LIST: Metro Manila Film Festival 2024 Entries and Synopses

PHOTO: Movie Posters (from left to right): And the Breadwinner Is..., Green Bones, and Isang Himala. (Photo courtesy: IMDB)

The Christmas season in the Philippines would feel incomplete without the beloved traditions and celebrations that define the country’s holiday spirit. From vibrant parols (Christmas lanterns) adorning homes and streets to the nightly Simbang Gabi masses leading up to Christmas Day, these festivities reflect the unique warmth and joy of Filipino culture. Beyond the decorations and religious observances, family reunions, festive feasts featuring traditional dishes like lechon and bibingka, and lively caroling add to the unmistakable charm of a Filipino Christmas. These cherished practices make the holiday season in the Philippines a truly special and unparalleled experience.

In addition to the customary feasts and family gatherings, watching movies on Christmas Day has become a cherished tradition for many Filipino households.

The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), established in 1975, was born out of a desire to promote Filipino films during the festive Christmas season. Its primary objective is to encourage audiences to support locally made movies while also serving as a platform to stimulate creativity within the Philippine film industry. Each year, the MMFF challenges filmmakers to craft innovative and unique stories, making it a celebrated tradition that highlights the richness and diversity of Filipino cinema during the holiday season.

This year’s 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) embraces the theme "Sinesigla sa Singkwenta," celebrating its 50th anniversary with an expanded lineup of 10 competing films, an increase from the traditional eight entries.

MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) Chairman Don Artes highlighted during the unveiling of this year’s entries that the expanded selection aligns with the festival’s dynamic energy while honoring its 50th anniversary milestone.

Staying true to its roots, the MMFF focuses solely on Filipino-made films, temporarily halting the screening of foreign movies in local theaters, except for IMAX and 4D cinemas.

Here’s a comprehensive look at this year’s lineup of cinematic offerings.

MMFF 2024 ENTRIES (1ST BATCH)

• AND THE BREADWINNER IS...

Photo courtesy: ABS-CBN/Star Cinema

Synopsis: Overseas Filipino worker Bambi Salvador (Vice Ganda), returns home to Arayat, Pampanga on her birthday just to find her dream house in shambles.

To support her family, she revives "Papsy's Panaderyuh," a quirky bakery-slash-funeral parlor. When a mix-up leads to her being mistakenly declared dead in a bus accident, her family is set to receive PHP2 million in life insurance.

Now, Bambi faces a dilemma: should she pretend to be dead to claim the insurance or come clean about being alive?

• GREEN BONES

Photo courtesy: GMA Network/GMA Pictures

Synopsis: A rookie corrections officer, Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid), wrestles with grief and anger as he faces Domingo Zamora (Dennis Trillo), a criminal on the verge of being released from San Fabian Prison and Penal Farm after being convicted for the brutal murder of his own sister.

Gonzaga finds himself torn between duty and personal emotion, as he raises questions about the nature of justice, the limits of humanity behind bars, and the price of redemption.

• ISANG HIMALA

Photo courtesy: CreaZion Studios/IMDB

Synopsis: Isang Himala is a Philippine musical film adapted from the 2018 theatrical production Himala: Isang Musikal.

The play itself was inspired by the Ishmael Bernal's 1982 film Himala—starring Nora Aunor—which tells the story of Elsa, a young woman from a remote barrio whose claimed visions of the Virgin Mary transform her life.

Her newfound fame sparks mass hysteria in a drought-stricken village in northern Philippines, setting the stage for both personal and community-wide turmoil.

• THE KINGDOM

Photo courtesy: APT/IMDB

Synopsis: King Lakan Makisig (Vic Sotto) of the Kingdom of Kalayaan faces a looming succession crisis as he struggles to choose the rightful heir among his three children.

His eldest son, Magat Bagwis (Sid Lucero), known for his fiery temper; his daughter, Dayang Matimyas (Cristine Reyes), who has a strained relationship with him due to her romantic involvement with a political adversary; and his youngest, Dayang Lualhati (Sue Ramirez), who enjoys the closest bond with the monarch.

When Lualhati is abducted before her marriage to a Thai prince, a rescue mission led by Bagwis fails. However, an outcast named Sulo (Piolo Pascual) secretly rescues her, sparking doubts about the kingdom’s leadership and putting Sulo's life in jeopardy.

• STRANGE FREQUENCIES: TAIWAN KILLER HOSPITAL

Photo courtesy: Reality MM Studios/IMDB

Synopsis: A meta found footage documents a team of celebrities and amateur ghosthunters led by actor Enrique Gil (playing himself), invited to explore and film in Taiwan's infamous Xinglin Hospital, one of the most haunted locations in Southeast Asia.

Directed by Kerwin Go and produced under Reality MM Studios, Inc., the film is an adaptation of the 2018 South Korean film Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum.

MMFF 2024 ENTRIES (2ND BATCH)

• ESPANTAHO

Photo courtesy: Quantum Films/IMDB

Synopsis: Monet (Judy Ann Santos) and her mother, Rosa (Lorna Tolentino), are mourning the recent death of Pabling, the family patriarch, in their ancestral home.

As they observe the traditional nine days of pasiyam—a solemn period of prayers for the departed—strange occurrences and dark secrets disrupt their mourning.

• HOLD ME CLOSE

Photo courtesy: Viva Films/IMDB

Synopsis: Woody (Carlo Aquino), a restless wanderer, has spent seven years traveling the globe in search of a place—and a purpose—to call his own.

His journey leads him to Japan, where he crosses paths with Lynlyn (Julia Barretto), a woman gifted with an extraordinary ability: by simply touching someone, she can sense whether they bring joy or destruction into her life.

• MY FUTURE YOU

Photo courtesy: Regal Entertainment/IMDB

Synopsis: Karen (Francine Diaz) and Lex (Seth Fedelin) meet through a dating app with a twist—they discover they're living in two different timelines, separated by 15 years.

Connected by a mysterious comet, their budding relationship takes an unexpected turn when they realize their unique connection could defy time and change the course of their lives.

• TOPAKK

Photo courtesy: Nathan Studios/IMDB

Synopsis: Former special forces operative Miguel (Arjo Atayde) grapples with the harrowing effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.

His already fragile existence takes a turn when he crosses paths with Isabel (Julia Montes), a woman on the run from a corrupt police death squad secretly aligned with a powerful drug cartel.

Caught between his personal demons and a relentless enemy, Miguel is thrust back into action using his tactical skills and combat experience to protect Isabel.

• UNINVITED

Photo courtesy: Project Red/IMDB

Synopsis: Eva Candelaria (Vilma Santos) has spent ten long years meticulously plotting her revenge against billionaire Guilly Vega (Aga Muhlach), the man she holds responsible for her daughter's horrific murder.

With vengeance as her driving force, Eva reinvents herself as a sophisticated socialite to infiltrate Guilly's opulent birthday celebration—a night destined to unravel secrets, lies, and justice long overdue.