The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The extended cinema screening of the eight official entries in the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is good news.
From the January 7 last day of the event to the January 14, 2026 extension is a welcome treat.
Even if it has unmasked the truest face of Philippine cinema, it shows honesty on the part of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to admit the real state of the festival in its post-golden years.
That the local film industry needs upliftment to save it from total wreck, the event organizer spearheaded by MMDA is quick to fix the issue.
Coming directly from the horse’s mouth, MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said that the 2025 film fiesta has fallen short of the P100M difference from the same last event.
Currently, it is fast making up to recover from the benchmark loss.
Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre in “Call Me Mother” (Photo Credit: Vice Ganda/Facebook); Enrique Gil and Piolo Pascual in “Manila’s Finest” (Photo Credit: Raymond Red/Facebook); Eral Abama, Sylvia Sanchez and Krystel Go in “I’mPerfect” (Photo Credit: I’mPrefect.Facebook)
”Seven out of the eight entries have reached an eight-digit increase in sales,” Artes said in an interview with ABS-CBN entertainment broadcast journalist MJ Felipe.
According to Don Artes, this is a record-breaking trend that is happening for the first time in years of the fest.
It means that the seven official participants, presumably Star Cinema, The IdeaFirst Company and Viva Films’ “Call.Me Mother” which stars Vice Ganda, Nadine Lustre, Lucas Andalio et al directed by Jun Robles Lana; Regal Entertainment’s “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins” which features a smorgasbord cast among its three episodes directed by Shugo Praico, Joey de Guzman and Ian Lorenos; Quantum Films and Cineko Productiins’ “Unmarry” which headlines Angelica Panganiban, Zanjoe Marudo, Zack Sibug et al directed by Jeffrey Jeturian; Nathan Studios’ “I’mPerfect” which top bills Down syndrome stars Krystel Go and Earl Amaba et al directed by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo; 901 Studios’ “Bar Boys After School” which highlights the acting talents of Rocco Nacino, Kean Cipriano, Carlo Aquino et al directed by Kip Oebanda; Cignal and Media Quest’s “Manila Finest” which presents Piolo Pascual, Ashtine Olviga, Romnick Sarmenta, Joey Marquez et al directed by Raymond Red and ABS-CBN Studios, GMA Pictures and Regal Entertainment’s “Love You So Bad” which delineates the performing prowess of Bianca de Vera, Will Ashley, Dustin Yu directed by Mae Cruz Alviar, are making good at the tills.
What gives Reality and MM Studios’ “Rekonek” which stars Gerald Anderson, Andrea Brillantes, Cassy Legaspi etbal directed by Jade Casyro the real score in the box-office if this is the only one not getting the fair share of the eight-digit hike?
Considering the popularity and fan bases of its stars, what has happened to its attraction?
What seems wrong with the film with Castro at the helm?
These are just unofficial results and ranking based on reliable industry sources but they speak volumes about the attitude of the local film market.
Artes said that the moviegoers are still and have restarted to queue up in cinemas after the holidays which gives hope to an unprecedented climb to the box-office increase of a collective and individual gross receipts of the entries.
Hoping against hope that the cellar-dweller would rise to overtake even the steady and surprised performances of the films.
There is still hope, after all, in the resurgence of the local film art and business.
The whole machinery of the MMDA is looking into some of the pitfalls of its stint this year.
One of them is to adjust the ticket prices.
Purportedly, the P450.00 per ticket is quite high which seems to be already a stumbling block in the success of the fest since the Filipino moviegoer would be wise enough to spend his or her money to buy one’s needs during the holiday season.
A Filipino filmgoer would rather put his or her money where his or her mouth is.
The stomach is where the spending must go.
Food on the table must take priority over the luxury of other activities like movie watching.
According to Artes, his agency will look for possible solutions if not adjustments to the lowering of ticket prices in the future.
“Maybe we can lower not more than three hundred pesos,” he quipped.
”Another possible way is by bundle,” he added and mentioned like, for instance, a P500.00 ticket, two persons will be entitled to it plus a bag of popcorn.
Artes planned to meet up with producers, theater-owners and other stakeholders to talk about ticket pricing in the future editions of the MMFF.
Good job.