2023 Metro Manila Film Festival

The 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is the 49th edition of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival. During the festival, no foreign films are shown in Philippine theaters (excluding IMAX and 4D theaters).

The first four official entries were announced in July 2023, selected from 26 scripts submitted by 32 production companies.

The festival's selection committee usually chooses eight entries in total, but in October 2023 a second batch of six entries were announced, for a total of ten. After the fourth, fifth, and sixth highest-rated submissions all received the same score, 93.3%, the committee decided not to break the tie, according to its chairman, Jesse Ejercito. There were 30 finished films submitted, the highest number to date.

Most entries were given the Parental Guidance rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. Penduko and the Family of Two were deemed fitted for a general audience while the film festival's two horror films Kampon and Mallari where given the R-13 rating.

Casts of the film festival's entry films at the Parade of Stars in Navotas

The Parade of Stars took place on December 16, 2023. The annual parade passed through in four key cities of CAMANAVA area, first time in the history of the festival. The parade began at the Navotas Centennial Park and ended at Valenzuela People's Park. The route had a length of 8.77 kilometers (5.45 mi). The casts of all ten participating films joined the motorcade.

Euwenn Mikaell joined the parade for the float of Firefly following his attending the Christmas event of Iglesia ni Cristo Bulacan District.

The Gabi ng Parangal (transl. Awards Night) of the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival was held at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City on December 27, 2023. The ceremony was hosted by Giselle Sanchez and Eisel Serrano. The program was broadcast live at One PH of Cignal TV. GomBurZa received the most awards.

The board of jurors who determined the winners are led by director Chito S. Roño and actress Lorna Tolentino as chairpersons.

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡). Nominations are also listed if applicable.

For this edition, four films were given Best Picture awards due to the festival having ten official entries.

• Manay Ichu Vera-Perez Maceda Memorial Award – Lily Monteverde

The combined box office gross for the films of the festival had surpassed ₱700 million by January 2, 2024, and ₱1 billion five days later. Rewind reportedly is the top earning film. Rewind ranked 1st while the next three are Mallari ranked 2nd, Firefly ranked 3rd, and GomBurZa ranked 4th in the box office sales.

On December 14, 2023, the 152-seater MMFF Auditorium located at the MMDA Building in Pasig was inaugurated.

The inaugural edition of the Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) took place in the United States from January 29 to February 2, 2024 and will feature the entry films of the 2023 MMFF. The MIFF took place at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles and the Directors Guild of America on Sunset Boulevard.

Awards

The Award Gala was held at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on February 2, 2024.

• Best Picture – Firefly

• 2nd Best Picture – GomBurZa

• Best Director – Zig Dulay (Firefly)

• Best Actors – Piolo Pascual (Mallari) and Dingdong Dantes (Rewind)

• Best Actress – Vilma Santos (When I Met You in Tokyo)

• Best Supporting Actor – Pepe Herrera (Rewind)

• Best Supporting Actress – Alessandra de Rossi (Firefly)

• Best Screenplay – Angeli Atienza (Firefly)

• Best Cinematography – Carlo Mendoza (GomBurZa)

• Lifetime Achievement Award – Hilda Koronel

• Special Jury Prize – Becky & Badette

• Audience Choice Award – GomBurZa

• Trailblazer Awards – Romando Artes, Rochelle Ona, and Mark Dacascos

• Navotas crowds, Parade of Stars

• MMDA Chair Romando S. Artes, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco and Malabon Mayor Jeannie Sandoval

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