Excitement has started to build up across the capital as the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), in cooperation with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), kicked off a series of dynamic initiatives on Thursday, September 19, to mark its 50th anniversary, set to culminate on Christmas Day. Celebrating five decades of Filipino cinematic excellence, the rollout of MMFF's "Sinesigla sa Singkwenta" activities was held at the MMDA Auditorium, where MMDA Chairman and lawyer Don Artes, Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, Inc. (Mowelfund) Chairman and veteran actress Boots Anson-Rodrigo, and National Artist for Film Ricky Lee, among other government officials and industry leaders, introduced the thoughtfully curated projects to commemorate the festival's rich history while signaling a promising future for Philippine cinema. Two key initiatives immediately stood out from the Sinesigla lineup during the event. The first was the formalization of the MMFF's partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), whose members have generously accommodated the MMDA's request to reduce festival movie ticket prices to just P50 in honor of the milestone anniversary. As part of the initiative, 50 iconic MMFF films from the past five decades, spanning genres such as drama, comedy, action, and fantasy, will be shown in selected cinemas nationwide from September 25 to October 15. "We are so grateful to CEAP for agreeing to do this because, much as we hope this initiative will pave the way toward lowering current cinema ticket prices in the long run, it goes without saying that selling tickets for P50 for this limited re-run will hardly cover their overhead expenses for electricity, payroll, and other operational costs," Chairman Artes noted at the media briefing. "What this is, is truly CEAP's gesture of solidarity in our celebration." Some of the chosen films, such as "Insiang," "Jose Rizal," and "Ang Panday," have undergone restoration and remastering for an enhanced viewing experience, while others will be shown in their original state, evoking nostalgia for the golden years of cinema. National Artist for Film and Broadcast Ricky Lee, MMDA Chairman and lawyer Don Artes and Mowelfund Chairman and veteran actress Boots Anson-Rodrigo The second major highlight of Thursday's event was the unveiling of a colorful mural created in partnership with iAcademy. A striking visual tribute to MMFF's legacy, it is located at the corner of Edsa-Orense and is already visible to motorists. Although 80 percent unfinished, the painted mural is a collage of the most legendary stars who have graced the MMFF in the last five decades. Prominently featured on this long and wide canvas are the late Kings of Philippine Movies and Philippine Comedy, Fernando Poe Jr. and Dolphy, respectively; action star and former President Joseph Estrada (whose film "Diligan Mo ng Hamog ang Uhaw na Lupa" was the very first Best Picture winner of the MMFF); the country's three most awarded actresses on record, Vilma Santos, Nora Aunor and Maricel Soriano; the late actor-director Eddie Garcia; the revered Philippine movie queen Gloria Diaz; two of the industry's most prominent leading men, Christopher de Leon and Cesar Montano; the perennial box office MMFF stars of the last two to three decades, veteran comedian Vic Sotto and Vice Ganda; and two unfinished figures at the rightmost side of the mural whose initial brush strokes seem to resemble the faces of MMFF 2023's box office record breakers, Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, who starred in P902 million-grosser Rewind. The mural is just one of the many hand-painted posters still being completed from the many milestones of the 50 years of the festival. Once finished, they will be set for display along the stretch of Edsa as a vibrant and nostalgic tribute to Filipino film. Particularly excited about this creative endeavor, Tita Boots shared this bit of trivia: "My father, Oscar Moreno, was an actor when movie posters were still hand-painted this way. Believe it or not, one of the artists who would make them was none other than Botong Francisco, who, as we all know, eventually became a Philippine master and National Artist for Visual Arts." "Imagine if only I had known back then what I know now, I would have collected the sketches just lying around and made a fortune, right? But of course, what did I know as a little girl at the time," she recalled laughing. Chairman Artes, for his part, said of the mural project, "We will make Edsa nostalgic through murals of hand-painted movie posters to celebrate the rich history of MMFF, and I eagerly invite the public to watch out for the biggest mural which will span the stretch of Edsa from Buendia to Ayala." Incidentally, the collaboration builds on a previous partnership between MMDA, iAcademy, and Boysen paints, which focused on mural painting with themes centered on road safety, aligning with the traffic agency's advocacy. The previous endeavor and this follow up also meaningfully demonstrate the power of creative collaboration in shaping the urban environment. To cap the launch, Chairman Artes, Tita Boots, and Sir Ricky led the members of the media and other guests to the site of the first mural and conducted a ceremonial "first brush stroke" unveiling, with the MMDA chief finally saying, "As we celebrate 50 years of the MMFF, we are not only looking back at our rich history but also charting the course for the future of Philippine cinema. Sinesigla sa Singkwenta represents our commitment to revitalizing and honoring our cinematic heritage while uniting the film industry in its pursuit of creative excellence. This is a moment for us all to come together and celebrate the enduring spirit of Filipino filmmaking." PHOTO1: 414237 PHOTO2: 414239 PHOTO3: 414238