The annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2020 features short stories by promising student-filmmakers from all over the country.
Several entries were supposed part of the initial 2020 Summer MMFF Student Short Film Competition, which was postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The tilt, along with other activities, has been moved to be part of the annual MMFF Christmas tradition.
This year’s edition is held online through Filipino streaming service Upstream.
AaBaKaDa; Sala, Salin-Laway; Sina Alexa, Xander at Ang Universe, and Paano Maging Babae come from Digital Filmmaking (DFilm) sophomores from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts.
AaBaKaDa by Tyrone James Luanzon explores the imminent possibilities brought by the influx of foreigners in the country. The comedic Sala, Salin-Laway by Daniella Verzosa brings the viewers inside the Filipino household wherein the Miss Universe mania unites not just the family, but the whole barangay in one living room.
Sina Alexa, Xander, at ang Universe by Vahn Leinard Pascual reminds the spectators to enjoy the simple wonders of life through a play of pageantry among siblings, while Paano Maging Babae by Gian Arre seeks to answer the titular question when one woman decides to speak up against social injustices brought about by misogyny.
Included in the line-up are Balik-Bayan from the University of Makati, Kyokok (Nilingaw) from the Western Mindanao State University, and Lipstick and Paraisong Parisukat from the Philippine High School for Art.
Rounding out the selections are Laruang Baril from the Far Eastern University and Garbo from the University of Southeastern Philippines.
The flicks exhibit Filipino culture and tradition in each home and likewise tackle the current social and political conditions in the country.
Together with this year’s full-length films, the students’ shorts are available worldwide starting today and may be viewed on the video-on-demand platform Upstream PH through this link: https://upstream.ph/mmff/.