Vice Ganda makes her official comeback for the 50th anniversary of the Metro Manila Film Festival with her latest comedy film, “And The Breadwinner Is…,” unveiled as one of the first five official entries at the Grand Launch held at Bulwagang Villegas, Manila City Hall on July 16.

The other entries include “Green Bones”, “Strange Frequencies: Haunted Hospital”, “Himala, Isang Musical”, and “The Kingdom”. A total of 10 films will be shown in this year’s annual film festival.

MMFF’s exciting announcement follows less than a month after Vice began filming this groundbreaking project with critically acclaimed director Jun Robles Lana, as announced by Star Cinema and The IdeaFirst Company on June 27. Vice previously gushed that working with Direk Jun is a dream come true for her.

Written by Daisy Cayanan and Jumbo Albano, “And The Breadwinner Is…” tells the story of Bambi Salvador (Vice), a breadwinner caught up in a case of mistaken identity that could be the solution to her family’s financial woes.

The film also stars Gina Pareño, Eugene Domingo, Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, Jhong Hilario, Gladys Reyes, Kokoy de Santos, and Via Antonio.

What can audiences expect from this Vice Ganda film? During the New Movie Alert in April, Vice hinted at a shift towards more drama compared to her usual comedic style.

“First time na malaki ‘yung part ng drama dun sa film,” Vice shared. “Kasi usually comedy talaga s’ya. Parang 98% comedy, tapos ‘yung drama, may isang scene lang. Kasi gusto ko talaga the entire experience is just fun ‘pag pelikula ko ‘yung pinapanood. Pero kino-consider din namin ‘yung mga reaksyon ng mga tao. Ang mga hinahanap nila, ang mga dinedemand nila.”

She added, “Tsaka dati kasi ayoko ng maraming drama kasi feeling ko hindi ko ‘yun strength. Pero the team has been convincing me, ‘No, it’s your strength.’”

“And The Breadwinner Is…” marks Vice’s 8th official entry to the MMFF, following her successful films like “Sisterakas” (2012), “Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy” (2013), “The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin” (2014), “Beauty and the Bestie” (2015), “Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad” (2017), “Fantastica” (2018), “The Mall, The Merrier” (2019), and “Partners in Crime” (2022).

With five more films yet to be announced in the lineup, MMFF’s golden year is shaping up to be one of the most exciting editions in recent history!