'Uninvited,' 'Hold Me Close,' and more included in MMFF's second batch of entries for 2024

The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has revealed this year’s final five feature films.

MMFF announced that the final batch of entries for its golden edition on October 22 at the Podium Hall, Ortigas. The results were also live-streamed on the film festival’s official Facebook page. 

Regal Entertainment’s My Future You was the first film to be announced. It is a romance-comedy film about two people, Karen (Francine Diaz) and Lex (Seth Fedelin), from different timelines who are connected through a dating app. Karen seeks Lex’s help to change her past, which leads to unforeseen consequences for their future. It is directed by Crisanto Aquino.

The next announced film was Uninvited, a thriller film produced by Mentorque Productions. The film follows Eva Candelaria who crashes the birthday party of the man responsible for her daughter’s murder a decade ago, confronting each individual connected to the crime in search of retribution. It boasts a star-studded cast, headlined by big names in the industry such as Nadine Lustre, Aga Muhlach, and the Star For All Seasons, Vilma Santos. 

Also part of the list is horror film Espantaho directed by Chito S. Roño. The film stars Judy Ann Santos and Lorna Tolentino, who play a mother-daughter duo, both entangled with married men and would eventually get caught in a web of dangerous mystery.

Fourth on the roster is Richard V. Somes’ Topakk, an action film starring Arjo Atayde, Julia Montes, and Sid Lucero. The film follows Miguel, a war veteran suffering from PTSD who takes on a new role as a security guard. He encounters a girl whom he must protect from a corrupt police force. Topakk has been previously screened at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 and premiered at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland in August 2023. 

The final movie announced is Viva Films’ Hold Me Close, which stars Julia Barretto and Carlo Aquino. It tells the story of a wanderer who arrives in a Japanese town and encounters a girl who can sense through touch if a person will bring happiness or harm to her life. It is directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. 

Here is the full list of entries:

• And the Breadwinner Is… (dir. Jun Robles Lana) 
• Strange Frequencies: Haunted Hospital (dir. Kerwin Go) 
• Green Bones (dir. Zig Dulay) 
• Himala, Isang Musikal (dir. Jose Lorenzo Diokno) 
• The Kingdom (dir. Michael Tuviera, DGPI) 
• My Future You (dir. Crisanto Aquino)
• Uninvited (dir. Dan Villegas)
• Espantaho (dir. Chito S. Roño)
• Topakk (dir. Richard V. Somes)
• Hold Me Close (dir. Jason Paul Laxamana)