Jea Nicole Jacot

For its 50th anniversary, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has launched Sine Sigla sa Singkwenta 50 at 50, featuring film entries from the past 50 years in participating cinemas nationwide for a ticket price of 50 pesos.
 
Photo Courtesy of Araneta City.


Showcasing a total of 50 MMFF movies, the first batch of screenings kicked off on Sept. 25 and will continue to run until Oct. 15. 

The  lineup spans across a variety of genres in Philippine cinema, from horror, drama, comedy, action, romance to historical picks. 

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Acting Chairman and MMFF Overall Concurrent Chairman, Atty. Don Artes stated the milestone celebration seeks to honor MMFF’s contribution in amplifying the local film industry.

“These films represent some of the best of what the MMFF has offered over the past five decades,” he said at the event’s launching at Makati on Tuesday. 

The collection presents timeless classics like ‘Insiang’ and ‘‘Himala’, modern favorites such as ‘Die Beautiful’ and ‘Firefly’, and box-office hits like ‘Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad’ and ‘Feng Shui 2’. 

“‘Sine Sigla sa Singkwenta’ reflects MMFF’s commitment to promoting local films,” Artes added.

 “The films included in the lineup are well-loved classics, award-winning, and highly-acclaimed movies that will take viewers on a journey back in time and probably bring in a lot of good memories." 

Some of the films under the 50-film roster have undergone a process of restoration, quality enhancements, and remastering while there were those preserved in their original state to capture a “sense of nostalgia” and a few have been converted from film to digital format. 

“The return of iconic MMFF movies offers the younger generation an opportunity to learn about the cinematic masterpieces of the past,” Artes said.

Alongside commemorating the evolution of Philippine cinema in the past five decades, the initiative serves as a prelude to the MMFF this December 2024.