Quezon City hosts kick-off parade for 1st summer MMFF

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government will host the Parade of Stars for the first Metro Manila Summer Film Festival (MMFF) on April 4.

This was announced yesterday by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Danilo Lim at a press conference at Novotel Hotel.

The city government is speaheading the event in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP).

“The parade will start in the afternoon and will run for seven kilometers,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte, who was present at the launch together with MRTCB head Rachel Arenas and 2019 MMFF winners who were given cash prizes, and some of the producers and directors of the 24 films submitted for consideration in the MMSFF.

The eight official entries are:

A Hard Day (action), Viva Communications Inc.; Tagpuan (romance), Alternative Vision (AV) Cinema; Love The Way You Lie (romantic-comedy), TinCan, Ten17P and Viva Films; Isa Pang Bahaghari (family drama), Heaven’s Best Entertainment; Love or Money (romantic comedy), ABS-CBN Film Production Inc.; Coming Home (family drama), Maverick Films; Ngayon Kaya (romance), T-Rex Entertainment Inc., and The Missing (horror), Regal Entertainment Inc.

A brainchild of Sen. Bong Go to help the movie industry, the 11-day MMSFF will start a week after the Parade of Stars, from April 11 to April 21 in all cinemas nationwide.     

Like in the MMFF in December, the eight entries were judged according to the same criteria: 40 percent artistic excellence, 40 percent commercial appeal, 10 percent Filipino cultural sensibility and 10 percent global appeal.

“Let us all support the industry,” said Lim. “We assure everyone of the quality films for the MMFF’s summer edition that hopes to give workers of the industry more opportunities to showcase their talents and creativity.”

He called on the moviegoers to patronize the eight entries to encourage the local film industry to produce more quality films.

According to Belmonte, the Parade of Stars featuring floats carrying stars of the eight entries will start at the Welcome Rotonda (Quezon Avenue eastbound) straight toward Quezon Memorial Circle (but the westbound lanes of Quezon Avenue will remain open).

“The eight official entries are really good. MTRCB chief Rachel agreed, Belmonte said. “Really worth watching.”

To give way to the parade, the eastbound direction of Quezon Avenue, from Mabuhay Rotonda up to Quezon Memorial Circle will be closed to vehicular traffic from 12 noon to 8 p.m.

Lim said an hour before the parade, the entire stretch of Quezon Avenue (eastbound) would be cleared and illegally parked vehicles will be towed.

Watching the trailers of the entries, those present at Novotel agreed that the films are far better than most of the entries in the annual December MMFF, which was initially created to raise funds for various projects in Metro Manila. – With Marc Jayson Cayabyab