After a new variant of COVID-19, which originated in the UK, emerged in certain areas of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR),, officials across the region have decided for imposing once more the status of General Community Quarantine (GCQ) to stifle the ongoing surge in cases.

Consequently, on January 31, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong released Executive Order (EO) 10. This EO, which is otherwise known as "An Executive Order Prescribing General Guidelines for the City of Baguio while it is Under General Community Quarantine," states that Baguio will remain under the status of GCQ for the entirety of the month of February.

In line, then, with instructions from the Baguio LGU, the core team of the Montañosa Film Festival (MFF) has decided to move the festival proper to March 20 to 28, 2021. With the additional time this provides, those behind the festival will ensure that extra precautionary measures will be undertaken in order to provide the experience that its viewers, partners, and employees expect and deserve to have in a safe environment.

Members of the MFF core team and secretariat also met with the manager of Loakan Airport, along with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in Baguio, to coordinate ideal conditions for the use of Loakan Airport as one of the festival's main venues for film screenings.

During this time, the MFF has also been adopted as a project by both the Baguio Tourism Council (BTC) and the Council for Baguio Creative City (CBCC), placing them among the festival's lead partners, along with the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Promotions Board, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

With the endorsement of the local government of Baguio Creative City through Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the MFF is organized by TWIMEDIA under the helm of Festival Director Ferdinand John Balanag, a multi-awarded film and theatre director.

The international film component of the festival is fueled by the support of various embassies, including those of France, the Czech Republic, and India.

The MFF's main beneficiary is GoodACTS (Artists, Craftspeople, and Tourism Support), a community initiative of mutual support among the city's artists amid the pandemic.

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