Poster of the Manila International Film Festival (Photo Credit: MIFF/Facebook); Entries to the 2nd MIFF (Photo Credit: MIFF/Facebook)

The real score in the postponement of the 2nd MIFF in the United States

There are two faces to a single coin, the obverse (front) and the reverse (back).

In colloquial, vernacular speech/language, there’s the tao (human being) and the ibon (bird) in tossing a coin the air to signify the order of appearance, for instance, in a game.

Or simply put, there are many sides to a story.

True enough to the postponement of the 2nd Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) supposedly to be held in California in the United States of America from January 30 to February 2, 2025.

Suddenly, the much awaited US edition of the screening of the Metro Manila Film Festival, particularly the ten entries to the 2024 MMFF and other Filipino movies done in the Philippines and in the diaspora is reset indefinitely.

One of the scheduled titles was “Hello, Love, Again,” a Star Cinema and GMA Films’ collaboration that starred Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards.

Meanwhile, also in the lineup were King Palisoc’s “Song of Fireflies,” Manuel Condes’ “Genghis Khan” and Michele Jose’s documentary film “Nurse Unseen,” among others.

After all the not a few noisy drum beatings just before the kick-off of the 2024 MMFF, the US event was postponed.

In time for the extension of last year’s movie fete until January 14 this year, a tremendous wildfires hit Southern California including Los Angeles, the site of MIFF.

Organizer, Chairman and Co-Founder of MIFF Omen Ortiz deemed it necessary to postpone the Philippine festival.

“We are devastated by the tremendous impact of the wildfires on many people, including the Filipino community. At this time, as we pray for the people experiencing trauma and loss, we ask all to continue supporting the fire relief efforts.

“We look forward to announcing the new dates of this year’s MIFF where we plan to honor the frontline workers and volunteers, including the Filipino first responders, who are heroically battling the wildfires,” noted Ortiz in a statement.

Amidst the recovery efforts from the Palisades and Eaton Fires throughout LA County, the organizers of the Hollywood-based MIFF are seeing the safety of people more than the glitz of the firmament.

“No one was immune from the effects of the fires including our dedicated festival team.

“Moreover, a significant contingent of participants are from out of town, many from outside the country, especially the filmmakers and their respective teams. We certainly owed them reassurances which we could not provide,” said the organizers.

Even other Hollywood-affiliated film events have called off their live proceedings if not held online.

It’s easy to say that the alleged lukewarm reception of the Filipino moviegoers to the 2024 MMFF has something to do with the indefinite reschedule of the 2025 MIFF primarily because they are two separate occasions, preparations and objectives.

If this year’s MIFF pushes through, would Filipinos–main market of the fest—put money where their mouth is in times of trouble?

Is the mindset of movie-going Filipinos in the US as volatile as their counterparts at home if we gauge the reported mild success of the 50th MMFF from the local market reception?

According to an unofficial but reliable account, the 2024 MMFF has just earned P600M in its two-week run, a huge disparaging gross raked in from the previous fest when it made P1B, its large sum from Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes starrer, “Rewind.”

It wasn’t usual that a Vice Ganda film, this time, “And the Breadwinner is…” would just bag P270M, according to PEP, in its entire original festival time.

If “Isang Himala” is the cellar dweller, does it mean that it just grossed P4M in two weeks when its cinemas were reduced to zero.

And “Hold Me Close” bombed at the tills?

What gives?

Anyway, let’s wait for the box-office results of the January 8 to 14, 2025 screenings and the official announcement of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) of its earnings to be declared by Atty. Romando Artes.

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