Christmas in the Philippines will not be complete without the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), whereas the Philippine cinema is celebrated by featuring different local film entries on cinemas nationwide for Filipinos to see. It’s been a tradition for most families in the country to go out and see movies every holiday season. And the good news is, despite the pandemic going on in the country this year, 2020 MMFF will push through by screening selected film entries virtually.

The 2020 MMFF in exclusive partnership with Globe, announced the much-awaited lineup of films for the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival in a presscon on November 24, held via zoom, together with Dondon Monteverde of Sphere Entertainment, Inc. (UPSTREAM) and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danny Lim.

The 2020 MMFF official entries in different genres such as fantasy, drama, comedy, horror and romance, that every family member will surely enjoy include the following films:

Fan Girl

SYNOPSIS: Directed by Antoinette Jadaone. Fan Girl is about a high school student Jane’s obsession with her celebrity idol Paulo Avelino 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 she thought she knew from head to foot, heart and soul. They say, never meet your heroes, and tonight, Jane finds out exactly why.

The Boy Foretold By The Stars

SYNOPSIS: Starring Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson, written and directed by Dolly Dulu, The Boy Foretold By TheStars is a romantic comedy movie about two senior high school boys, who, through the help of a fortune teller, find each other at an optional school retreat called Journey with the Lord.

Magikland

SYNOPSIS: According to producer Peque Gallaga, "Magikland is a place of fantasy existing in a video game for iPhone—the inspiration is from Pokémon the game. The attraction to the game is for the gamers to get the highest points in order to save Magikland from an evil dictator. When the four winners meet, they are transported to Magikland which is, indeed, in mortal danger."

Isa Pang Bahaghari

SYNOPSIS: A former seaman long presumed dead tries to reconcile with his embittered family with the help of his gay best friend.

The Missing

SYNOPSIS: The main characters "work to restore an ancestral home in Karatsu, Japan, and they come across myths of the Japanese offering human sacrifices to lend stability to their structures. As they dive deeper into the project, the house slowly begins to reveal its story and secrets." CREEPY.

Tagpuan

SYNOPSIS: The synopsis with a logline “Hindi ba lahat naman tayo nais maTAGPUAN?” Allan, Agnes, and Tanya are three people who are trying to find themselves and looking for second chances. The film's YouTube trailer tells us: "Ang Tagpuan ay kwento ng bawat taong nagnanais matagpuan ang kanilang mga puso. Kung hindi man sa kasalukuyang buhay, patuloy silang maghahanap hanggang sa susunod na habang buhay."

Suarez: The Healing Priest

SYNOPSIS: The Healing Priest unfolds the life story of Catholic Priest Father Fernando Suarez, who was dubbed as "The Healing Priest." ABS-CBN reports that he became popular in the Philippines and other countries for his healing Masses which were "attended by thousands who hope to be cured of their illnesses." During his ministry, Father Suarez was banned by several dioceses in the country and he also faced sexual abuse allegations.

Pakboys: Takusa

SYNOPSIS: Pakboys: Takusa, which was recently called out by Trans activists for its alleged toxic masculinity and transphobia content, features comedy actors Andrew E, Janno Gibbs, Dennis Padilla, and Jerald Napoles. It tells a story of a group of middle-aged men, their infidelities, and how they try to earn back their wives' trust. Hence, the term takusa, meaning “takot sa asawa.”

Mang Kepweng: Ang Lihim ng Bandanang Itim

SYNOPSIS: Tenacious to save the world from the evil plans of a powerful "engkanto" who has the magical black bandana, Mang Kepweng (played by Vhong Navarro), 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.

Coming Home

SYNOPSIS: Coming Home revolves around a married couple who try to build their own family. While the patriarch, Benedicto “Benny” Librada, is working abroad, he meets a woman named Mercy Dungca. They get to know each other and have a relationship. His wife, Salve Librada later learns about it and calls it quits with her husband.

All of the ten film entries of the 2020 MMFF will be made available by UPSTREAM via streaming in the PH and internationally starting December 25, 2020 to January 7, 2021.