Metro Manila Film Festival opening day (Christmas Day - December 25, 2010)

Every Christmas Day in the Philippines, many Filipino families rush to the malls and go straight to the movie theaters to watch their choices of movies in the annual Metro Manila Film Festival.

For 2 whole weeks, the MMFF provides its participating films and production partners a monopoly of screen time and presence all over the Philippines, which some described as a form of protectionism.

While the MMFF had a history of being a showcase of artistic and entertaining films (many great Filipino directors like Lino Brocka had films that graced the festival), many critics argued that the MMFF lost its artistic value as many producers made films that are entertaining to the masses and at the same time don't showcase any art or bold concepts.

Some even criticized the MMFF as a festival of bad movies that people continue to patronize. And there are those who viewed the MMFF as just another moneymaking opportunity.

Even with the lack of artistic value and new concepts, the MMFF still continues to be patronized by Filipinos of different walks of life.

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  Entertainment