Discoveries from Philippines World Cinema

Director: Ruben S. Abalos Starring: Sabrina M., Roy Rodrigo, Alma Soriano, Aila Marie, Hazel Espinosa, Pocholo Montes

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Despite the unfamiliarity, comfort stood between the two students as they embark on a journey at the first day of school.

When a closeted all-boys highschool student grabs an opportunity to express his effeminate side, how do his friends react when they see him being this way for the first time?

An unfaithful wife makes a true confession of her transgressions.

Alyas Pusa: Ang Taong May 13 Buhay is a 1988 Filipino action film directed by Pablo Santiago and starring Ramon Revilla, Alona Alegre, Angela Perez, Paquito Diaz, and Fred Moro. It employs Revilla's usual formula of having his character own a protective amulet in battle.

Kahit harangan ng bala: Directed by Joey Del Rosario. With Romnick Sarmenta, Sunshine Cruz, Tirso Cruz III, Jorge Estregan.

Love and Desire: Directed by Barry Chu. With Ana Capri, Teresa Mak, Katrina Paula, Michael Tse.

Resbak, babalikan kita: Directed by Augusto Salvador. With Phillip Salvador, Jestoni Alarcon, Charlene Gonzales, Stella Ruiz.

The local culture of Baguio is exposed to Manila residents.

A 2018 Filipino short film by Brian Reyes.

A story about a father and his son’s journey with death and the struggles of letting go on both sides.

In an era where people seated in the government had taken control over technology to protect their own interest and reputation, Karma lost the most important files that could have served her justice. Since then, she had one goal in mind. To restore the missing files and expose her predator.

With days left before the Election, a first-time voter struggles to choose the candidate he'll vote, while keeping up with the discourse around it.

Jim, a visually impaired guy from Ozamis goes to Manila and meets Estelle, who stays beside his isolation room in a quarantine facility. Having only each other’s company, their conversations become deeper and deeper until Jim finds himself in love with Estelle. The day that their quarantine ends, Estelle reveals her true identity to Jim, who knew all along that she was homosexual.

A collective reflection following the members of the Optodev Inc. Workers Union, tracing the story of the union's beginnings all the way to the present day COVID crisis. The documentary brings to focus what is essential to keep a country running in times of crisis. While the pandemic turned the spotlight on essential and frontline workers, what was essential to the workers of Optodev was their union.

The pandemic has clearly transformed life, culture, and art. Mobility restrictions create both alienation and entanglement. What opportunities and barriers does the virtual space produce? How is the creation redefined? This experimental essay film explores the notion of liminality as a phase artists on standby are caught in the betwixt and between during the pandemic.

Ji, a nine-year-old girl, is pressured to participate in her classmate's cheating practices at school. When her brother finds out about it, she gets to learn the value of integrity and true act of kindness. This learning comes with an unforgettable event not only for Ji but also for everyone in her town.

A decade has passed since Esela and Luna started quarantining in their home. The Philippines is almost desolate, a post apocalyptic world where diseases have become treatment-resistant, vaccines have failed, and the masses have been wiped out. Luna longs to go outside, but Esela reminds her that that is no longer possible. One step outside would mean death.

A story about Tanzan a wild man who was sought out by a hunter, the hunter then finds out about both granddaughters being alive and well but both living in the jungle.

Three siblings from Cebu journey the bustling Metro Manila in pursuit of their careers and/or passion.

Leaving her family behind, Lynn traverses the harrowing roads of the Cordilleran highlands to try her luck in the city as a country singer.

Circumcision is an important part of the culture of most Filipinos. It is practiced for a variety of reasons or beliefs, be it religion or health. Circumcision is one of the most important events after the holy day, every year in Sitio Igbarawan. This is the opportunity that young people (and a few adults) look forward to but miss but it is also a big step so that they can be called fully young. Kadoy, 9, has no idea that he will be circumcised this year. Fear still prevailed over him but one incident embarrassed and lowered his self -esteem. This is what pushed him to face this great test of his manhood. Will he be able to withstand this test? Will he be able to regain his low self -esteem and that of the girl he loves?

Bayani S. Makapili is an ordinary guy who is a big fan of action movies, especially the ones starring Bida, the #1 action hero in the land. One fateful day, Bayani’s life imitates that of his idol, but with different results. The audience is presented with five-and-a-half different endings.

Proudly from Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, Iyallatiw is a documentary featuring an old oral tradition on prayers for the dead. It pictures an almost dying tradition and the struggles of the manglualos in passing it to the future generation.

In this adaption of the 22th chapter of Jose Rizal's iconic novel Noli Me Tángere, the town of San Diego prepares for a feast. News spread fast that Maria Clara will grace the celebration with her presence, prompting the townsfolk to be excited to catch a glimpse of the beautiful young maiden.

Ruejan, a grade schooler with a fascination for celestial bodies, dislikes modular learning. His older sister, a restaurant cashier, grounds his ambitious dreams to the realities of education being a requirement for a bright future.

Reyboy's world is the sparkling ocean, the hidden treasures on the long coast, the taste of honey rice. The filmmaker accompanies the Filipino boy in his fishing village by the sea as his life is about to change forever.

Titus Justin Vinluan and Heltogen Desamparado were two bestfriends who wants to wander. One day, withouth their parents' permission, they wander to a strange place where they encounter a colorful blob. They were both curious of what that colorful blob was.Titus without hesitations touched it and Heltogen follows. Soon after, that colorful blob, without knowing, that it causes an animalistic instincts and ranging anger, went all over their body.

Desperate enough to find financial assistance for his weak and ill grandmother, a young boy goes against the odds to support her. In the midst of this struggle the boy unconsciously descends into a world full of hypocrisy and corruption.

In a remote area, there is this one poor boy who at a very young age spends his whole day at the shore to fish. He was taught of nothing, other than fishing. This is the life he is expected to do being a member of his family. But counter to the family's belief about education, he himself knows that they need proper education to have a good and stable life. Until such time, a teacher came to do volunteer teaching in their place. But even when opportunity comes his way, he still can't leave his responsibility to his family. Yet, this poor boy can't give up his dreams that easy. So, he chooses to work for his family's day-to-day survival and at the same time, trying to live his life out of illiteracy. For this little poor boy believes that despite poverty, he can still be the man of his dreams.

The Probe Team traces the roots of two Muslim youths who are currently studying in the U.S.: Khalid Dimaporo and Romina Bernardo. More than another war story, this is a tale of two individuals who are out to discover what it means to be a Muslim of their generation. Both come from prominent political clans in Mindanao, but consider themselves “modern Muslims,” having been raised and exposed to different cultures in other countries.

Tupada '92 is a coverage of the 1992 Philippine national elections that juxtaposes the hysteria of the campaign season with the precarious state of 31 million Filipino voters. Unsure of what the future holds, the documentary inserts a seer’s ominous visions, including the return to power of the Marcoses.

Ang Joker at ang Pistolero is a 1998 Tagalog-language Action Western film featuring Chuck Perez, Daniel Pasia, Mike Gayoso, Michelle Ortega, Melissa Mendez, Jude Estrada and Ace Vergel.

Chasing Fireflies focuses on the narratives of young female children who were victimized by human trafficking and their eventual captivity to child prostitution.

A young man keeps on coming back and searching for his loved-one at the place where they last met.

Slay features the story of Floyd Scott Tiogangco, a homosexual trans-androgynous gender-queer Filipino performance artist. He is often judged and denied entry to public vehicles and establishments just because of his unique sense of style. This documentary explores how gender expression is also grounds for discrimination in the Philippines, and how the idea of sexual orientation often comes with a boxed expectation of how a person’s gender expression should be.

A war-torn grandmother, Lola Mame conceals her past from her tenacious and curious grandson Sen. He is persistent in uncovering his grandmother's past. He is motivated not only by academic recquirement but also his longing to puzzle a part of his identity. However, for Lola Mame, there is no secret kept forever. The past is a continuing present.

Maya, a farmer, fights against the prejudice of being a woman in a rural area.

A twenty-six year old Tessa secretly enters the monkey business of drug trade as a courier to meet her and her brother Alfred’s needs for survival. She receives a text message to deliver an unusually heavy package to an unknown receiver and soon faces the comeuppance of her actions.

A resolute man unapologetically abandons his first-born, believing that it was the right thing to do. Many years later, an inquisitive documentary filmmaker interrogates him.

The filmmaker talking to over 13 years of home videos in an imagined conversation with her daughter's younger years. The filmmaker's failed coming out when her child was only 3 years old inspired the initial concept for this experimental documentary.

Desperate to pass his final plate on time, architecture student Franco seeks the help of his classmate Seth, who, despite his reputation for being a weirdo, always gets the highest grade in class. Seth agrees to help him in one condition: Franco has to come along with him on a night out–which includes smoking weed and getting high. Reluctant at first, Franco ends up enjoying the night with Seth—until a woman gets shot in front of them.

A troubled young cop spends a night alone in his home, unaware of the presence of an unexpected guest.

Bruno, a little person, earns a living by working in a dingy restaurant. Unsatisfied with his work, salary and treatment, he joins an underground fight club to earn his way to the prize money and in the hopes of reaching his aspirations.

Sammy, 9 years old, embraces one day’s adventures with his father who makes most of the day hustling money. Father and son forge a deeper more meaningful bond when an encounter forces them to face the truth.

"Manong ng Pa-­Aling", directly translated as "Man of Pa-­Aling", is the incredible story of man's natural relationship with the ocean. And amidst physical frailty, and of his age, Manong decides what he will do next after retiring from his only known profession, to be a fisherman.

A documentary on Mei Bastes.

A story of a woman miner from the mountains of Benguet, who struggles to balance life as a miner and a single parent. “Butas” takes you to a journey in the life of a mother who struggles to make ends meet but is hopeful to provide a better life for her son. Due to poverty, she is forced to work in a foreign country but comes back to the Philippines after her husband dies from a mining accident.

Official entry to the first Metro Manila Film Festival in 1979 directed by Dr. Antonio C. Martinez and starred Roel Vergel de Dios, Veronica Jones, Allan Valenzuela, Anita Linda, Ruben Rustia, Renato Del Prado, and Joe Garcia.

“Tutob” is a short film that tells of a motorcycle-riding Maranao who arrives in the city to pick up a package from his boss’s contact. The city is on alert because of recent bombings in the region and the Maranao, speaking of course in Maranao, tells the soldiers at a checkpoint that he does not know what the package contains. The film’s theme begins to unravel when the Bisayan-speaking soldiers order him to open the package.

A video poetry by Sonny Lim Jr.

A young woman grasps at the memories her mother left - leading to a vicious cycle of remembering, of forgetting, of mourning. This is a story of a daughter's grief and her struggle to preserve happy memories and un-remember painful ones.

Drama about a deaf father