Discoveries from Philippines World Cinema

A story about an assistant of an attorney who goes to the province to help with a land title problem and encounters a gang looking for a hidden treasure.

Batas ko ang uusig: Directed by Jett C. Espiritu. With Jestoni Alarcon, Rita Magdalena, Ramon Christopher, Jeffrey Santos.

Hindi mapigil ang init: Directed by Angelito J. De Guzman. With Albert Eugenio, Joy Sumilang, Lampel Cojuangco, Mark Joseph.

A collage film that finds its meaning from interspersing Lenten rites footage with random images using an optical printer.

It’s Sophie’s first night out as a woman, and it’s also a night of self realization for this different kind of Cinderella.

Set in Mindanao, young Faisal, after both his parents were killed due to a ransom kidnapping, carries a bag filled with dollars and attempts to elude soldiers with his 2 new companions Amrayda and Fatima who are also in need of safety as violence and turmoil escalates in their parea.

Living with his deaf mother and father, a ten-year-old boy discovers a new meaning of love amidst the silence of their home.

A short thesis film by Jillian Santiago.

Set in a tropical island village where everyday life is interwoven with the sea. A story of hardworking, small-scale fisherfolks and their families - among the Philippines' most vulnerable sectors navigating the 'waves of life.' This film supports the national call for assertive governance in managing and protecting the country's fishing grounds and marine resources.

Using a mini spy camera, a young Filipina filmmaker collects archived videos and photos of her memories with her loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is inspired by the 2019 book written by Chris Helzer entitled A Field Guide to Roadside Wildflowers at Full Speed.

An experimental film about a rambutan realizing its own power

Mahalin Mo Ang Asawa Ko: Directed by Mauro Gia Samonte. With Gabby Concepcion, Janice de Belen, Paola Salonga, Sylvia Sanchez.

“Nagmamahal, Sal” is a straightforward short film about two people whose marriage, no matter how mundane and taxing it gets, becomes a testament that unconditional love has not ceased yet to exist.

In the southern Philippine city of Cebu, a troubled detective struggles to solve a series of grisly killings, while a deep conspiracy works to keep the truth just out of his reach.

Essay film about rice farming and Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

Divina is preparing for her daughter Rowena's 13th birthday when she hears shocking news: her daughter has been attacked by a crocodile, her body still missing. As Divina searches for the body of her daughter in the marshlands of Agusan del Sur, she learns a lesson more tragic than her fate: not all predators are underwater. The film is based on actual events.

Rey played a super hero character called 'Milkyboy' in a milk commercial as a child in the 1980s. Fast forward 25 years: he's now working in a declining company with no bright future — nor love life — to speak of. He also can't seem to break free from the stigma of being a former child star. Can Rey overcome his inner demons and prove his worth to everyone, including himself?

The narrator talks about leaving Manila to escape the pandemic, but she realizes that she cannot really get away from it. A person talks about being inside a quarantine facility after testing positive. Another person shares her fear of getting pregnant due to the lack of proper healthcare. The narrator goes back to Manila, only to realize that her fears will always follow her but she can do something about it.

Joey, a resident of a Manila slum, is a GI baby. He doesn't know his American father. His mother, an ex-prostitute in Olongapo City, is forcing the 17-year-old boy to capitalize on his good looks and bluntly tells him to marry a rich girl so that both mother and son will have a comfortable life, an idea he detests and becomes the object of conflict between them.

A young woman finds herself in a strange inescapable room as she seeks refuge when chaos erupts in the streets.

Anthony Alonzo and Vivian Velez in an explosive, sizzling action-packed true-to-life movie! See the story behind the Jones Bridge Massacre. Who really killed Efren "Boy" Amores?

Trouble begins one night when a mysterious, masked man intrudes into a room as Josefina and her male customer are in the thick of their passion.

A woman, torn between two lovers for a sweetheart who fought for his country and her brother who betrayed it.

Over the course of one night, Juanita, a teacher battling depression teams up with her delinquent student to retrieve something important for her. Will they find solace in each other?

Mother Mameng delves deep into the character of a woman who has experienced extreme poverty and domestic violence and rose from from it all to become the beloved personality, well-known to the Philippine mass movement.

Jazz in Love tells the story of Jazz, a young man from Davao whose dream wedding is within reach: his boyfriend of 11 months has proposed. Because no law allows him to get married in the Philippines, he must fly to Germany, his boyfriend's home country, and tie the knot there. One of the things that stand in his way is his inability to speak Deutsch, and to address that he must temporarily relocate to Manila for language lessons. Meanwhile, his parents remain completely unaware of the radical changes that his life is about to undergo.

For everyone, the night is silent because it is simply silent. But for Damon, the night is instead silenced because there are other things that want to be loud.

A story about a fangirl and a movie star.

There can be glimpses of what feels rewarding. A recognition that something feels right, finally, brings this reward. When a body looks around a space and notices all the wrong things about it, in its rigidness and straight lines, a body starts to desire.

The Pinoy vampire - a bloodthirsty Aswang - stalks the streets of Quezon City in search of fresh victims while attempting to stay one step ahead of a dangerous human predator. Gruesome and grisly murders are our entry point into the psyche of the Aswang of Quezon City. More a meditation on the workings of a disturbed mind than a detective thriller, it nonetheless shows us a cat and mouse mind game. We watch and squirm in terror as the Pinoy vampire strikes again and again.

In an anthropomorphic world, herb seller Silbi is a Philippine eagle who buries her trauma under a layer of cheerfulness. However when past scars come back to haunt her, Silbi can no longer hide from it. As she falls into a downward spiral of conflicting emotions, her mental stability slowly deteriorates. When Silbi encounters a Philippine long-tailed macaque and his daughter, all her intense emotions reach a point where she becomes the scars she hides from.

This is a short documentary that unveils the lives and journeys of three exceptional drag queens within the city of Bacolod.

Being raised by two lesbian parents, an eight-year-old is curious to discover how she was conceived.

SPO4 Santiago: Sharpshooter is a 1996 Filipino biographical action film directed by Pepe Marcos. The film stars Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. in the title role. The film is based on the life of Jaime Santiago, a former police officer who is currently a presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court in Manila.

Light piercing through the sky is the common symbolism of hope for most of us, but not for Erika and her grandmother. The idea of the sun getting swallowed by darkness signals the arrival of the ultimate necessity of life—water.

At a crucial time in their lives, two strangers share their dilemmas with one another.

Is there anything scarier than love? This is a unique story of love, acceptance and liberation. Your vision of love will change.

Amidst a world in flames, a disillusioned workaholic returns to their childhood home in an attempt to escape from their apocalyptic day job.

Based on the citizens who formed a vigilante group Alsa Malsa, which was created to fight the New People's Army and their insurgency.

Greg, a disciplined and well-prepared man in his early 30s, reunites with his high school buddies Jonnie and Ric after a chaotic day. While reminiscing about their past, they decide to embark on a new adventure: attending a big gaming event in Singapore. Amidst their excitement, a surprising revelation changes the course of Greg's life, bringing new meaning to their reunion.

“School Year 2007” draws inspiration from New Hope Club’s single “Just Don’t Know It Yet”. The short film was produced by Manila-based production house Projects 8 Projects, led by upcoming director Geo Lomuntad. Renowned for their acting in local productions, Filipino darlings JC Alcantara and Kaoiri Oinuma capture the nuances of puppy love and lost love and the bittersweet essence it brings.

A youthful posse settle for drug trafficking in order to aid a friend dealing with financial stress.

Pilya · Director. Neal 'Buboy' Tan · Writer. Neal 'Buboy' Tan(story and screenplay) · Stars · Rita Magdalena · Erwin Montes · Robert Martin.

Arjan is awakened by a mysterious voice and he finds himself alone on a small planet called Planet I. He explores the little planet for 40 days.

Herbert Bautista portrays the komik character of an under-estimated, bucktoothed provincial who, along with Johnny (in a dual role), pursues a journey of basketball, horses and magic.

With his love for music, an old man at Recto Avenue in Manila continues to sell physical CDs and DVDs in the age of digital streaming. As he keeps his passion alive, he also keeps physical media an art form and a culture worth-preserving.

Dolphy is a kind man who recycles bottles and newspapers for a living. But his kindness send him to prison when he helps a young lady get the right treatment at the hospital.

Judith's pregnancy progresses faster than normal, but the real horror begins when she realizes she's carrying something far beyond her control.

A story about a farm girl, folk magic, injustice, and an uprising.

Film: American Beginnings of Philippine Cinema is the second episode in Deocampo's evolving saga of the country's history of Philippine cinema. Based on his recent book, Film: American Influences on Philippine Cinema, this 3D-animated documentary ventures from Escolta through Avenida as we discover how film came to be in the Philippines.

This Bed I Made presents the bed as a place of solace and agency beyond just a site of illness or isolation. Through the shared stories of two Filipino men living with HIV, the video explores modes of care, restoration, and abundance in the midst of pandemic pervasion.

A Filipino adaptation of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.

A peasant leader, buried alive and believed to be dead, comes back as a scythe-carrying ghost terrifying the landlord and his henchmen.

After accidentally allowing their son to go on an out of the country trip with his girlfriend, two young and conservative parents compose their sanity knowing that their drunk son is forcec to sleep in a single bed.

Two senior high students, Bryce and Anika, are caught in an intimate moment at school and find themselves in an awkward, embarrassing situation.