City releases activities for 2026 Montañosa Film Festival

The local government recently released the schedule of activities for next year’s Montañosa film festival following the declaration of the whole month of March for the month-long events.

Under Executive Order No. 169, series of 2025 signed by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, the competition selection and membership and submission of entries for the film festival will come to a close in January while the event coordination, promotion and marketing is already ongoing.

The online announcement of finalists for the festival will be in January while the programming of exhibition films is set for February next year.

The festival proper will fire off with SineMusiKain with local and international film screenings on March 7 and will end on April 15, 2026 at the Melvin Jones grandstand while the media launch of the festival will be held on March 14, 2026 at SM City Baguio.

There will also be a MFF campus caravan on March 16-20, 2026 in the various schools and universities around the city while the festival opening night is slated on March 24, 2026 at SM City Baguio.

The international film screening launch or the Sine Ibayo launch is set on March 25, 2026 at the Garden Wing of John Hay hotels while the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) film talks and film workshops and camp will be held on March 26-29, 2026.

Further, the Sine Ibayo international film screenings are slated on March 26-27, 2026 while the Diplomat horror film screenings dubbed as Peli-Gulat is set on March 27-28, 2026.

The MFF open air cinema or drive-in cinema will be held on March 27-29, 2026 at the Loakan airport or at the Baguio Athletic Bowl while the competition film screenings and film talk back will also be held on the same dates at the SM City Baguio Cinema or Rose Garden.

The picnic and filmmakers dialogue is scheduled on March 29, 2026 at the Grand Sierra Pines Hotel while the filmmakers’ forum will also be held on the same day and in the same venue.

The closing and awarding ceremony will be held on March 29, 2026 at the Baguio Country Club while the Baguio Folk Music Festival is scheduled on April 5, 2026. – Dexter A. See