Christmas isn’t just the time for reunions, delicious food, and beautiful light installations. On the same day, the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) begins. For 44 years, Filipino families go to malls all over the metro to indulge in Pinoy humor, romcoms, and eerie tales. The festival features eight locally produced movies, and one of them is sure to fit your holiday movie mood:

Much needed laugh-out-loud session

Jack Em Popoy: The Puliscredibles

You’re probably thinking, “Is this another Enteng Kabisote film?”—the answer is, it isn’t! Though it does star Vic Sotto alongside with Maine Mendoza and Coco Martin—who all play police officers out to bring down a syndicate. Directed by Mike Tuviera, this action-comedy film aims to give Filipinos a good laugh with its (overused) witty punchlines and comedic cast.

Watch the official trailer here:

https://youtu.be/AJrp6aziOg4

Fantastica: The Princesses, The Prince and the Perya

MMFF isn’t complete without a Vice Ganda comedy film. While his humor may not be for everyone, it is undeniable that a lot of Filipinos do enjoy his jokes. This year, together with Dingdong Dantes and Richard Gutierrez, Vice Ganda stars in the colorful comedy film “Fantastica: The Princesses, The Prince, and the Perya.” The film follows the story of Belat (Vice Ganda) and her adventure in rebuilding her family’s carnival by saving it from bankruptcy.

Watch the official trailer here:

Looking for suspense

Aurora

Following her promising performance from “Buy Bust,” Anne Curtis stars in a suspense thriller film directed by Yam Laranas. “Aurora” tells the story of Leana and her sister who pledged to search for the dead bodies of a sunken ship. As the truth slowly unravels itself, the lost souls of Aurora find their way back to shore.

Note: This is not for the faint of heart!

Watch the official trailer here:

https://youtu.be/u5tlmpF_Fco

Otlum

A group of friends decide to stay overnight at an abandoned orphanage seeking for adventure. Hoping for a night of fun, they instead uncover the horrors of the orphanage and gets haunted by the ghosts inhabiting it. This Christmas, get the chills from this horror flick directed by Joven M. Tan, which stars Jerome Ponce, Ricci Rivero, and Kiray Celis.

Watch the official trailer here:

For the hopeless romantics

One Great Love

When Zyra (Kim Chiu) decides to give her relationship with Carl (JC de Vera) another try, she immediately doubts her decision. She gets more confused when she begins to develop feelings for his best friend, Ian (Dennis Trillo). Will she choose to continue rebuilding her relationship with Carl or take the risk with Ian? Directed by Eric Quizon, “One Great Love” explores the meaning of relationships through the challenges that comes with it.

Watch the official trailer here:

The Girl in the Orange Dress

Waking up after a wild night out and remembering the events through your hangover might be the worst—well, too bad for Anne (Jessy Mendiola). This romantic comedy tells the story of Anne, who wakes up after a party and finds herself in bed next to a celebrity heartthrob, Rye (Jericho Rosales). Making the situation even worse, she does not remember anything the night before! As she and Rye unfold on what happened, along the way they develop feelings for each other.

Watch the official trailer here:

Films for the family guy

Mary Marry Me

What if you happen to hear that your ex is getting married? Even worse, what if he is marrying your sister? Real-life sisters Toni and Alex Gonzaga stars in an RC Delos Reyes film, “Mary Marry Me” which revolves around the tested relationship of sisters Mary Jane (Toni Gonzaga) and Mary Anne (Alex Gonzaga). Pete (Sam Milby), who also happens to be Mary Jane’s ex-boyfriend, is about to marry her sister, Mary Anne. Will their relationship go down in flames or will they surpass this impossibly awkward situation?

Watch the official trailer here:

Rainbow’s Sunset

A film by Joel Lamangan, “Rainbow’s Sunset” tells the story of Ramon (Eddie Garcia) as he reveals his true sexuality to his family. In their late age, he decides to confess his hidden feelings for his dying friend, Fredo (Tony Mabesa). “Rainbow’s Sunset,” starred by some of the country’s most veteran actors, is a film that explores the importance of family, love, and acceptance.

Watch the official trailer here: