Joanna Marie O. Santos
July 12, 2023

We have crossed into the second half of 2023, and it’s almost that time of the year again. The 49th Metro Manila Film Festival has just announced four of the official entries for this year for us to look forward to in December. We’ll be seeing some of the nation’s biggest stars about to go head-to-head. So far, the lineup features a drama, a romance, a horror, and an action movie. 

The annual film festival has received 26 scripts from 32 production companies this year, and the top four picks have been selected based on the following criteria: artistic excellence (40%), commercial appeal (40%), Filipino cultural sensibility (10%), and global appeal (10%). Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairman Atty. Romando Artes said that only the best are chosen to accord to the script alone. 

As for the other four entries to complete the so-called Magic 8, they will be judged based on the finished film entries, and the deadline for submission is September 29. Artes said that they are hoping to successfully cross the 500-million mark this year to surpass 2022’s gross sales. 

2023 MMF First Four Entries

A Mother and A Son’s Story

We are off to a promising start with Sharon Cuneta and Alden Richards playing mother and son, respectively, to make everyone cry in the theaters. First announced in June, the big family drama under Cineko Productions Incorporated will be directed by Nuel Naval with a screenplay by Mel Mendoza-Del Rosario. This is the first time the two drama leads are teamed up for the big screen, and we might have to bring tissues for this one. 

On the social media platform Threads, Richards expressed his excitement, saying it’s been a while since his last MMFF entry. Richards was last seen in the country’s highest-grossing film Hello, Love, Goodbye in 2019, opposite Kathryn Bernardo. Megastar couldn’t hide her excitement either, posting a picture of her and Richards on Instagram with the caption, “We are as of today an official MMFF 2023 entry!!! Yaaaayyy!!!”

Rewind

13 years since their last big-screen project together, DongYan’s comeback movie is finally happening. The real-life married couple Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes are sure to give us the feels this Christmas in this romantic drama in collaboration between Star Cinema, APT Entertainment, and Agosto Dos Media. Rewind serves as the reunion movie project of the two leads after “You To Me Are Everything” in 2010. 

Known for her other beloved romance-drama movies, Mae Cruz-Alviar is set to direct, with a promise to give us “magic realism,” while Enrico Santos is in charge of the script.

K(Ampon)

Joining the line-up is the first horror film on the list starring Beauty Gonzales and Derek Ramsey, who will be working on a project together for the first time. K(Ampon) will be helmed by King Palisoc under Quantum Films, with Dodo Dayao as the scriptwriter. 

On her Instagram story, Gonzales wrote, “Such a privilege to be given this wonderful script and an honor to be working with this amazing team! Let's do this!!”

Penduko

Fantasy-action films are a staple of Philippine cinema and are especially enjoyed by MMFF moviegoers. This year, Matteo Guidicelli is to take on the titular role of Pedro Penduko. He was first announced to play the Filipino folk hero on the big screen in 2019 and has said that he was honored and eager to start ever since. Christine Reyes was also named to star alongside Mateo.

Jason Paul Laxamana will write and direct Penduko under Sari Sari Network. Sonny Sison, who also worked in the action movies Maria and BuyBust, will be doing the choreography of fight scenes in the movie and has said that Guidicelli has been doing well in their training. 

“A lot of cultural references, especially with the Philippine martial arts tradition. They do a lot of stick fighting Visayan style,” said Mateo.

The project has faced setbacks before, with Jason Reid first attached to the role. Efren Reyes Sr, Ramon Zamora has previously played the comic book character, and Janno Gibbs in the movies, and Matt Evans on television.

The Cultural Relevance of MMFF

For decades, MMFF has kept the love and support for Philippine cinema alive, although some will also argue that it has been the downfall of quality local movies. MMFF opens every December 25th and has been a staple of our Christmas traditions. Families line up to see the newest Vice Ganda or Vic Sotto box-office hit. Friend groups flock to the theaters together and scream watching the horror/slasher entry, while some choose that one under-the-radar film among the mainstream options. 

The first four entries of the 49th MMFF are giving us a most anticipated comeback and never-before-seen pairings on the big screen. This is all we know for now; we can expect more details on these movies in the following months, as well as the complete Magic 8 lineup. Fingers crossed that this year’s MMFF fares well in not only achieving the committee’s anticipated commercial success but in delivering a new and fresh set of fun, enjoyable, and quality Filipino movies as well.