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LIST: Cinemas showing your chosen entries for the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival

By NICK GARCIA Published Dec 25, 2023 6:47 pm

The Christmas season in the Philippines also signals the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

For its 2023 edition, the MMFF features 10 entries instead of the usual eight, handpicked from the 26 scripts that 32 production companies had submitted for consideration. Genres include historical drama, romantic comedy, and horror.

The 49th MMFF will run until Jan. 7, 2024, and will only be screened in select cinemas nationwide.

Here's some information about this year’s entries for your consideration, including the list of cinemas where they're available.

Rated G

Family of Two (A Mother and Son's Story)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

(Family of Two/Facebook)

CLOSE

  • Director: Nuel Naval
  • Starring: Sharon Cuneta, Alden Richards
  • Synopsis: A single mother who has raised her son alone couldn’t accept him moving to Singapore to pursue his career ambition and girlfriend—despite him looking for a man who can be with his mother while he’s gone.

Penduko

(VIVA Films/Facebook)

(VIVA Films/Facebook)

(VIVA Films/Facebook)

(VIVA Films/Facebook)

(VIVA Films/Facebook)

(VIVA Films/Facebook)

CLOSE

  • Director: Jason Paul Laxamana
  • Starring: Matteo Guidicelli, Cristine Reyes
  • Synopsis: A timid “wimp” raised in the United States returns to the Philippines upon his father’s death, and eventually discovers his powers, joins a secret organization, and battles with evil forces.
  • Rated PG

When I Met You in Tokyo

(When I Met You in Tokyo/Facebook)

(When I Met You in Tokyo/Facebook)

(When I Met You in Tokyo/Facebook)

(When I Met You in Tokyo/Facebook)

(When I Met You in Tokyo/Facebook)

(When I Met You in Tokyo/Facebook)

CLOSE

  • Directors: Conrado Peru, Rommel Penesa
  • Starring: Christopher De Leon, Vilma Santos
  • Synopsis: A Filipino man, an overseas worker and permanent resident of Japan, finds love in a fellow Filipino after his ex-wife’s betrayal—but her age-related debilitating disease is set to break his heart anew.

Becky and Badette

(The IdeaFirst Company/Facebook)

(The IdeaFirst Company/Facebook)

(The IdeaFirst Company/Facebook)

(The IdeaFirst Company/Facebook)

CLOSE

  • Director: Jun Robles Lana
  • Starring: Eugene Domingo, Pokwang
  • Synopsis: 40-something high school best friends who struggle to make ends meet accidentally go viral after making up stories about one of their group mates.

Broken Hearts Trip

Broken Hearts Trip Movie/Facebook
  • Director: Lemuel Lorca
  • Starring: Christian Bables
  • Synopsis: A gay man hosts a reality television show featuring five LGBTQ+ contestants, joined by his two co-“judgers.” The contestants must not fall in love; the last one standing will win a million pesos.

Rewind

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

(Rewind Official Movie/Facebook)

CLOSE

  • Director: Mae Czarina Cruz
  • Starring: Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera
  • Synopsis: A man is given a choice to rewind certain events in his life to correct his mistakes: failure to get promoted at work, estranged relationship with his father and son, rocky marriage, and losing his wife in a car accident.

Firefly

(GMA Pictures/Facebook)
  • Director: Zig Dulay
  • Starring: Alessandra De Rossi, Euwenn Mikaell
  • Synopsis: An adult reminisces about his childhood, during which he went on a search for the mystical “Island of Fireflies.”

GomBurZa

(GOMBURZA/Facebook)
  • Director: Pepe Diokno
  • Starring: Dante Rivero, Cedrick Juan, Enchong Dee
  • Synopsis: The biopic follows the lives of the Roman Catholic Filipino priests—Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, Jacinto Zamora—who were executed during the Spanish occupation.
R-13

(K)Ampon

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

(Quantum Films/Facebook)

CLOSE

  • Director: King Palisoc
  • Starring: Derek Ramsay, Beauty Gonzalez
  • Synopsis: A childless married couple of eight years meets a girl claiming to be the man’s daughter but after accepting her into their home, strange incidents start taking over their lives.

Mallari

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

(Mentorque/Facebook)

CLOSE

  • Director: Roderick Cabrido
  • Starring: Piolo Pascual, Elisse Joson, Janella Salvador
  • Synopsis: Inspired by the historical account of the alleged serial killer priest Fr. Severino Mallari, a man looks for a supernatural cure for his dying girlfriend, only to trigger a curse that would force him to kill as his ancestor Fr. Mallari did.