51st MMFF box office slips, high ticket prices cited as factor

From surprise ranking changes to ticket price backlash: what’s hurting MMFF 2025

The 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is facing a disappointing box-office run, with overall grosses falling below last year’s levels despite noticeable shifts in film rankings driven by awards recognition and word of mouth.

“Bagsak talaga in terms of gross. It did not perform well compared to last year,” said a ranking MMFF official, who requested anonymity, adding that while some films have gained momentum in recent weeks, total earnings remain underwhelming.

As of December 31, industry figures circulating showed “Call Me Mother” leading the festival with ₱186.3 million, followed by “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins” at ₱56.5 million. “Bar Boys: After School (₱25.8 million), and “Unmarry” (₱25.6 million) were nearly tied in the middle of the rankings, with only a slim difference in gross.

However, the MMFF official confirmed that rankings have shifted since early January, largely due to audience response and the awards results announced on December 19.

“There has been significant movement in the rankings since January. “Unmarry” is now at No. 3 and “Bar Boys” at No. 4 because of word of mouth for “Unmarry” and the awards results,” the source said, while declining to disclose the exact gap in their updated grosses.

The official stressed that the rankings widely circulating online are “more or less correct, but only as of December 31,” noting that MMFF box-office figures continue to evolve and are not officially released on a daily basis.

High ticket prices, even distribution cited

Beyond rankings, the MMFF source pointed to ticket prices as a major factor discouraging moviegoers, especially during a season traditionally expected to draw family audiences.

“The high price of tickets really affected attendance,” the official said, noting that while some cinemas sell tickets for around ₱350, others offer premiere screenings priced as high as ₱600, often bundled with freebies such as popcorn and bottled water.

The issue has prompted calls for the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) to explain pricing policies. CEAP is the official organization representing cinema owners and operators nationwide and serves as an industry body that coordinates with stakeholders, sets operational standards, and advocates for theater operators, particularly during periods of industry-wide challenges.

The MMFF official also highlighted a key difference from last year’s festival: earnings this year are more evenly distributed among the eight entries, rather than concentrated in one or two blockbusters.

“Last year, ‘Himala,’ which was reportedly the lowest-grossing film, earned less than the current lowest-ranked entry this year,” the source said. “Rekonek,” currently at the bottom of the rankings, has reportedly earned around ₱4 million.

Why even top-grossers are still losing money

Despite leading the box office, *Call Me Mother* has yet to reach profitability—an issue that extends across the entire MMFF lineup.

Industry estimates indicate that a film typically needs to earn “at least three times its total production, marketing, and distribution cost” to break even. Gross ticket sales are first reduced by entertainment tax, value-added tax (VAT), and withholding tax. The remaining amount is then split evenly between cinemas and producers, with an additional distribution commission of around 5 percent deducted.

“For example, if a film has a combined production and promotional budget of ₱50 million, it needs to earn roughly ₱150 million just to break even,” according to a film producer, who also requested not to be identified. 

Using the same formula, “Call Me Mother,” which reportedly had a production and promotion cost ranging from ₱80 million to ₱100 million, would need to gross between ₱240 million and ₱300 million to turn a profit.

“Even *Call Me Mother* is still at a loss, based on basic math,” the producer said. While ranking shifts suggest sustained interest in select titles, festival insiders caution that recovering losses remains a steep climb, particularly amid rising ticket prices and changing viewing habits.

 

 

Awards buzz and word of mouth reshuffled the MMFF rankings, but box-office numbers tell a sobering story.

 

 

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