Discoveries from Philippines World Cinema

Escaping the torment of growing up with an abusive older brother, he and his friends found further suffering at the hands of Japanese soldiers, forced into sex work to survive. But even after the war, Markova's struggle continued.

Almira and Susan give birth at the same time in the same hospital. Gary steals Almira’s newborn child and switches the infant to one of his newborn twins; in revenge to Almira’s decision of rejecting him, Gary concocts the wicked plan with his friend Kardo to switch the babies. However, one of the twins dies in the process of switching and the Del Valles are made to believe that the stillborn child is theirs. Gary then persuades Amante to adopt one of his twins to spare Almira from despair and sorrow. Amante agrees for a fee and Gary hands one of his twins to Amante. Kardo, feeling remorseful documents every detail of the event on his diary. Susan names her daughter Mara while the Del Valles name their child, Clara.

College friends Derek and Mark slowly realize they mean more to each other than either had initially imagined. In the days leading up to Valentine's Day, their friendship blossoms into something much more enduring as time goes on - which challenges both to question who they thought they were and who they truly want to be.

Experiencing the forbidden. Experiencing rejection. Hating your parents. Hating the world around you. Discovering what's hot. Discovering what's cool. Discovering your first true love. Discovering who you are. Growing up can be such a wild time. But not when you've got the best guys to hang out with. Five chaste young men immerse themselves in the superficialities and superfluity of adolescence over the course of their last year in high school. But as they make their gradual transition from boyhood to manhood, they realize it is their formidable bond that stands as the real deal.

A 1988 Filipino romantic drama anthology film starring the hottest love teams of the time: Lotlot de Leon and Ramon Christopher star in Till Death Do Us Part; Tina Paner and Cris Villanueva team up in Invisible Lover; and Manilyn Reynes and Janno Gibbs pair up in Eternally.

A woman falls in love with a man, but is wronged by him and his brother. She then tries to exact revenge on him, his brother and his new lover.

Stern, intelligent Sylvia, a lawyer, finally met her match. Only that the person is a woman, and was convicted of murder.

Three generations of a family get together for the 25th anniversary of Rick and Cristy while their daughter Tin appears clueless that her parents no longer sleep on the same bed.

A pessimistic uninspired middle-aged artist finds spark with a millennial photographer who leads her on a path of creative and sexual reawakening.

A story about a Filipino guerilla Sargent who was tasked to ambush a company of Japanese soldiers staying at a convent.

Nico's hundrum daily existence simply cannot compete with the fantasy life he leads the world's most popular MMORPG METANOIA, as the swashbuckling vagabond Zero, together with his companions: the spiritist Mang Ernie, renegade chi-master K'mao, apprentice weapon-smith Sumpak, folk hero Ahdonis and the beast master Cassandra, they explore Metanoia's vast virtual landscape in search of untold on-line fortune and glory! As the malevolent force surfaces and threatens to destroy everything they hold precious, the fate of two worlds rests upon the shoulder of one very unlikely champion. One who must first find way to burst out of his shell and discover the true hero within-before it's too late!

Having had to fend for herself for most of her life, newly turned 30, Zuri has now become an independent and competent career woman who has put love on the backburner. But when she finds out she has a rare case of premature menopause - and may soon lose the ability to carry a baby - she scrambles to find a man with whom she can have a family of her own. After many attempts at different methods, she finds one last hope in her ex, ANDY. The only problem is that Andy has amnesia and has forgotten all about Zuri. Now, Zuri has to find a way to get him to fall in love with her all over again.

A clashing collage of archival and found footage, presenting the colonial Philippine society in a sarcastic tone.

As their paths cross again several years later, Bert has a hard time acknowledging that he is still in love with Elise.

A set of happy-go-lucky teenagers struggles to keep the group together as each of them faces various challenges on life, love, friendship, and family.

San Cristobal mayoralty candidate Connie de Gracia is hearing mass, in the hopes that her fealty with the Catholic God translates to votes. After all, the voice of the people is the voice of God. If one is assured of God's undying support because of her utmost religiosity and sincerity, then the votes will simply follow. However, politics in the Philippines is not as divinely blessed as one would wish.

Purports to document the production of a short about a young man’s first sexual experience while doubling as a coming-out film and a multiply layered making-of movie.

Six men. Six failed marriage. One wedding to restore their faith in second chances. This is the bittersweet saga of six men who have separated from their wives. Inspired by true stories, their parallel and overlapping tales offer six different portraits of the failure of monogamy in a society where divorce is supposedly not an option. Ironically, fate and circumstance bring them together at a church wedding, where one of them takes a second chance at marital bliss.

Two childhood friends choose different paths in life; one believes in the principle of law and justice and the other believes that only the ruthless survive.

Stranded by the COVID-19 lockdown in his native Philippines, trans horticulturalist Danny and his British Indian girlfriend Neisha are unwillingly outed to Danny's estranged family – who still thought Danny was a woman living in Toronto. Instead of the inevitable rejection he expects, he has no idea how to navigate the radical acceptance he finds.

Jamie, an overseas worker, returns to her home province after her sister dies. She discovers that there is a curse over their family, and must face her past to save her soul from the entity known as the Kumakatok.

Dyesebel is unique among the merfolk for she is the only mermaid born of human parents from the surface world. A mermaid from birth, she is shunned by the superstitious due to her physical form. After her father is killed by an angry, superstitious mob, Dyesebel is taken to the ocean by her mother where she is sent into exile since her chances for survival are greater there than on land. The young girl-mermaid is found by Banak who adopts her and takes her to their kingdom where she is welcomed into their community.

The first time Erik (Bernard Palanca) laid eyes on Geri (Rica Peralejo), he knew that he had met the love of his life.

A story of a Family that was been broken for the reason of the mother making an affair with her boss. Their Father became paralyze. The main character Irma Alegre decided to be a prostitute and so is her sister Angela Perez but their father suicides.

Weng Weng plays an agent, code-named “00” who works for the Manila branch of Interpol. The Chief sends him in pursuit of an arch villain, Mr X, whose white sock covered head is reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan’s pointed hoods. When Mr X holds the Philippines for ransom two businessmen, Maolo and Simeon, pay his demands. Weng Weng suspects foul play and goes deep undercover to reveal the true identity of the mysterious Mr X.

Stephanie is a beautiful, sweet, and pampered bride who's so in-love with her rich beau Harold. Harold is Stephanie's first boyfriend and true love. Despite their constant petting, she is reserving herself for their honeymoon. During their wedding day, a total eclipse occurs triggering the high magnetic field on the road going to the beach resort. As the guests and the bride travel to the venue, a freak car accident happens causing a major soul swap.

Rodrigo Sr., his wife Salve, their children Rodrigo Jr and Blesilda are on their way to Junior's wedding in the midst of a solar eclipse and cruising on a magnetic field when their vehicle hits the van of a family of gay pageant konteseras Mama Wendy, Wanda, Winona, Whilhelmina and their trainee, Whitney when a soul swapping happens. How long will they need to stay in their swapped bodies before the next solar eclipse?

Ex-con wants to reconnect with son after 12 years, but must defend town against corrupt mayor's golf course plans.

Jasmin, Violy, Baby and Daisy are sisters that were separated in their youth.

In an age rocked by drugs and a culture in danger of folding to worldly influences, rival high school basketball players clash on and off the basketball court because of different lifestyles/values. A tragic event transforms their rivalry into a bond as they discover the meaning of friendship, faith and the redemption that follows.

Story about five people who wanted something so badly that they’ll do anything, even to deal with the devil. As they finally get what they want, no one has mentioned that their dream will cost them their lives.

In a time in the Philippines when the concept of divorce does not exist, a young woman has an affair with a married man. Eventually, they move in together, and that is when the problems start.

A woman is torn between trying to save her failing marriage or pursuing the possibility of a new love.

It started with the rape of his daughter, then the killing of her boyfriend. He takes the law into his own hands and has his revenge. Branded as a vicious killer by the underworld, the syndicate blackmails him into becoming their hitman. As he gets more and more tied up in the world of drugs, prostitution and death, he decides he wants out. No one gets out of the syndicate alive. It then becomes a battle for survival, him against them in a desperate act of street warfare. His life is his prize.

When the people of Maratabat finally realize that their time under the corrupt politician clan of the Abubakars has to come to an end— a series of violent acts occur one after another. The people rally behind another clan –the Mahardikas – to end the violence and place a new leader in their region. Will the Mahardikas choose a path of violence or peace? Will it be for honor or will it be for pride?

This unique narrative incorporating documentary elements follows Rey, a 40-year-old non-binary teacher and typhoon survivor, on a roadtrip to fame. With surreal comedy and social portrait realism, filmmaker Seán‌ Devlin explores climate change, LGBTQ+ issues, and the impact of colonialism on contemporary Philippines.

A young man with Asperger's Syndrome falls in love with a sheltered young woman who suffers from Mitral Valve Stenosis, a congenital heart condition. Will his condition cause her demise or will his love be the greatest gift she can ever receive?

A transgender sex worker in her late 40s along Fields Avenue whose only aspiration is to have breast implants for her profession unexpectedly assumes the role of a mother to her orphaned niece, a transgender youth who is only beginning to discover her own sexuality. As she works more shifts to save for her implants, troubles arise when she begins to feel the weight of her struggles – being an aging sex worker in fast-evolving society, a partner to her young fiancé, and a parent to a teenager she just met. Her difficult confrontations eventually lead her to a new attitude towards life, and a unique recipe to a famous Kapampangan dish, Sisig.

Aaron and Giselle are an ambitious couple, but their hard work isn’t enough to provide for the comfortable life they desire. The marriage of their well-to-do bosom buddies, Bullet and Jasmine, also goes from bliss to bleak. Their situation heads further south when Bullet ends up in bed with a distraught and inebriated Giselle! Many confrontations later, Jasmine is seen sharing late-night trysts with Aaron while their repentant spouses patiently wait for them at home! With friends like these, who needs enemies?

The movie, set in a remote volcanic island, tells of the friendship between a little boy named Bentoy and a giant bird named Goliat

Jessica Santiago and Ana Bartolome are two sisters who have lived in separate lives for 12 long years. Jessie, though an excellent student, has grown to feel sorrow over Ana’s loss, while Ana, not knowing that she’s an orphan, grew up in a far-flung fishing village. When they meet in a swimming competition, the Santiagos exert effort to bring Ana back. But when Ana returns home, Jessie feels more abandoned & lovelorn. With their relationship turning sour, Jessie’s life is terribly put in danger. In the end, the two sisters find home where their hearts truly lie.

The movie tells the story of a mysterious creature called Dilim, who roams the streets at night and does vigilante work, saving innocent victims by literally devouring the villains. A do-good policeman goes hot on Dilim’s trail, setting off a series of dangerous encounters, bloodbath, and rude awakenings.

A young woman uses her grandmother's tarot cards to find her missing boyfriend.

After the tragic fate of her mother and her sister, a girl named Nina is taken into custody and given a new identity as Melissa who grows up to be a nurse. At the hospital where Melissa works, a series of mysterious deaths of male patients occurs.

“Balete Trio” is a short animated film that follows the story of Krysta, JJ, and Nat after school, where JJ leads them to an ancient Balete tree hidden inside the forest next to their town. There, they discover the existence of mystical creatures residing within the tree, and the perils they face to keep the tree safe.

The story opens with Brandon and Shy, negotiating for a lease of an old room owned by Stella. Brix, a travelling salesman and Stella's live-in partner deals with the couple in behalf of the landlady. Little do they know that inside the mysterious house lies a perplexed truth. Bugbog Sarado" shapes up the frames of sadism and masochism. It intensified the sounds of pain and protest in discovering the real encounters inside the bedroom of abused women.

Three orphans, Olive, Paula, and Bettina, escape captivity and are adopted by Amanda and Lito, who lost their daughter, Malena. The orphans discover that Malena, now possessed by a demon due to her parents' pact, is imprisoned in the stockroom. As Malena hunts them down, the orphans are coerced into robbing the couple. The conflict leads to several deaths, including the couple's. Olive and Bettina escape, promising to care for each other.

Tia Madre is a horror story told through the eyes of a child: a clingy, hyper-imaginative and slightly twisted 10-year old girl named Camille whose mother Emilia inexplicably changes into something else, something more sinister, something more violent, something more distant, something that isn’t her mother anymore and quite possibly isn’t human.

Faced with unfortunate complications beyond her control, go-getter events manager Andi Medina has no other person to turn to. She is then forced to reconnect with her ex-boyfriend, cosmetic surgeon Max Labarador. Much to Andi’s shock, Max is already in a three-year live-in relationship with pediatric oncologist Christian Pilar. With nowhere else to go and left with no other options, she agrees to live with the couple – both parties agreeing into a deal that will change the course of their lives and hearts.

A teasing love story of naughty girl named Cecil. The story heightened when Venel, the soldier lover of Cecil, was assigned in Mindanao for a military mission. Days passed by, with the absence of his girlfriend's caring heart, he seeks sexual passion and attention with another lass... leaving Cecil with a broken heart and unfulfilled promises. Because of shattered vows, Cecil seeks affection in the persona of Venel's younger brother, James and had a forbidden relationship with a policeman in their town. After a couple of years Venel returned to his hometown wanting to resolve all the troubles he left, he found Cecil's discreet and unfaithful relationships with different men leading him to a discovery of sexual diversion.

Be careful what you wish for… otherwise you will suffer the same fate of this group of young people who are overtly fun-loving and death defying adventure seekers. As they decide to take a quick break from their impulsive roadtrip, ghastly things start to frighten them for real. A gruesomely deformed man named fatman starts telling them three sets of hair raising stories.

Pia the only daughter of Zeny and Menandro found herself in the same predicament as her mother did years ago. During that time Zeny gave up her true love to marry a man who compromised her and whom her parents preferred. This time around Pia was engaged to Jonathan although she was in love with Gary. She had to make a choice. At the same time Zeny had to decide whether she would stay married to a man she had learned to hate or would she leave and save herself.

Official entry to the first Metro Manila Film Festival in 1983 directed by Romy Suzara and starred Lito Lapid, Connie Angeles, Chuck Biller, Cole Mackay, Paul Jones, Marlene Chavez, Brad Fletcher.

Allan and Mia meet in the most unexpected way. They eventually become close, causing their romance to blossom. Faced with huge decisions in life, the two find it hard to fight for their love for each other.

A female DJ is stalked by a serial-killing listener.

After an old wank video of him goes viral on social media, a young food delivery rider in Manila attempts to reclaim his body from societal consumption.

Bujoy and Ned are childhood best friends. They stick with each other like a family. However, as time goes by Bujoy fell in love with Ned, who she thinks is the only person who accepts her imperfections that even her own family does not accept. Bujoy’s hobby which is clay sculpture is all dedicated for Ned. Ned, on the other hand finds inspiration in songwriting, to which he dedicates to the girl of his dreams, Marry Anne. Ned inherited his passion for music from his father Canor, who is a frustrated musician. However his mother Cora thinks that music will not help with their financial constraints. As Ned and Marry Anne became a couple, Bujoy started going out with Cenon, the newest member of Ned’s band.

It's the story of a young woman, whose husband, is arrested by the soldiers of a Japanese garrison, on the suspicion that he is a guerilla. Dizon pleads her case to the garrison's commander, who sympathizes and lets Yllana go; when the commander's wife dies and leaves their son motherless, Dizon, is hired to feed the baby from her own breast.

Three friends wait along Dalton Pass every dawn to jump at the back of rice delivery trucks to steal the goods and sell it at the wet market as their means of income. One of them accidentally gets a pack of drugs in one of the trucks they jumped and finds themselves in jeopardy when its owners track them down to retrieve the stash, and gives them a chance to get off the hook by means of taking on a risky mission.

Celebrity chef Carl returns from New York to marry his supermodel fiancée, Chrissy. But the bride-to-be is delayed in Europe, and as Carl makes wedding plans with her family, he finds himself falling for Chrissy’s sister Lena.