The movie in my mind

In a rare gesture from the highest office of the land, this year's Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) got a big endorsement.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

No less than President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (PBBM) invited Filipino moviegoers to watch and patronize the 10 entries competing for the awards at the 50th MMFF. The Chief Executive took this initiative as he greeted MMFF on its 50th year of holding its annual festival to mark every Christmas celebration in the country's capital region.

In a video message, PBBM asked moviegoers to bring with them their families and friends when they go to theaters to watch MMFF entries. "This Christmas, the stories of our race will again take the spotlight. This is because of the special celebration of the 50th year of the Metro Manila Film Festival, which has become part of our life and culture as Filipinos," the Chief Executive cited.

The President's personally promoting MMFF movies came as his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, embraced Philippine movies as part of her patronage of Filipino film arts. "Let us support the stories of the Filipinos," PBBM urged. For the next two weeks, only MMFF movies will be shown in all Metro Manila theaters.

This brings to mind the proposal raised during our Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Dec. 18 when flamboyant lawyer cum movie producer Ferdinand Topacio echoed the wish that the MMFF movie entries could be shown longer than two weeks to help the moribund Philippine movie industry.