MANILA, Philippines – On Friday, the Metro Manila Film Festival’s (MMFF) executive committee revealed the first four film submissions for the annual Christmas Day event.
Vice Ganda will return to the festival alongside Ivana Alawi in ABS-CBN Film Productions and Viva Films’ “Partners in Crime.”
For the first time, Coco Martin and Jodi Santa Maria will team up on an ABS-CBN Film Productions project, “Labyu with an Accent.”
Actors Mon Confiado, Ian Veneracion, and Heaven Peralejo will also appear in the sexy film “Nananahimik Ang Gabi.”
Meanwhile, controversial actress Toni Gonzaga and noontime show host Joey De Leon will return to the festival with TEN17P’s “The Teacher,” directed by Toni’s husband, Paul Soriano.
The first four applications were chosen based on the criteria, which are as follows: creative excellence is 40%, the commercial appeal is 40%, Filipino cultural sensitivity is 10%, and worldwide appeal is 10%.
The submission deadline for completed films (where the remaining four official MMFF entrants will be chosen) is September 2 (for early birds) and September 30 (for regular submissions).
The chairman and vice-chairman of the selection committee were Boots Anson-Roa Rodrigo and Jesse Ejercito, respectively.
The MMFF 2022 emphasizes the “Balik Saya” slogan, signifying the return of popular films to physical cinemas.
In 2020, the MMFF was forced to convert to online screenings due to pandemic restrictions. They returned to cinemas in 2021, but their box office returns were relatively limited.