Movies to open Fridays starting July 12

Starting on the second week of July, movies will open on a Friday instead of its current premiere on Wednesdays, with students paying only P200 for movie tickets, instead of the full rate.

“The switching of the theatrical release of local and foreign films nationwide from Wednesday to Friday [is meant] to accommodate more potential moviegoers during the weekend,” the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) explained in a statement on Tuesday.

“There will also be a minimum run of at least seven days for every film booked for theatrical release, as well as a theater assignment guarantee for the first three days to avoid movies from getting pulled out of cinemas,” added the FDCP of Memorandum Circular No. 2019-01, which contains the “Policies and Guidelines on the Theatrical Release of Films in Philippine Cinemas.”

The circular also stated that booked films would be assigned “full screens” for the first three days of their exhibition.

To encourage the youth to watch local films in movie houses, ticket prices for students (18 years and below) will be pegged at P200 in Metro Manila and P150 in provinces every Wednesday.

Holdback period

Meanwhile, films already shown in cinemas should only be screened in other platforms, such as streaming apps or pay-per-view channels, after a holdback period of 150 days starting from its first day of exhibition.

“This is to maximize the movies’ revenue opportunity in local cinemas,” the FDCP explained.