From left: Movie posters of Hold Me Close, The Kingdom and Uninvited.

Filipino movie fans in the UAE can expect a cinematic treat as three official entries to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) are set to hit local theaters in January 2025, Viva Middle East confirmed to Expat Media. The highly anticipated films, Hold Me Close, Uninvited, and The Kingdom, will also premiere in cinemas across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, according to Viva Middle East. The MMFF, which runs annually in the Philippines from December 25 to January 7, is celebrating its golden anniversary this year with the theme “Sinesigla sa Singkwenta” (Vibrancy in 50). This year’s festival is being hailed as a showcase of Filipino cinematic creativity and innovation, featuring ten official entries. Among the three films coming to the UAE, Hold Me Close stars Carlo Aquino and Julia Barretto in a poignant romantic drama. Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana, the story explores an unlikely bond between a free-spirited traveler and a squid vendor with psychic abilities. This marks the second collaboration between Aquino, Barretto, and Laxamana, following their acclaimed film Expensive Candy. The second film, Uninvited, is a psychological thriller featuring an ensemble cast of Philippine cinema veterans Vilma Santos and Aga Muhlach, alongside Nadine Lustre. Directed by Dan Villegas, this high-budget production is already being dubbed as one of the year’s most compelling films. The story centers on Muhlach’s character, a billionaire who escapes justice after committing a gruesome murder, while Santos plays the grieving mother seeking revenge. Lustre rounds out the cast as Muhlach’s daughter. Rounding out the trio is The Kingdom, an action-adventure film set in an alternate history where the Philippines remained unconquered by colonizers. With a star-studded cast that includes Vic Sotto, Piolo Pascual, and Cristine Reyes, the film delves into a royal family’s struggle for succession amidst political intrigue. Sotto plays the monarch, while Pascual and Reyes portray key figures in the kingdom’s unfolding drama. ICA/Expat Media
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