Discoveries from Philippines World Cinema

An influencer tries to escape her failed nature vlogging adventure after her hiking trip gets disrupted by a witch scare.

In the middle of a pandemic, four students try to get to their online class… Until one of them receives a very strange text message.

THIS IS A SEX-DRAMA FROM THE DIRECTOR WHO STARTED THE "WET LOOK".

Two friends, Princess and Kulas, set out to find the missing stars of the magical wish-granting jackstone.

Newly crowned Miss KNL, Nadine, unexpectedly reunited with her younger brother at a convenience store, after she ran away from home. She walks her brother home, only to find out it is the last time.

A little girl dreams of seeing her father until she finds his image in a painting.

After a tragedy falls onto a local slipper factory, a beautician rescues a factory worker who managed to escape the fire. As they heal each other’s wounds from past and present, they ponder on their own prisons of closets – the worker in the inhumane factory and the beautician in their own conservative Catholic home. The two end up with a unified solution... BURN THE CLOSET!

A Journal Entry by T.

Tired of her sad and bland reality, Yume ran away from home and stumbled upon a dark eerie forest where she met a fox wisp that led her to her wishful dreams.

My Right To Kill: Captain Guti

Barrio lass (Nora) falls in love with a rich guy (Tirso). He married her despite the objection of his Mom (Rosa Mia). He died & his twin brother presented Nora as a caregiver to take care of his mother. Secret was revealed & after some dramatic fireworks, Guy & Pip had a happy ending.

An unnamed student poet reflects on his life at the onset of the pandemic. Losing the will to continue studying, he is brought back to his childhood to fully understand his enduring love for writing.

As more and more elderly become sick in the pandemic as a result of the virus, they resort to prayer as a means of healing.

A documentary about pandan weaving.

Nate suffers greatly as he gets blinded by his own reality.

A young fisherman struggling to accept a traumatic past finds comfort in his dreams.

Living in flood-prone Marikina City, a young filmmaker sifts through smudged memories taken over the past 12 years to cope with the repetitive cycle of typhoon onslaughts and evacuations. Through mythology, literature, and autobiography, this creative documentary narrates a reflexive inquiry of resilience and accountability, while attempting to salvage what was lost to water and time.

Things that seem so insignificant hold more secrets. During an ordinary day, two people dining suddenly open up about their deepest and darkest desire, with only the chairs, plates, and tables as silent witnesses.

Asher is seen being mauled by his straight boyfriend and is forced to do things against Asher's will. How could he survive a miserable life?

Upon returning from a simple grocery run, a young man is in for a surprise when he finds out his supposedly empty home is not as vacant as he thought.

When Miguel found an unfamiliar rock, everyone in the river including his father becomes aggressive as everyone is trying to get a piece of what they believe is gold rock.

In this collaborative film, documentary filmmakers and photographers from around the world reflect on the mass movements and protests during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this intimate film, the filmmaker reflects on his fears and struggles to reveal his identity to his father through a narration of their memories together.

A young girl accidentally discovers photos of his father's old life. Upon the discovery the father narrates to his daughter about their old life on the farm and how modernization is currently changing and affecting them.

A young Bisaya farmer girl needs to keep her family together despite the sudden disappearance of her father. She ventures to the mountains to find her father and reunite her family, but by some unforeseen circumstances, she instead stumbles into an enchanted dimension of Engkantos called "Biringan". There she is tempted to leave her burdens and instead live a life of wealth and abundance in Biringan city, but there is one condition; That she eats the black rice which the mysterious elves served her.

Under a snowy hill, ants mine magical green rocks for food. One ant earned a chance for a promotion, but his jealous best friend has other ideas.

In the kingdom of Moniyan, there was a time when it was a great empire. However, a terrible curse called the "Curse of Neveren" was cast upon them, ensuring that war would never end in their land. Before the empire started to decline, Emperor Gatotcaka came up with a plan for the future, which spanned 20 years before his death. This plan involved recruiting two highly knowledgeable scholars, a powerful assassin, and a kind-hearted elf. He believed that these individuals held the key to restoring the empire to its former greatness and prosperity.

Woof is a stray dog who hopes of finding a friend who would accept him. One night, he meets Oovi, a tiny alien explorer with a mission to collect samples on Earth. Woof and Oovi both became acquainted with each other, and they worked together to complete the mission. When Oovi is about to leave, a child takes his spaceship mistaking it for a toy, leaving Oovi stranded. Woof then decides to help his new friend pursue the child to get back the ship. They were then able to catch up to the child and was able to convince him to return the ship. Oovi takes off, leaving Woof behind with the child who recognizes his loyalty as a friend.

A doll's journey in the digital world to find the solution to remove the huge scar on its face and be beautiful like the people online. There it will encounter obstacles such as unrealistic beauty standards and most of all itself.

Along the street lives an elderly toymaker who makes a living by peddling action figures he created from recycled Tsinelas (Filipino for rubber flip-flops). Outside his shanty, a homeless boy hangs around; his innocent desire to experience how it is to play with toys tempts him to break into the dwelling.

A look into the story of a company that forwards the impact of new technologies and innovative solutions, driven by empathy and sensitivity to help in the upliftment of the Filipinos' lives.

An ode to the multiplicity, mutability, and expansion of what constitutes a body and a self, through imaging and technological mediations.

As Apollo struggles to live up to the expectations of his family, he falls in love with Luis. Where could his love for Luis take him?

A documentation of a cloning experiment. Shot on Super 8mm.

Celebrating his Christmas Eve alone in his house. The Man takes his late dinner and things goes upside down when he discovers a presence inside the house.

An exploration of the Catholic Church and 400 years of colonialism in the Pacific region is woven in a montage of images, sounds, stories and performances. Inspired by Lucy Reyes, a woman who has been re-enacting the Crucifixion for 16 years by being nailed to across. The video looks at the implications of worship, national, cultural, and personal identity.

Teng and Mai seek temporary refuge inside a shelter for pregnant women and girls. Mai, unlike Teng, is not a first time mother. She went to Manila to work as housekeeper after her passport was faked by the agency that’s supposed to help her get a job abroad. On the other hand, Teng left Negros Occidental without her father’s consent. Her eagerness to provide for her family was driven by her mother who abandoned them. Their personal dilemma led them to a shelter where they receive proper care as they prepare for motherhood. Now that their stay has come to an end, they are bound to make the hardest decisions of their lives not just as daughters to their parents but as mothers to their babies.

Dik Trofeo made Borobodur: The Cosmic Mountain in 1972 about the greatest Buddhist monument in the world. With the support of UNESCO, Trofeo records a historical moment of the temples being restored to their mystic glory in Borobodur.

This is a story of a young woman named Layka who enters the life of being a helper to her own aunt, alongside her younger sister, in order to pay the debt of her sick father. Layka experiences cruelty and oppression in the hands of her aunt. Her life is covered with darkness and sadness, until one day her world is shaken with a shocking revelation, twisting the life of the young woman. This film reminds us that life is full of twists and turns, including moments of darkness that will make us feel lost, but there is hope that gives light to each new day, revealing the face of forgiveness, and leading us to the path of a new beginning.

Professor Genove gave instructions to her students to look for a story relevant to their topic about the societal issue "kapit sa patalim". As a group of students went to the library, Celine , bumped into a book entitled "Bread and Blood by Troxie Torres". The story unfolds as she reads the story about a poor couple, Nitoy and Verna, whose son Tonton was diagnosed to have an Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Due to poverty, they have nothing to sustain their financial needs. This couple was then approached by a friend named Mando who introduced them to a job that will put their lives on the line. This film is inspired by the original film written and directed by Troxie Torres "Pan ug Dugo" (2016).

Brothers Omar and Jepoy wait for the next rain to pick mushrooms to sell, test the magic of a song Jepoy learned from school, and prove a legend Omar heard.

A seven-year-old boy gets more than what he has bargained for when he picks up a filthy yellow ball in the creek.

The story of Bertoldo ug Balodoy is about the romance and hilarious adventures of love-sick Filipino Siamese twins, Bertoldo (played by Ben Abeda) and Balodoy (Piux Kabahar) who do a lot of tricks at the expense of Cupid and put an end to their adventures and misadventures by marrying two pretty sister-heiresses, Bining and Daringding. This is the first Cebuano full-length film, and is unfortunately lost.

A tale of unwavering loyalty: Through the eyes of Hiro, a devoted pet dog, we witness the bond between him and his human best friend Kael, as they navigate life's challenges and changes together, finding solace in their enduring companionship.

After a mysterious falling out with his father five years ago, Angelo, the favorite son, has not shown his face to the family. Arlene, being the eldest and the least favorite, takes upon herself the demanding task of taking care of their very sick father even while she tends to her own husband and children. Anne, the youngest, is single and pregnant with no one to turn to except her older sister.

Mythology has always been rooted in Bicol; and its people in turn have always grown from these roots. One has always shaped the other. This relationship has created diverse but uniquely Bicolano interpretations of their mythology and its values. The documentary puts Oryol, a Bicolano Deity, into frame and captures the distinct interpretations of the character through the lens of the locals in the province of Albay.

The Barong Tagalog is a Filipino symbol of celebration and hope. When it is old, it is frequently kept in the cabinets of many Filipino families. Maricel Amora revives these barongs and transforms them into another Filipino emblem of joy and optimism—the parol.

Rio Alma, a Filipino poet and writer, reflects on his hometown of San Miguel (de Mayumo) and the cultural heritage of the Philippines. Recalling childhood memories of singing and reciting poetry, he becomes determined to reclaim the national memory and preserve the country's origins through proper education and research. Through visiting old houses, a local museum, and speaking with the people of his town, Rio Alma emphasizes the importance of understanding and loving one's culture. In his book launch, he calls for the youth to appreciate their identity and work towards a better future for the Philippines.

A gay son imagines the laundry as a colorful world of adorable little fishes while sorting his dirty clothes with his mother. But in his imagination, a sea witch traps him in a bubble, where he feels undesirable, unacceptable, and unbecoming.

A daydreaming man is haunted by the memories of his past that leaves him missing the ride of the passenger vehicles that come by, in which will take him to his awaited destination.

A young and naive manananggal gets captured and berated by her mother manananggal for having a relationship with a mortal man; a grave offense to their kind. Because of this she now has to choose between love for family or the only person that taught her how to truly love.

Ten theater artists took the challenge to record their daily lives by making video diaries and conversations during the pandemic lockdown. Despite how bleak the pandemic was, it brought them to listen to their bodies, minds and hearts. This documentary is a tapestry of video snapshots from the lives of 10 Filipino theater artists during the height of the pandemic lockdown. The artists tell their stories mostly through video diaries using phone cameras to record their daily lives, their feelings and thoughts, while locked in their homes with no work, no income, and with a sense that their country is going to pieces. Conversations with the filmmaker via Zoom were also recorded. It provides a perspective on how theater artists found ways and means to survive, to take care of their mental health, and even break protocols to persist in their advocacies.

It’s a bright day ahead as Perfecto takes the long road to his friend’s house. But everyone it seems was going the other way.

The “Friendly Letter” is what you get when you don’t care enough to send the very best.

Rey Malonzo action movie

Two classroom officers converse about about certain topics as they play chess.

A young Filipino filmmaker spends his winter with a naturist in Lisbon. As the sunless days continue, the two find light in each other’s company.