2025 Metro Manila Film Festival

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2025 Metro Manila Film Festival
51st Metro Manila Film Festival
2025 Metro Manila Film Festival logo.jpg
No. of films8
Festival dateDecember 25, 2025 (2025-12-25) to January 14, 2026 (2026-01-14)
MMFF chronology
52nd ed.

The 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival is the 51st edition of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival which started on December 25, 2025, and is scheduled to end on January 14, 2026. [1] During the festival, no foreign films are shown in Philippine theaters (excluding IMAX, 4DX, and ScreenX). None of the film entries, however, were able to break even at the box office.

Contents

Entries

Feature films

The first four official entries were announced on July 8, 2025, at the Glorietta in Makati, selected from 23 scripts submitted by production companies. This marks the first time that Makati is the designated host city of the MMFF which has the theme "A New Era for Philippine Cinema". [2] [3]

The next four entries was announced on October 10, 2025 at the University of Makati Performing Arts Theater. [4] [5] They were feature films which were submitted as finished works on or before September 30, 2025. The original deadline was September 15, 2025, but was later extended. [3] [6] [7] The committee selected four finished films among more than twenty entries. [8]

The MMFF selection committee is headed by Boots Anson-Rodrigo. The entries were selected based on the following criteria: artistic excellence, commercial appeal, Filipino cultural sensibility, and global appeal. [6]

Most of the entries were given the Parental Guidance rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board; I'mPerfect was deemed suitable for a general audience, while Shake, Rattle & Roll Evil Origins received an R-13 rating. [9]

TitleStarringProduction companyDirectorGenreRef.
First batch
Call Me Mother Vice Ganda, Nadine Lustre Star Cinema, The IdeaFirst Company, Viva Films Jun Robles Lana Comedy drama [2]
Manila's Finest Piolo Pascual, Rica Peralejo, Enrique Gil, Ashtine Olviga Cignal TV, Inc., MQuest Ventures Raymond Red Period crime-thriller
Rekonek Gerald Anderson, Gloria Diaz, Carmina Villarroel, Zoren Legaspi, Alexa Miro Reality MM Studios Jade Castro Family drama
Shake, Rattle & Roll Evil Origins 1775: Carla Abellana, Janice de Belen, Loisa Andalio Regal Entertainment 1775: Shugo Praico Horror, Supernatural, Anthology [10]
2025: Francine Diaz, Seth Fedelin, Fyang Smith, JM Ibarra [10] 2025: Joey de Guzman
2050: Richard Gutierrez, Ivana Alawi, Manilyn Reynes, Dustin Yu [10] 2050: Ian Loreños
Second batch
Bar Boys: After School Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, Kean Cipriano 901 Studios Kip Oebanda Drama [5]
I'mPerfect Krystel Go, Earl AmabaNathan Studios Sigrid Andrea Bernardo Social romance
Love You So Bad Bianca de Vera, Will Ashley, Dustin Yu Star Cinema, GMA Pictures, Regal Entertainment Mae Cruz-Alviar Romance
Unmarry Angelica Panganiban, Zanjoe Marudo Quantum Films, Cineko Productions Jeffrey Jeturian Drama

Parade of Stars

Makati hosted the customary Parade of the Stars float motorcade for the first time in MMFF history. [3] It was held on December 19, 2025, with the parade starting from the World Trade Center Manila in Pasay and ended in Circuit Makati. The route is 8.4 kilometers (5.2 mi) long. The event culminated with a musical festival. [11] [12]

Awards

2025 Metro Manila Film Festival
Gabi ng Parangal
DateDecember 27, 2025 (2025-12-27)
Site Dusit Thani Manila, Makati
Hosted by Enchong Dee, KaladKaren, Michael Sager
Highlights
Best Picture I'mPerfect
Best Director Jeffrey Jeturian
Unmarry
Best Actor Vice Ganda
Call Me Mother
Best ActressKrystel Go
I'mPerfect
Most awards Manila's Finest (8)
Most nominations Manila's Finest (14)
Television coverage
Network TV5

The Gabi ng Parangal (transl.Awards Night) of the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival was held on December 27, 2025, [13] at the Dusit Thani Manila in Makati and was streamed live on TV5's Facebook page and had a delayed broadcast in its terrestrial channel. [14] [15] Enchong Dee, KaladKaren, and Michael Sager served as hosts of the event. [16]

Manila's Finest garnered the most awards. Vice Ganda became the first openly-queer individual to win the Best Actor award while Krystel Go became the first person with Down syndrome to win the Best Actress award. [17]

Best Picture Best Director
Best Actor Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress
Best Screenplay Best Cinematography
Best Production Design Best Editing
Best Sound Best Original Theme Song
Best Musical Score Best Visual Effects
Best Child Performer Best Float
Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award
Gender Sensitivity Award

Other awards

Multiple awards

AwardsFilm
8 Manila's Finest
7 Unmarry
4 Call Me Mother
3 I'mPerfect
2 Bar Boys: After School

Multiple nominations

AwardsFilm
14 Manila's Finest
12 Unmarry
11 Call Me Mother
10 I'mPerfect
9 Love You So Bad
Bar Boys: After School
7 Shake, Rattle & Roll Evil Origins
5 Rekonek

Ceremony information

Box office performance

According to Butch Francisco, a commentator on the entertainment industry, the combined box office of the festival's entries declined from the previous edition of the MMFF, with none of the eight films earning a profit. [18] [19] The decline was also noted by PEP.ph, with Call Me Mother being cited as the highest-grossing entry of the festival at above ₱300 million. [20] However, the festival's executive committee has refrained from releasing any box office figures per an agreement with the films' producers; as in previous editions of the MMFF, only the festival's organizers at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) can issue official box office data. [20] [21] Noel Ferrer, a spokesperson for the MMFF, stated that seven out of the eight film entries "reach[ed] the eight-digit mark in gross receipts (some even surpassing it)", noting that the highest-grossing entry has since become the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2025. [22]

References

  1. Felipe, MJ (January 6, 2026). "MMDA to discuss lowering movie ticket prices for MMFF 2026". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Santiago, Erwin (July 8, 2025). "First four official entries to MMFF 2025 announced". PEP.ph (in Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal, Inc. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Krishnan, Ganiel (July 8, 2025). "MMFF announces first batch of entries for 51st edition". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  4. "Extended ang deadline nang pagsusumite ng finished film entries para sa 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)". DWWW 774 kHz. September 15, 2025. Archived from the original on October 4, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025 via Facebook.
  5. 1 2 Pasajol, Anne (October 10, 2025). "MMFF 2025 reveals second batch of official entries". Inquirer.net. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Murcia, Alvin (July 9, 2025). "MMDA unveils 4 official entries for 51st grand launch". Daily Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  7. "MMFF extends the deadline of submission of finished films from September 15 to September 30, 2025". ABS-CBN News. September 12, 2025. Archived from the original on October 4, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025 via Facebook.
  8. Llanera, Melba (October 12, 2025). "MMFF Chair Atty. Don Artes confident in lineup of MMFF 2025 official entries". PEP.ph (in Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal, Inc. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  9. Ruiz, Marah (December 17, 2025). "MMFF 2025 entries and their MTRCB ratings". GMA Entertainment . Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 "Richard bibida sa 'Shake, Rattle & Roll' at 'Mano Po' ng Regal". www.journalnews.com.ph. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  11. Fernando, Jefferson (December 20, 2025). "MMFF 2025 Parade of Stars: A celebration of Filipino Cinema". Daily Tribune. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
  12. Evangelista, Jessica Ann (December 19, 2025). "MMFF 2025 Parade of Stars wraps up in Makati amid rain". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  13. "MMFF releases first batch of official entries for 2025 film festival". GMA News. July 8, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  14. "Will Ashley, malakas ang laban sa MMFF 2025 Gabi ng Parangal" [Will Ashley, has strong chances at MMFF 2025 Gabi ng Parangal]. PEP.ph (in Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal, Inc. December 24, 2025. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  15. Requintina, Robert (December 27, 2025). "51st Metro Manila Film Festival: List of winners at Gabi ng Parangal". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  16. "Michael Sager earns praise for hosting MMFF 2025 Gabi ng Parangal". PEP.ph (in Filipino). Philippine Entertainment Portal, Inc. December 28, 2025. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  17. Pagulong, Charmie Joy (December 29, 2025). "MMFF 2025 awardees set historic milestone". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  18. PH Time (January 5, 2026). Ang Masakit na Katotohanan - Time to Talk with Butch Francisco [The Hurtful Truth]. YouTube (in Filipino). Retrieved January 13, 2026. Kaya sa box office results, pwedeng ipagluksa ang kinita ng mga entries [sic]. Super bagsak sa takilya. Kahit yung mga top grossers, lugi. Eh, ano pa yung mga bottom dwellers [sic]?
  19. Tomada, Nathalie (January 5, 2026). "Declining MMFF attendance? What stakeholders are saying". Philstar.com . Manila, Philippines. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  20. 1 2 PEP Troika (January 10, 2025). "MMFF 2025 Unofficial Box-Office Results as of January 6, 2026". PEP.ph (in Filipino and English). Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  21. Purnell, Kristoffer (January 6, 2026). "'Call Me Mother' heads abroad after crossing P300M in local box office". Philstar.com . Manila, Philippines. Retrieved January 12, 2026. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, which organizes the MMFF, have yet to disclose official box office numbers
  22. Requintina, Robert (January 7, 2026). "51st MMFF extended, to review ticket prices". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved January 13, 2026. [T]he MMFF 2025 roster has produced the highest-grossing Filipino film of the year[...]