Discoveries from Philippines World Cinema

Hoping to make a video diary about dreams, a student filmmaker films conversations and reflections he has with his friends and family.

A 15-minute mockumentary about a Muslim terrorist group about to behead two Korean tourists, a cult leader and a sex tourist.

A man who inherits the mask of lone range Leon Guerrero teams up with a childhood friend and fend off a treasure seekers that kidnap their loved ones.

Uno returns to his hometown after a year in Manila for his brother’s college graduation and his mother’s return from working abroad. His excitement then turns into worry as he arrives home to an unexpected problem—a neglected home.

The debut short film by Dan Villegas.

How far will light travel in a tunnel of darkness? Where does one find themselves when confronted with their own imperfections, flaws, and shortcomings? They find themselves within the balance of light and dark—a space only a few discover. A space filled with nothing but Chiaroscuro.

A mother prepares her child before she abandons her. Because today, on the night of the full moon, she will become a monster.

In a small town, a painter's art comes to life as he paints idyllic dogs that loll inside the old church merged with an old woman's folk piety. His young daughter witnesses all this as she walks in faith.

After being released from the hospital, James, a successful engineer, prepares dinner for his parents' visitation at his apartment. He is cooking pasta with red sauce and Dinuguan. His parents arrive at his apartment. At dinner, he gave his parents a medical certificate and revealed his HIV positive status.

Drigo, in his late 20’s, experiences the impact of deforestation on his family.

Manila, 1970s. Four friends are drinking in the middle of the night. Two soldiers visit them.

An hour before new year comes, a family’s year-ender celebration gets disrupted by an unexpected, tragic incident.

The thief with a heart of gold battles a Nazi cult in the Philippines

A girl grew up alone in a secluded island, ostracized by the people for being born out of wed lock. A young Hawaii-based Filipino-speaking tourist came and brought her to Hawaii where she learns an unexpected truth about her past.

Official entry to the first Metro Manila Film Festival in 1980 directed by Augusto Buenaventura and starred Christopher De Leon, Bembol Roco, Chanda Romero, Cherie Gil, Suzette Ranillo, and Michael de Mesa.

Ulian centers on young Dayang and her Grandmother in their journey of self-discoveries in unexpected circumstances. Together they explore each other's consciousness to realize the most important thing about growing old and growing up.

This darkly lyrical prayer for forgiveness is the first Filipino short film to win the Best Independent Film Award from the Regions from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. An associative sequence of cemetery and religious motifs, based on a dark and shadowy contrast of light and shadow, follows the specter of a woman confessing her sins at her own grave.

When a local alt-rock band performs at a gig, one wrong act of the lead singer puts his reputation at risk and his life ahead

A high school campus journalist navigates his now strained relationship with his best friend after the unauthorized publication of his disapproved article.

"Gulong" is a poignant story depicting the conflicts and trials faced by impoverished individuals. It highlights the reality that those at society's lower levels encounter severe hardships, where the constant drive to survive impedes genuine communication. Like the relentless turning of a jeepney’s wheel, the narrative mirrors the challenging cycle of life, underscoring the phrase "Mahirap maging mahirap." Yet, amid all this, there is still hope that the opportunity to rise and fulfill one’s dreams will one day arrive.

"Alteraksyon: Sa Likod ng Lente," plunges sharply into the most pressing issues on sex and reproductive health in the Philippines today: declining sex education, stigma enveloping the alter community, and the alarming surge of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Through a compelling narrative, the documentary reveals the harsh realities experienced by alter members and exposes the misconceptions surrounding STDs, particularly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in a society rooted in conservative ideals.

Filipino horror film.

After the death of her mother, a vlogger struggles to find the light in her life until she meets a boy who makes her happier.

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A spoiled man gets punished by his father and gets disinherited, so he learns the value of hard work and money.

A small family living in the Sitio of Tamburong was in total misery.Jacob grew up witnessing and hearing every fight and arguments of his parents. Despite these circumstances, Jacob's Mother, Lani pretends to be fine in front of her son. With her strong love and devotion to the Patron Saint, San Vicente Ferrer of Vito , Lani was still able to smile.

An experimental comedy short from the Philippines.

A thesis short film by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta.

When an ancestral tradition heavily depends on a primary person, preservation becomes both an act of love and a quiet burden, left with uncertainty of the future.

Ang Bahagharing Uhaw Sa Ulan is all about a father and son relationship/tandem who have a strong bond and as time goes by Jayson noticed something unusual from his father and he started to keep distance from his father.

Built in the 1930s and after surviving World War II, Vision Theater was once Colon Street’s cinema hub in Cebu City. Now a shadow of its past, it has found a new purpose in the 21st century. But what lurks in the new vision of this historic neoclassical landmark today?

Upon learning about the song 'Pamulinawen' through his friend who is a member of the drum and lyre corps. Keiden convinces his mother to allow him to join as a lyrist. Until he abandons it.

A visually impaired husband navigates life through his glasses and unwavering devotion to his wife.

In Quezon province, experiences of different human rights violations have acquainted the activists with the plight of the masses resulting from the government’s incompetence. Consequently, narratives of persistence abound from the masses that are rooted in the most painful conditions in the communities amid the administrations of Rodrigo Duterte and Bongbong Marcos.

Pusanggala, a teen with the likeness of a stray cat, ventures off into the city with her distant brother to find a place for themselves long after their parent's separation— yet faced with the barricades of endless construction, she is forced to confront the memory of the places she once called home.

A father visits the former tomb of his departed son in a historical cemetery in Tayabas, Quezon. At the heat of his hopelessness, he recalls his personal history through the neglect and decay the Cementerio Para Los Indios is afflicted with. Memories of his own and the cemetery’s are conjured as he crosses the Paalam Mahal Ko road that leads to the chapel at the foot of Mount Banahaw.

The 300,000 residents of EMBO were just numbers on paper but behind the data are real people, families, and lives caught in a political war between two cities. Their voices were left unheard as the transition unfolded.

What starts as a familiar roleplay between a Filipina and her American client mutates into something unsettlingly real.

Three friends are forced to organize their late friend’s necrological service after something unexpected happens to his dead body. In the process, a wound from the past will be opened for one of them.

"Tay Emil, an old padyak driver struggling to renew his franchise, forms an unlikely bond with a young sampaguita vendor, but encounters an incident that will send his wheels tripping."

In the rural village of Ing’d, under the harsh sun and parched land of Mindanao, the story of Urak, a determined young boy, unfolds. Born into a family whose survival hinges on the labor-intensive practice of copra-burning and charcoal-making, Urak dreams beyond the smoke-filled skies of his village. Though his parents expect him to follow in their footsteps, Urak clings to his worn books, hoping to one day break the cycle and earn an education.

A shapeshifting praying mantis preys on vehement men. One fateful night, she finds her first female victim.

a short film by Marco Leanardo Cusi

A Palawan myth. Suring invokes the spell of Parimanis, a spell of absolute beauty, and befriends a Kuk-ok, a creature whose fingers are stuck together and can transform into any form, including Suring's.

There is a haunting voice in an old house. The voice comes from the interstices, in the gaps, where only here can the moan and tenderness be breathed. Encased in a visual poetry is the monologue of a transgender person—in its purest sense, always mediating normative understandings of what is "female" and "male"—for herself, her limót lover, and to those that bite the groin and skin, or it can also be the expression of doubts, and transitive decisions of a body that always intervenes.

A 3-minute surreal film about self-awareness and knowing our true selves that we bury every day as we grow.

A group of students from San Buenavista High School goes on a trip. En route to their destination, an unexpected vehicular trouble transpires, transforming their excursion into a struggle for survival. Trapped in the wilderness, they find themselves uncovering secrets from the past.

Due to the government's continued implementation of modern jeepney transportation, many drivers may be affected in their livelihood, including Manong Liberato Calote Jr. who has been servicing for eleven years. What will they do if their path ends up in the same place they were crying?

In a peaceful seaside town, a family of four living along the shorelines suffers the devastating consequences of a nearby factory’s actions. This factory, notorious for emitting toxic chemicals, continuously leaks waste into the sea, polluting the waters and putting the lives of the local community at risk. The film follows the pain and suffering endured by the family’s mother as she reflects on the past, struggles in the present, and longs for a future where her family is still alive.

Their latest mission could be their last. Six soldiers- five men and one woman- are trained in special tactics to fight without fear in important operations. The group is called the SUICIDE FORCE. Capt. Samson (EDDIE GARCIA) heads the group. He treats his men not only as his buddies, but as members of his family. One of the group's deadliest assignments is a kidnap-rescue. They are called by Gen. Cruz (LITO LEGASPI) to rescue his daughter Sheila (Maricar De Mesa) from the terrorist master Abdul Malic (DENNIS ROLDAN), who runs an international kidnap-for-ransom group that targets diplomats. The group bravely accepts the assignment, but they are plagued with doubts. Will they survive the operation and live to see their loved ones again? A story of bravery, love, and sacrifice, Terrorist Hunter is a timely, gripping action spectacle with enough surprises and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat well into the night.

A family drama about a 12-year-old boy chasing a 50-peso bill leaving friends and moments in his pursuit

It's always calmest in the eye of the storm. Anna had always lived a quiet and secluded life, oblivious of the many things that make the world turn. Left to choose between the comfort of familiarity and the bitterness of the truth, she gets thrown to a rude awakening.

The backwash from the government’s incompetence reverberates intimidations, oppression, and injustices. At a time like this when social conditions and political upheaval favor the Kaliwa Dam Project at the expense of the rights of our Indigenous Peoples from Quezon province, narratives of resistance become deafening enough to challenge the status quo.

Do you know the face in your mirror?

A Mowelfund experimental short film

In this Filipino adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Princess and the Pea," a hopeless romantic falls for an innkeeper looking for his own twisted fairytale ending.