WHY 'UNINVITED' IS A FILM YOU CAN'T IGNORE, ACCORDING TO PRODUCER

FOR THE PRODUCER OF THE METRO MANILA Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 entry "Uninvited," the drama thriller topbilled by Vilma Santos, Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre, is a risky but necessary project for taking on difficult themes rarely addressed in mainstream Philippine cinema.

- By NATHALIE M. TOMADA

From the trailer, viewers are introduced to the characters of Vilma (as Lilia/Eva), Aga (Guilly), and Nadine, who are present at a lavish celebration at an opulent mansion, which spirals into a night of "intrigues, buried secrets, and shocking revelations."

The star-studded cast also includes Tirso Cruz III, Mylene Dizon, Elijah Canlas, Gabby Padilla, RK Bagatsing, Lotlot de Leon, Ketchup Eusebio, Cholo Barretto, Gio Alvarez, and Ron Angeles.

The production and creatives are led by Bryan Diamante of Mentorque (same group behind the 2023 MMFF entry "Mallari") as executive producer and Antoinette Jadaone of Project 8 Projects as producer. Reign de Guzman, Omar Sortijas, and Catsi Catalan are on board as supervising producers, while Irene Villamor is the creative producer. Dan Villegas directs from the screenplay of Dodo Dayao.

"It's overwhelming, but the pressure is on," Diamante said during an interview at the recent grand party-themed launch of the film. "We're just starting, and I'm telling you the nine other (MMFF) entries are really good, too, so we have to up our game. That's why we're also relentless with 'Uninvited,' because a lot of Filipino audiences have to watch this film."

This means they are eyeing both domestic and overseas screenings for the film when the MMFF opens on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

"I'm hoping that we could have simultaneous screenings worldwide on Dec. 25. We're not only targeting the Philippine audiences but also the international audiences," he said.

They are working anew with Warner Bros. as their film distributor.