By Celene Sakurako

Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has gone through its fair share of controversy this year, from getting heat for discontinuing to accepting commercial films to three of their executive committee members: Rolando Tolentino, Ricky Lee, and Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala resigning, but they’re not letting it get the best of them. They’re still pushing through with the festival for its 43rd edition. Hosted by Muntinlupa City, the festival will kick off from Dec. 25, with its awards night will be held on Dec. 27.

Here are the eight films you can catch:

Ang Panday

Coco Martin is the protagonist of this fantasy action film by director Rodel Nacianceno based on Carlo J. Caparas’ Ang Panday.

Deadma Walking

Two friends fake a death after finding out that one of them has been diagnosed with cancer in this dramedy by director Julius Alfonso.

Gandarapido: The Revenger Squad

Vice Ganda comes back to MMFF with Daniel Padilla and Pia Wurtzback in this lighthearted superhero film by director Joyce Bernal.

Siargao

Director Paul Soriano depicts a complicated love triangle among friends in this film starring Jasmin Curtis-Smith as a surfer.

All of You

In this love story by director Dan Villegas, two individuals with strong opposing views on love and marriage: Gab and Gabby, fall in love with each other.

Haunted Forest

While her father is away, Nica, her cousin, and her friends goes out on a haunted trip that they are to regret in this horror flick by director Ian Loreños,

Meant to Beh

Gabbi Garcia joins Vic Sotto and Dawn Zulueta in this family comedy by director Chris Martinez, where unwillingly married couple Ron and Andrea have to work their quirks out.

Ang Larawan

Film and theater director Loy Arcenas took local classic musical based on Nick Jaoquin’s A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino: Larawan, and made it into a film.

Photo from Deadma Walking/Julius Alfonso