- Coco Martin, Ai-ai delas Alas and Jennylyn Mercado film may still enter MMFF2019.
- MMFF still need 4 entries to complete its list of official entries.
The Coco Martin, Ai-Ai delas Alas, and Jennylyn Mercado film may not be totally out of the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival official entries yet.
In the first round of selection, Coco’s film with Ai-Ai and Jennylyn failed to make the cut for the first four MMFF official entries. The first four were selected based on screenplay merits.
But they are not totally out of the competition as MMFF will still chose another 4 entries to complete the magic 8.
The next four entries will be coming from the finished film categories and will be announced on September 20.
According to the MMFF executive committee, this year’s festival will have one film in each genre.
The first four which made the cut in the screenplay category already come from different genres; (K)Ampon starring Derek Ramsay and Kris Aquino for the horror genre, Miracle in Cell 7 with Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre for family drama; Unstapabol of Vic Sotto and Maine Mendoza for family comedy; and Momaland featuring Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis for the fantasy genre.
When first submitted, Coco Martin’s film was categorized under romantic-comedy that is why it was not chosen as the comedy genre was already given to Unstapabol.
But under the finished film category where the next four entries will be picked, films can change genre to make the cut. It is possible that Coco’s film will be changed to action genre which would give it a fair chance to make the cut if there will be no other action films that will vie for the slot.
Meanwhile aside from from Coco Martin’s film, other movies which failed to secure a slot in the first four of this year’s MMFF are The Heiress starring Maricel Soriano, and It-it of Robin Padilla which were both horror films, Magikland by Direk Peque Gallaga which is fantasy, and drama films Isa Pang Bahaghari starring Nora Aunor, and Mindanaw of Judy Ann Santos.
