MMFF 2023 grosses P1B, extends theatrical run

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THE 49^th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has extended its run to Jan. 14, with the box office take double that of last year’s festival.

The extension was decided upon “in response to the public clamor,” MMFF said in a statement.

“We at the MMFF would like to express our deepest gratitude to all who have supported us and watched the movie entries, particularly those who requested for the MMFF movies to extend beyond its original run,” Don Artes, chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said in a statement posted on Jan. 7, the day the festival was slated to end. The MMDA runs the yearly film festival.

The festival’s 10 movies garnered P1 billion collectively over the initial two-week run, twice as much as the P500 million earned by the eight movie entries last year.

Specific box office data per movie is unavailable, with the MMFF choosing to withhold the information so as not to influence viewers’ choice on what to watch.

The 10 movies in this year’s lineup are A Family of Two, Kampon, Penduko, Rewind, Becky and Badette, Broken Heart’s Trip, Firefly, GomBurZa, Mallari, and When I Met You in Tokyo.

All the entries will be screened at the inaugural Manila International Film Festival (MIFF), set for Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, California.

“Truly, this year’s MMFF is a certified box office hit. This is a good sign as we gear up for the MIFF,” said Mr. Artes. — Brontë H. Lacsamana