The 3rd Annual MIFF Movie Screening in Hollywood Takes off
HOLLYWOOD, California — The Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026 has officially started the screening of the films lined up for this year's movie fete.
The festival which ran from September 3-6, 2026 kicked off with the press conference held at Screen #1 of TCL Chinese Theater, Sept.3 followed by a cocktail reception before the official screening of the first movie highlight of the festival "Manila's Finest", directed by award-winning director cinematographer Raymond Red and screenplay written by Michiko Yamamoto, Moira Lang, and Sherad Anthony Sanchez and produced by Cignal TV, MQuest Ventures and Spring Films.
This crime thriller film set during the first quarter storm in the 1970s was released theatrically on December 25, 2025, as part of the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival and is currently being shown at Netflix.
Shortly after the screening of the "Manila's Finest, MIFF also shown Filipino-American Community Shorts: "Jamie & Lina Write the Greatest Song Ever", "In the Morning Sun," Naughty Maids", You Could've Been A Nurse" and "Silim".
MIFF's film screenings will be carried out till Saturday September 5. This year's festival showcases prominent features, world premieres, and short films, including: Bench: Body of Work – Directed by Tom Lowry, a documentary capturing the return of the iconic Filipino fashion brand's runway presentation; "East of Western" – directed by Francis dela Torre and starring Dante Basco, a feature set in Los Angeles and Historic Filipinotown; 58th – An Oscar-shortlisted GMA Pictures documentary fresh off its international festival run; and Forgotten Island – a highly anticipated animated headline presentation.
The festival culminates on September 6, 2026 with a closing night awards gala at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills where Lea Salonga who will be the first Filipina to be awarded with a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, will be receiving the MIFF Icon Award.
Salonga will have the Hollywood Walk of Fame open-to-the-public ceremony today (September 4, 2026, 11:30am to 12:30 pm) in front of Hollywood Pantages Theater. After this ceremony, MIFF will host a luncheon reception for Salonga. After which, Salonga's Sana Maulit Muli and Vale-Origins movies will be shown at TCL Chinese Theater #1. This will be followed by special screening of "Forgotten Island" from 6pm-8pm. By 9pm, MIFF will have a Filipino Cinema History Block for "Veterano" and Eddie Romero Remastered: "A Century of Filipino Cinema".
Aside from the Broadway and Disney legend, other honorees at the MIFF Gala are: Nora Aunor & Pilita Corrales: the late Philippine cultural icons are being posthumously honored with the MIFF Lifetime Achievement Award which will be received by their grand daughter actress Janine Guiterrez; Joel Crawford & Januel P. Mercado, the creative team behind DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island will receive the MIFF Trailblazer Award; and the Briones Family: Jon Jon, Megan, Isa, and Teo Briones who will receive the inaugural Generations Award for their multi-generational contributions to stage and screen.
Now in its third year, MIFF, a premier Los Angeles-based film event, has committed to continue bringing Filipino filmmakers, artists and industry leaders to Hollywood through film screenings, industry panels, and a Closing Night Awards Gala, connecting Philippine storytelling with global audiences.
