Marlo Mortel, Jairus Aquino, Dante Rivero, Troy Montero, Rosanna Roces, Rita Avila and Alice Dixson

Genre: Drama

Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes

Synopsis: When Fernando was given the gift of healing at 16, he hid it for many years until he became a priest only to find himself in scandals and squabbes with the catholic church. Unfazed, he challenged head on but pauses when faced with the question — what if the gift is taken away from him? Based on the true to life story of Fernando Suarez.

Director: Joven Tan

Tagpuan

Starring: Alfred Vargas, Iza Calzado, Shaina Magdayao, Mariella Laurel, Christopher Tan, Will Strong and Al Davis

Genre: Drama, Romance

Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Synopsis: In a world where people wander all over the globe for survival and no home can any longer be called home, three rootless lonely souls try to connect.

Director: McArthur C. Alejandre

The Boy Foretold by the Stars

Starring: Adrian Lindayag, Keann Johnson, Rissy Rees, John Leynard Ramos, John Ray Escaño and Jemuel Satumba

Genre: Romance

Running time: 1 hour 48 minutes

Synopsis: Two senior high school boys, through the help of a fortune-teller, find each other at an optional school retreat called Journey with the Lord.

Director: Dolly Dulu

The Missing

Starring: Ritz Azul, Joseph Marco, Miles Ocampo, Joe Ishikawa and Seiyo Masunaga

Genre: Horror

Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Synopsis: In the pursuit of a contractual work in Japan, Iris became the victim of a curse that haunted her engagement as an architect of an over 100 year old house.

Director: Easy Ferrer