Festival passes and Closing Night Awards Gala tickets are now on sale for the third annual Manila International Film Festival, which returns to the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood Sept. 3-5, followed by a closing gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Sept. 6.
The Los Angeles-based festival, launched in 2024, focuses on bridging Hollywood and the Philippines by showcasing Filipino filmmakers and promoting Philippine cinema on the global stage.
This year’s festival will include film screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and networking events at the TCL Chinese Theatre. The full film lineup is scheduled to be announced Tuesday, July 21, when individual screening tickets also go on sale. Festival organizers said additional programming details and honorees will be released in the weeks leading up to the event.
Broadway and Disney performer Lea Salonga will receive the Icon Award during the Closing Night Awards Gala. Salonga, a Tony and Olivier Award-winning actress and singer, has also been nominated by the festival for a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and is set to be inducted later this year in the live theater category, becoming the first Filipina to receive that honor.
Festival passes, regularly priced at $200 plus fees, are being offered at a limited 2-for-1 promotional rate through Sunday, July 12. The passes cover access to all film screenings and industry panels at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Organizers said the passes do not include the festival press conference or the Closing Night Awards Gala, which require separate tickets.
Early bird tickets for the Closing Night Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton are available through July 31. Individual gala tickets are priced at $250 plus fees, and group table packages are also on sale. The gala will include the presentation of awards to filmmakers and performers, as well as the Icon Award for Salonga.
Now in its third year, the Manila International Film Festival has screened more than 20 films since its founding and has recognized artists including Boots Anson Roa, Dingdong Dantes, Piolo Pascual, Tia Carrere and Vilma Santos through its awards competition and closing gala honors. The festival was recently cited with five Telly Awards, earning Silver awards for directing, diversity, equity and inclusion, and live events and experiences, and Bronze awards for culture and lifestyle and television series and segments.
Festival passes and gala tickets are available through the event’s official website, ManilaInternationalFilmFest.com. Organizers said updates on programming and honorees will be posted on the site and on the festival’s social media accounts at @manilaintlfilmfest.
MIFF was also among the TOFA100 Most Influential Filipinos honorees last year in Las Vegas, recognized for its role in elevating Philippine cinema and Filipino creatives on the global stage.
