Metro Manila Film Festival

Metro Manila Film Festival
2016 Metro Manila Film Festival
The logo of Metro Manila Film Festival since 2016
Awarded for	Excellence in cinematic achievements
Location	Manila
Country	Philippines
Presented by	Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Manila Broadcasting Company
First awarded	December 1975
Official website	Metro Manila Film Festival official website
← 41st ed. 42nd ed. 43rd ed. →

The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is an annual film festival held in Metro Manila, the Philippines. The festival, which runs from December 25 (Christmas) through New Years Day and into first weekend of January in the following year, focuses on Filipino films. During the course of the festival, only films approved by the jurors of the MMFF are shown in movie theaters. No foreign movies are shown except in 3D theaters and IMAX theaters.

The annual event began with the 1975 Metro Manila Film Festival, during which Diligin Mo ng Hamog ang Uhaw na Lupa ("Water the Thirsty Earth with Dew") by Augusto Buenaventura won the best film award.

One of the festival highlights is the parade of floats at the opening of the festival. The floats, each one representing a movie entry with their respective stars, parade down Roxas Boulevard. On the awards night, a Best Float award is also announced along with the major acting awards.

A precursor the current festival began in 1966. Then-mayor of Manila Antonio Villegas inaugurated the "Manila Film Festival" ("Manila Tagalog Film Festival"). It was a 12-day event from June 14 through June 24, Manila's birthday, during which only locally produced films could be shown in the theatres. The festival featured a parade in downtown Manila of actors and the featured films. In addition, in an effort to promote Philippine films, Antonio Villegas banned the showing of foreign films at movie houses during the Manila Film Festival. Most of the first batch of the festival films came up with English titles. Despite the lack of support, there were different changes in making the festival flourish. Ultimately, the festival failed.

The Best films of Manila Film Festival included "Daigdig ng mga Api' (1966), "Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak" (1967), "Manila, Open City" (1968), "Patria Adorada" (1969), "Dimasalang" (1970), "Cadena de Amor" (1971), "Elias, Basilio at Sisa" (1972), "Nueva Vizaya" (1973), "Alaala mo Daigdig Ko" (1974). Starting in 1975, Manila Film Festival was discontinued as Metro Manila Film Festival took over.