AS EXPECTED, the float of the romantic comedy “My Bebe Love” drew a mob of giddy fans, most of them wildly waving banners and holding aloft glossy magazines with the phenomenally popular “AlDub” couple—Kapuso talents Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza—on the cover.
Doing the AlDub signature pabebe (cute) wave as if on autopilot, many of the fans screamed their heads off in a desperate attempt to have Richards and Mendoza look their way.
But if the fans circling the love team were composed mostly of women and children, the men were not too far either.
A couple of meters away, male fans scaled road barriers and hoisted camera phones, all the while bellowing “I love you!” at Japanese actress and former adult video star Maria Ozawa, who was atop the float of the movie “Nilalang.”
Welcome to this year’s edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), which was heralded by the customary Parade of Stars Wednesday. This year’s 41st MMFF was expected to draw a massive number of spectators to the streets for a chance to get closer to today’s most bankable stars and love teams on top of their movies’ gaily decked floats.
True enough, as early as 11 a.m., two hours before the parade’s scheduled start, throngs had already gathered on Edsa Extension, Diokno Boulevard and Coral Way, and areas near SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, where the floats were parked and given finishing touches.
The eight floats made for very visible advertisements for the Filipino films that would be shown in theaters from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2016: “All You Need is Pag-ibig,” “Beauty and the Bestie,” “Buy Now, Die Later,” “Haunted Mansion,” “#WalangForever,” “Nilalang,” “My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore” and “Honor Thy Father.”
Ignoring the scorching heat, the fans—some of whom brought with them their toddlers and infants—camped out on surrounding sidewalks. Some hopped from one float to another taking selfies, while others secured a bird’s eye view on the overpass nearby.
Third-tier cast
Waiting for the parade to start, some of the stars willingly gave press interviews, including Richards, who had been part of previous MMFF entries, but only as—in his own words—a “third-tier” cast member. This time, he shares top-billing with Vic Sotto, Ai-Ai de las Alas and Mendoza.
Just as excited “to give joy” to fans was multiawarded actor-director Cesar Montano, who was marking his return to the festival with the action-thriller movie “Nilalang.”
Gracing the movie’s float which was decked out like a mobile bar on an 18-wheeler truck, was Montano’s leading lady, Ozawa. “I heard that it’s going to be a long drive, so I’m wearing flats!” said the Japanese-Canadian actress who was marking her debut in a local movie.
NOT A ‘PABEBE’ WAVE Maine Mendoza, aka “Yaya Dub” of the popular love team “AlDub,” deviates from the trademark “pabebe” (cute) wave that she and costar Alden Richards (right) have become known for, as she acknowledges the cheers from fans during the Parade of the Stars motorcade on Roxas Boulevard on Wednesday. RICHARD A. REYES
Some 90 minutes after the scheduled 1 p.m. start, the motorcade began to inch forward, the fans punctuating their welcome with earsplitting shrieks and enthusiastic waves, as their favorite stars waved back and tossed movie posters, candies and shirts to the excited revelers.
The float of the romantic drama #WalangForever was a simple one, with only posters of its lead stars Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales as trimmings. The two, who were both dressed casually, still looked every inch like movie stars.
For the horror flick, “Haunted Mansion,” the float carried a scaled-down version of an ancient-looking house, its red roof strewn with tree branches from which dangled several human skulls. The movie’s cast was led by rising young stars Janella Salvador, Marlo Mortel and Jerome Ponce.
Probably the most intriguing float was that of the movie “Honor Thy Father.” Fashioned after a mining site, the float had other elements that hinted of the movie’s plot, including colorful windows installed at the back, and a carved face on the front whose eyes and mouth were plastered with money. The movie stars John Lloyd Cruz.
Far more cheerful and straightforward was the yellow and blue float of “My Bebe Love,” which was covered with red hearts, roses and ribbons. Joining the AlDub couple on it were perennial MMFF stars Sotto and De las Alas.
Wired welcome
The cast of the comedy film “Beauty and the Bestie” received a similarly wired welcome, thanks to the combined star power of its cast: real life best friends Vice Ganda and Coco Martin, and young actors James Reid and Nadine Lustre, whose “JaDine” love team commands a huge following.
With the weather being quite unpredictable the past couple of days, young star Janine Gutierrez of the comedy-horror film “Buy Now, Die Later,” said she planned to bring sunscreen lotion and umbrella just for good measure.
President Aquino’s sister Kris was as visible in a brightly colored float with big photo cutouts of the cast of “All You Need is Pag-ibig”—the popular love teams of Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, and Jodi Sta. Maria and Ian Veneracion. Despite doctors advising the controversial TV host-actress against staying under the sun for too long, Kris said she felt compelled to go, as attending the parade was a “requirement.”