Critically Acclaimed Filipino Films You Can Stream for Free

Every year, the Metro Manila Film Festival or MMFF became a Filipino Christmas tradition (for most places that have movie theaters) from its conception 50 years ago. The film festival’s predecessor traces back to Manila Tagalog Film Festival in 1966, spearheaded by former Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas in attempts to give revival to the struggling Filipino films being dominated by Hollywood films at that time. The film festival was discontinued in 1973 after the imposition of Martial Law on September 21, 1972.

The History of MMFF

On September 21, 1975, the Metro Manila Commission under the leadership of former First Lady Imelda Marcos revived the film festival and renamed it as Metropolitan Film Festival to commemorate the newly-established Metro Manila in time with the third anniversary of Martial Law and in attempts to extend the pro-government Bagong Lipunan (New Society) propaganda to the masses masking as extending support to the local film industry. In 1977, the festival name was changed eventually to Metro Manila Film Festival.

In the film festival’s first year, The film Diligin Mo ng Hamog ang Uhaw na Lupa (Drench the Thirsty Land with Dew) won six major awards, including Best Actor and Dangal ng Bagong Lipunan for Joseph Estrada (who later became the notorious president who was overthrown after Marcos.) Batu-Bato sa Langit (Stones Thrown at the Sky) and Kapitan Kulas (Captain Kulas) came in second and third, respectively. The feature film Araw-Araw, Gabi-Gabi (Day After Day, Night After Night) won one award, Best Actress for Charito Solis. Nora Aunor's submission, NV Productions' Batu-Bato sa Langit (directed by Luciano B. Carlos), took third place for Best Picture. Vilma Santos, however, made a noteworthy performance in Roma Films' Karugtong ang Kahapon (A Sequel to Yesterday).

Film portrays reality. Despite the ill intention of the Marcos regime to use the festival as a propaganda war machine and with the heavy media censorship in place, many filmmakers, screenwriters, and members of the film industry defied the odds and produced politically-charged and socially-relevant films, led by Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Behn Cervantes, Mike de Leon, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Ricky Lee and the like, giving birth and sustained the Second Golden Age of Philippine Cinema. Their films were selected to the MMFF, shown to the general public, stood the test of time and remained relevant as a social commentary to Philippine society, up until this day (ironically, under another Marcos regime 50 years later.)

In this blog, we feature four award-winning and socially-relevant MMFF films that can be accessed on streaming platforms. These films were also digitally restored and remastered by film archiving institutions and initiatives such as the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project, also known as Sagip Pelikula (Film Rescue)

Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976)

Stream with subtitles on YouTube via ABS-CBN Star Cinema’s channel.

A naive peasant boy named Kulas wanders through the Philippine Revolution of 1896-1898 and the Philippine-American War of 1899-1901. The incidents act as triggers for Kulas's discovery of his identity as a Filipino and a man.

The issue of Filipino identity at the time of wars against Spain and America is discussed by the film. In addition to winning the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) awards for Best Actor (Christopher de Leon), Best Supporting Actor (Leopoldo Salcedo), and Best Music, the movie also took home the Gawad Urian for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Production Design. It was selected by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino as one of the Top 10 Films of the 1970s–1979 Decade. The digitally restored version of the movie was screened in a few theaters and on Cinema One in 2014 by the ABS-CBN Archives and Central Digital Lab.

Insiang (1976)

Stream with subtitles at JuanFlix

Insiang is the only child of Tonya, a market vendor who was left by her husband. They reside in a slum shanty with her husband’s parasitic family. After the family members depart, Tonya takes in Dado as a "live-in" companion, a hoodlum who is also attracted to Insiang, which makes Tonya envious. When Dado prevents her boyfriend, Bebot, from seeing her, Insiang becomes even more resentful of Tonya and Dado. A powerful critique of urban poverty and its harsh impact on women, Insiang was the first Philippine film to be featured at Cannes.

Insiang won Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor (Ruel Vernal), Best Supporting Actress (Hilda Koronel), and Best Supporting Actress (Mona Lisa) at the 1976 Metro Manila Film Festival; and Best Supporting Actor at the 1977 Gawad Urian, Best Supporting Actress at the 1977 FAMAS Awards. Insiang gained Brocka prominence in the global film world after the film was screened during the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie was selected as one of the Top 10 Best Movies of the 1970s–1979 Decade by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino. The 68th Cannes Film Festival's Classics section featured the restored version of Insiang in 2015. Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project/The Film Foundation and the Philippine Film Development Council collaborated on the restoration.

Moral (1982)

Stream with subtitles on YouTube via ABS-CBN Star Cinema’s channel.

Moral is one of the few films in local cinema that breaks away from the typical three-act format and instead features a tight cause-and-effect plot. The four women leads are portrayed as genuine persons in the context of 1979-82's social, political, and economic climate. The Filipino woman is portrayed as a creator of her own fate rather than a victim. After Brutal (1980) and preceding Karnal (Of the Flesh) (1983), it is the second of Diaz-Abaya's trilogy of films about women.

Moral was awarded Best Supporting Actor (Juan Rodrigo) and Best Supporting Actress (Sandy Andolong) by the FAMAS. At the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival, it took home the Best Screenplay and the Second Best Picture. In the Gawad Urian, it received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actress (Dexter Doria and Laurice Guillen), and Best Actress (Gina Alajar and Lorna Tolentino). However, the censors prevented the public from seeing about 20 to 30 minutes of the movie. Moral was digitally restored by L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, Italy, as part of the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project in 2017. A few theaters screened the restored version as part of the 2017 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival.

Himala (1982)

Stream with subtitles on YouTube via ABS-CBN Star Cinema’s channel.

Cupang is a deserted village believed to be cursed after the locals shunned a person with leprosy. During an eclipse, Elsa sees the Virgin Mary on a hill and begins performing miracles that temporarily reinvigorate the village. Himala offers a powerful socio-political critique, highlighting the exploitation of faith and vulnerability in marginalized communities. Through Elsa’s miracles, the film exposes the consequences of social neglect, political apathy, and the manipulation of belief for personal gain.

A report of Virgin apparitions on Cabra Island in 1967 served as the inspiration for Ricardo Lee's screenplay. His screenplay took first place in the ECP scriptwriting competition in 1982. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Story, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Actress (Nora Aunor), Best Supporting Actress (Gigi Dueñas), and Best Supporting Actor (Spanky Manikan) were among the awards Himala received at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival. It participated in the Berlin International Film Festival and opened the Manila International Film Festival in 1983. At the 1983 Chicago International Film Festival, it took home the Bronze Hugo Award. Himala's lasting impact also extended to the stage as it had its multiple musical play adaptations from 2003-2019 and had its reimagined musical film entitled Isang Himala, which is also one of the entries of the recent 50th MMFF. 

MMFF Today

After EDSA People Power Uprising, the Metro Manila Commission was replaced by Metro Manila Development Authority, taking over the organizing of the annual film festival. Throughout the years, it has always been a criticism thrown to MMFF that it selects films that are more commercially appealing than the ones that truly reflects the Filipino culture, as it always boasts the gross revenues of the film festival, milking out amusement taxes to the Filipino audience that wants to (or forces them to) entertain themselves with shallow films on Christmas season. The Filipino audiences are better than that and they deserve better.

With the rising popularity of quality films being produced by independent cinema houses, and were later on being selected and recognized by mainstream film festivals such as MMFF, the hope remains and the future remains bright to the Philippine cinema industry, thanks to the trailblazing filmmakers from then and now.