Discoveries from Philippines World Cinema

A Mowelfund experimental short film

In 2010, a group of high-school classmates reunite for a swimming trip, not knowing it’s the last one they’ll ever be fully together. A meditation on death and all things dying. A short film commissioned for the US video release of Cleaners.

At their young age, Andre and Eiyang survive the way of life destitution gives them.

Composed of several vignettes that resemble snapshots of urban life; they are juxtaposed with images of love, friendship and everyday life.

Delving into figures like the pseudohistorical Kalantiaw and President Bongbong Marcos, this documentary is a deep exploration of the post-truth era.

A zombie family gets their isolated life disturbed by a human being who attempts to steal their livestock.

"RRRWGHHRW! RRRWGHHRW! RRRWGHHRW!" How far will you go to reach your dreams? Let Eloy tell you how. Eloy Macapagat is a grade school student who dreams of becoming an artist someday. You'll most probably see him acting inside his room with movie posters. So, when given the chance to act in a school play as a carabao, Eloy accepted the role. That's his chance! But how will he become a carabao if he does not know how to act like one? Mang Kiko, a farmer, and Papa P., a carabao, got Eloy's back. Mang Kiko taught Eloy how to act and be like Papa P. Soon, the farmer, the carabao, and the carabao-wannabe eventually grew fond of each other on the mud and green lands. Yet, how far will Eloy really go to reach his dreams? Will he continue to bond with Mang Kiko and Papa P. after his school play? Here, let Eloy tell you—"RRRWGHHRW! RRRWGHHRW! RRRWGHHRW!"

Jane, a student, seems to have everything in front of her: from a table filled with a feast of food to a family that caters her education. However, anything that looks perfect can be as lonely as it is deafening. When her family's dreamy disposition started to deafen and shatter her inner peace with their voices of misery: expectations, pressures and judgements, reality became loud and clear. In the end, she exploded as her cries have muffled and held her voice as a hostage in despair. But a sound of hope may resonate at last.

SB19 WYAT Tour Homecoming Concert Sound Check and Full Concert Araneta Coliseum December 18, 2022 Special Guest: Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Jay Durias

DUNKIN Presents SB19 Live in Araneta Coliseum April 23, 2022

Set in Marinduque in the year 2004, this story is about a lively young girl named Jenna, who longs to play piko (hopscotch) outside. However, her plan gets canceled because of a sudden heavy rainfall.

Migo, a Linguistic student, goes back to his hometown to annotate the language in the area. He finds out that the place was not what it used to be. He traverses around the place and sees fragments of his childhood friend Ami, who speaks a different language. The deeper he goes into the memories of the place, the more something in him echoes why he has returned.

A woman realizes she cannot have children and convinces her maid to have a baby with her husband.

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Ugat, Ang Himig Natin: Legends Of Pinoy Folk Rock

Oppression has unlocked the spirit of courageous resistance – peaceful and armed – in the island of Mindanao. Many indigent communities are no longer waiting on the sidelines for change. Instead, they are starting to demand the rights denied to them for so long.

A creative documentary film about the Agno River communities of Bayambang, Pangasinan.

Forced by his father to become the next folk healer of their town, a boy secretly despises his conventional boring life not until he falls in love with a Tikbalang (A Philippine mythical humanoid creature that has a head and hooves of a horse).

Shot completely online with zero physical contact and zero budget comes a film about three fresh graduates battling for the same job using their distinct personalities, wits, and accomplishments through a video call. When the strict young hiring agent starts questioning the applicants, things get a little out of hand! But in the end, the job goes to the one most deserving. Who will it be?

A short animated film about the struggles and triumphs of a lesbian family as seen through the eyes of a child. It is a reflection of how children are born non-judgmental and how adults, schools, and other institutions are responsible for raising children who are accepting of difference. My Mamily provides a peek into diverse kinds of families and how above everything, love is what makes a family.

A documentary film about a student filmmaker struggling with depression, expressed in the medium she loves the most.

A young writer inflicts harm on herself and others to experience the pain that her story requires.

An examination of gender roles in the Philippines and the lives of macho dancers, bar boys, and their customers.

Lino, a lonely and poor fisherman finds a mysterious package while out in the ocean.

Cris and Nico has just recently celebrated their first year anniversary and Cris has decided to introduce him to his mother who live just outside the city. It's been a year since Cris last visited his mother. He intends to bring along his bestfriend Chamy so that he can slowly hint to his mother that he is gay and that Nico is his partner. Cris thinks that his plan will be perfect. What he does not know is that his mother has discovered that her son is gay and has sought the help of her congregation to exorcise him on the night of his visit. What happens when three gay guys pretend to be straight and when a mother pretends she does not know? "Discreetly" ia a funny rendering of the challenges that every gay man faces not only with coming to terms with himself but with his family coming to terms with his gender.

The film centers on the titular character Salvi, a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world trying to save his older sister, Isabel who had been take away during their younger years.

Lockdowns and quarantines did not deter sixteen filmmakers from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region from chronicling their struggles and triumphs during the pandemic time in the way they know best: through film. ECQ: Eksena Cinema Quarantine (COVID-19 Filmmakers' Diaries), a project under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, National Committee on Cinema (NCCA-NCC), in cooperation with University of St. La Salle Artists' Hub, features sixteen filmmakers namely Adjani Arumpac, Hiyas Baldemor Bagabaldo, Arbi Barbarona, Glenn Barit, Carlo Enciso Catu, Zurich Chan, Arden Rod Condez, Kristian Sendon Cordero, Khavn, Keith Deligero, Kyle Fermindoza, Bagane Fiola, Mark L. Garcia, Julienne Ilagan, Pam Miras, and Guillermo Ocampo.

A documentary on National Artist for Literature Jose Garcia Villa, whose first love was painting and whose sensuous prose got him into trouble as a college student. He would later move to New York City to become a celebrated writer pushing the boundaries of poetry.

upcoming Philippine action drama film.

My Fellow Heroes

A trans girl navigates her daily life raised as a boy struggling to find acceptance within herself.

Lanelle and Jared are best friends who share each other's hopes and aspirations. Jared studies hard to become an engineer, while Lanelle dreams of becoming a famous dancer and auditions for Bituin Entertainment - the talent management company of her celebrity crush, Arjun Singh. Lanelle will be in for a shock when she learns that Arjun gets into trouble with some of his fans, and she will be more surprised when she stumbles upon him in a near car accident, and to top it all, she finds out that Arjun is the cousin of Jared. As Arjun temporarily stays with Jared, Lanelle becomes more excited that she can be closer to Arjun. This bothers Jared who finds it hard to admit he already has feelings for his best friend. Will Arjun complicate things for Lanelle and Jared? Or will he be the one to make them realize that their friendship has blossomed into love?

This film is a reflection of my everyday life—unfiltered, ordinary, yet deeply personal. It captures the small moments that often go unnoticed: quiet mornings, random thoughts, fleeting conversations, and the rhythm of my daily routine.

An alien crashes on Earth and finds himself attending high school facing the wrath of human bullies.

An animated short film by Antoinette Jadaone.

After her husband’s murder, a widow sets out to seek justice on her own, confronting a system that has abandoned the poor.

A young teen, caught between the body she has and the girl she knows herself to be, begins a harrowing transformation as puberty collides with her secret wish to transition.

Elias, a Communication student, tries to uphold his values, but is faced with the reality that the media doesn't necessarily favor the truth at all times.

The film depicts about an unemployed youth having a passion to reach out unprivileged ones. Global employment crisis badly effects our current community. It more affects developing countries because there are less competitive jobs available. As a visionary youth, my concern is not just to present the present employment crisis but the upcoming generations as well. Instead of giving a shot-term solution to the current problem, why not invest in the future? The youth is the future. The beginning of tomorrow starts in each one of us. By giving education to the unprivileged children, little by little, we are giving hope and open a shed of light to give a decent work for youth in the future. The education is the key to rightfully mold each country's development and prosperity.

In the universe. In the world. In the Philippines. In the north. In the island of Luzon. In the Cordillera region. In the province of Benguet. In the city of Baguio. There were cinemas.

In a post-nuclear world, Hank loses his food storage key to a naughty dog named Max. What follows is a chaotic chase filled with missteps, unexpected bonds, and a twist of fate. When Hank finally captures Max, he discovers that Max is the father of his missing puppy named Douglas. Hank must choose between survival and compassion, leading to an ending that’s both heartwarming and hilariously uncertain.

In a small provincial town, four young friends find themselves drawn to a rising movement for change. What begins as a simple act of unity soon grows into something larger—a search for purpose, identity, and truth in a place that has long chosen silence. There is Gabbi, a sharp-tongued, brooding painter whose dark outlook often masks a restless idealism; Jay, a public attorney caught between duty and conviction; Marco, a weary engineer in a corrupt firm struggling to keep his integrity; and withdrawn, brilliant Anna, who quietly anchors them all. As their world begins to shift, they come to realize that activism is not only about standing up—it’s about the quiet endurance that follows, the kind that tests one’s faith in others and in oneself.

The quiet lives of four women of faith living up in the mountains are disrupted and threatened by the arrival of a time travelling ghost who is bringing the world toan end.

A gay Korean-Filipino dancer and his Korean aunt, bound by their patriarch’s dementia, clash over a missing heirloom dagger as they each struggle for acceptance – he in a foreign land; she, within a tradition that denies her.

Sylvia, a poor farmer, is unable to claim the money sent to her because she lacks the required two valid IDS. In her struggle to secure the IDs, Sylvia finds herself in a situation that challenges her character, beliefs, and morality.

Amid West Philippine Sea tensions, this documentary unravels the struggles of Zambales coastal families as fishermen vanish mysteriously, exposing the human cost of maritime conflict through the voices of waiting mothers and those left behind.

A drag performer and a construction worker share a quiet dawn at a waiting shed, where a brief encounter sparks unexpected understanding across gender norms.

A teacher recalls how his teacher during his elementary years greatly influenced and shaped his life. An official entry for Pista Ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2019 by Gawad Urian Winners Angeli Bayani (Best Actress, 2014), Noel Escondo (Best Short, 2016), KL Carpio (Best Short, 2017)

Set against the 1981 Manila Film Center collapse, this reimagined drama follows workers whose stories intersect as they race to meet an impossible deadline-unaware that in 12 hours tragedy will strike.

By keeping divine statues clean and embellished in and outside the church, Camareros are known for upholding their family traditions through their practice of the Catholic faith.

For a day of small decisions, a five-hundred bill is the cost of being forgotten—and of a mother taken for granted.

After spending the night drinking, a woman spirals into drunkenness and grapples with the different colors of warmth and grief.

Small-scale farmers, Jennifer and Jonathan battle the growing challenges of climate change to keep Kapeng Barako alive. With limited resources and little external support, they rely on their ingenuity and perseverance to sustain their farm and preserve a legacy deeply rooted in their culture.