Rewind artists, production crew commended

Senators adopted a resolution on Monday, February 19, 2024 congratulating and commending the artists and production crew behind the movie "Rewind" on its success as the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time in the recently concluded 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who introduced Senate Resolution No. 909, said Rewind earned a total of P815 million in domestic sales as of January 17, 2024, making it the "country's highest grossing film ever."

"This achievement is a testament to the return of a vibrant and flourishing Philippine film industry - attributed to the hard work and commitment of artists, writers, directors and all members of the production teams," Padilla said in his resolution.

He said recognizing the victory of Rewind as well as the people behind it proves the people's pride and gratitude to those who relentlessly work to contribute to the evolution of the country's cinematic landscape.

Rewind was directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar and starred by real-life couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera-Dantes.

"Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera-Dantes serve as inspiration, not only as artists on screen but also as one of the inspiring couple celebrities championing family values, entrepreneurship and philanthropic deeds to help our fellow countrymen," Padilla added.

The MMFF, an annual film festival organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), aims to promote high-quality and locally-made movies to a wider audience across the country.

For almost five decades after it started in 1975, the MMFF has become the most awaited film festival both for filmmakers and moviegoers every year during the Christmas holiday season.

The film and entertainment industry took a massive blow during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and faced indefinite delays in film production, closure of movie theaters and imposition of social distancing restrictions to the general public.

MMFF organizers said the last year's film festival sought to "bring back moviegoers to cinemas through the outstanding roster of entries and stars in the 10 carefully selected films that made it through the judges' screening process.