Discoveries from Philippines World Cinema

A story about a guerilla assassin tasked to kill fascist collaborators and sympathizers in the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

A cowardly man unwittingly unleashes three spirits seeking revenge against the family he works for. The spirits take turns taking over his body, causing all sorts of mischief along the way.

Inspired by the actual story of one of the youngest mothers in Philippine history, “Nuwebe” follows the story of Krista who at the tender age of 9 got pregnant from the sexual abuse perpetrated by her own father. What follows is a story of struggle and renewal. Krista’s story is complex. She refuses to see herself as a victim. Despite her situation, she demonstrates an incredible level of resilience and determination to overcome the trauma of her past. Her mother on the other hand is torn between her love for her child and her love for her husband.

Reyna, head of the school choir and daughter of the Parish Office Chair is rattled once her meticulously orchestrated music group is disrupted by the spontaneous and unorthodox new pianist, Sam.

A Filipina meets a man in hiding.

A working student bustles through scorching Manila, pushed to a cycle of exhaustion as the disparities of a distant world of capitalist excess kindle a common tenderness.

The Last 12 Days is the third installment in The 12 Days Saga, a heartfelt trilogy by Filipino filmmaker CJ Santos. This emotionally gripping drama centers on Camille and Daniel, a young couple navigating the complexities of love and illness. As Daniel faces a life-threatening health crisis, their relationship is pushed to its limits, exposing their deepest fears and vulnerabilities while highlighting the unbreakable strength of their connection.

Fresh from a breakup caused by her fear of settling down, video blogger Laura embarks on a solo trip to Siargao hoping to move on and find a new adventure. Here she meets rock singer Diego who is caught between uncertainties of the future and baggages of the past. This fateful encounter stirs up what local entrepreneur Abi thought were long lost feelings for a long lost love, i.e. Diego. In this unlikely triangle, is there room for second chances? Or should they move on to something(one) new?

Two schoolboys' friendship is put to the test as they wait for an emergency appointment at a local clinic.

Winnie is a 21-year-old hypersexual girl who suddenly cannot reach a climax. She sets out on an adventure to find the supposed albularyo who will cure her reflection.

This movie captures the core and colorful saga of the famous Ilocano hero Diego Silang.

Jane is a 12-year old girl living with Childhood Schizophrenia. Her sister, Jessie, leaves her in the care of their Tita Hilda to study back in Manila. But during her stay, Aunt Hilda is having a hard time dealing with her niece’s illness because of her lack of knowledge of the situation.

‘Unspoken Letters’ is a heartfelt drama that follows the journey of Felipa (#JhassyBusran), the youngest sibling in a family, who lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At 17, Felipa functions at the level of a seven-year-old child. She looks up to her older siblings, and dreams of following in their footsteps. But with an ailing father, they uncover hidden truths about their family's past. The story not only explores the challenges faced by families dealing with neurodiversed individuals but also emphasizes the importance of gratitude and humility towards our parents.

Masarap na pugad: Directed by Francis Posadas. With Aleck Bovick, Gary Estrada, Joko Diaz, Elizabeth Oropesa.

A story about Kumander Gringa a renegade army colonel who launched an unsuccessful mutiny against the leadership of Philippines president Corazon Aquino.

Paul and Jenny eloped at the tender age of 17 and overcame their difficulties. Things eventually take their toll as Paul's sister, Sylvia schemes to separate them.

In the spirit of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Ace and Cody vs. The Fry is a high-energy, hyper-stylized short film that turns the most trivial moment—the last fry in the bucket—into the most important battle of two best friends’ lives. The second that lone fry is spotted, Ace makes the first move, setting off a breathless chase through a sprawling park that transforms the fields into a full-blown war zone. As the pursuit escalates like a video game fight, Ace and Cody are pushed to increasingly ridiculous heights in a showdown where everything seems to hinge on a single french fry.

A young woman in the Philippines tries to find underground abortion for her pregnant best friend.

Separated as children, two brothers find themselves on opposing sides of the law as adults, with one working as a cop trying to take down the drug lord for whom his brother works.

A man masters the ancient art of arnis with the help of his grandfather to get revenge on a group of crooks who attempted to beat him to death.

Friendship as strong rocks, love as enduring as the heavens sacrifice without any parallel in a story with hardly an equal.

A story about three girls struggling to find a better life in the city by working as maids in a house of a wealthy family. Carmela discovers a very important secret about her life when she met Crising, the loyal servant of the family. Yasmin fell in love with her master's son, Willi, but was distraught when Willie couldn't stand up for her and their unborn child. While Noemi who ran away from her mother to reach for her dreams, pretends to belong to a rich clan when she met a guy she likes.

Monay took care of her sisters in running a local bakery. Living with their disabled step-father, she has to be the sole provider for their family by all means...

The story of a man living in poverty who turns to a life of petty crime to survive.

A story of a married couple brought together by the illness of their child.

A scheme of two sisters fell through when the one falls for the other's estranged husband.

Romano and his men are ambushed in one military operation. Romano almost gets killed but wakes up after staying in coma for several days. His life will never be the same again. He resigns from the military and goes into seclusion in their Baguio ancestral house after realizing that he now has a supernatural gift.

A satire on the social foibles of Filipinos in and out of government, of society, and politics in general.

#Labyu (2014) is a new gay romantic comedy film written and directed by Jill Singson Urdaneta and produced by Dennis Sebastian of Spin Entertainment Production, in association with Sunflower Films International. #Labyu is the film debut of Urdaneta as a writer-director. It stars Miko Pasamonte (The Escort, Kape Barako, Kumpare) and Albert Goza, who appeared in a film for the first time. The cast also includes Renee Gozon, Jobben Bello, G.A. Villafuerte, Gelo Arucan, John Galvez, LK King and JB Sinday. The film soundtrack features the music of Jeff Cifra, Kian Dionisio, Jerome and Sebastian Castro.

Chito is the son of the owners of a lodge in Coron, Palawan. Because of a shortage in eggs in the town, he gets encouraged to go into growing organic chickens.

A young man who had just got recovered from an accident encountered someone who made him feel at peace, but he had no idea that this would cause him to become confused about his entire existence, including his sexuality.

In the human world, Pen (SPENCER REYES) and Dong are best friends who are fond of playing computer games. on the other hand, at the computer world where the different computer characters live, there is one character in the name of M. Tyson (REZ CORTEZ) who was mad and envy to human.

A story about Boy Scouts going on a camping, having fun and getting into deep trouble.

A soft boy. A strong girl. Tayo Muna Habang Hindi Pa Tayo is a love story that comes close but not far enough. When Alex DTR-ed and found out that Carlo is not ready to commit to a relationship, Alex must ask herself if love can survive without commitment.

Masyong Bagwisa, the feared bodyguard of the influential governor Montefalcon, is the youngest victim of a relentless blood revenge between two powerful family clans. After Masiongs death, his son becomes the governor's new bodyguard, but the unscrupulous Garduchi-clan does not shy away from any crime to assassinate Montefalcon.

Follows the creative process of Ruby, a prolific writer, abandoned wife and protective mother. She writes about Mario, a taxi driver and father figure to a street child. As she tries to resolve Mario's story, she seeks refuge in her own creative output and the line between reality and fiction is blurred. Mario's past becomes entangled with her own inevitable future.

Barbara has always been overly indulgent of her little sister, Ruth's every whim. Her past comes back to haunt her when Barbara receives news that her younger sister has killed herself and was witnessed by Ruth's only daughter Karen. Barbara immediately returns to the Philippines to mourn her sister and comfort her unstable niece. Upon Barbara's return, she learns the reason surrounding Ruth's mysterious death.

A study on corrupting power of patriarchy, even among the poor, and how it breeds absolute power that corrupts and destroys families, and relationships.

A young man achieves success as a singer, affecting everyone around him.

“Kabaro” tells of same-sex relationships, between lesbians (Mara and Krista) and gays (Aldrich and Rockwell).

A senior high school student transferee from Japan starts a new life in Pangasinan. Gina, a girl who always wears a red glove on her right hand, struggles with making friends in her new school. She keeps a strong and neat impression in her identified society while struggling to fit in. She makes a friend and eventually falls in love, only to find out that the man she falls head over heels with spills her deepest, darkest secret.

A pilot with an ideal family life and a beautiful wife faces the temptations of another woman, a fee-spirited and fiercely independent single girl.

The big-screen adaptation of the popular action radio serial drama

Binoy played by Jeric Raval is your typical woman's hero, in this case, his woman love and his sister who are constantly plagued by the cruelty of bystander men drinking in the corner store. Binoy attempts at all times to save the poor and hapless through his fighting prowess which he most certainly got from his father (Vic Vargas). He does not hold a job, he most certainly isn't rich and yet he wants to save the world somehow from its injustice to the marginalized.

It follows Madame Bato-Bato, a rich widowed mom who has everything except the attention of her only son. He then crosses path with Chito, a rich bachelor who recently won the lottery but has a big void in his heart.

A girl named Sabel lives with her parents who depend on unirrigated fields as the only source of living. Their lives become even harder when they cannot plant rice due to drought. Sabel's childhood sweetheart Rafael, like her family, also depends on the rice fields for a living. Due to poverty and insinuation of her mother, Sabel was forced to marry Joey, a rich bachelor. In the twist and turn of the story, Joey was killed. Sabel returned to her hometown and finally reunite with her real love of her life, Rafael. A story of love, deceit and forgiveness.

A poignant story of a family’s struggles in life. It tells of Rosa, who lives in the slums near the railroad tracks, with her mother and five brothers. Her mother wallows in guilt and depression when her drunkard father is run over by a train. Though she is set to marry her fiancé, Rosa chooses to put her family’s needs before her own. Rosa’s brothers also carry their own burdens, except for one, the youngest, Avelino, who helps his sister shoulder the weight of the family’s problems.

Directed by by Tony Arnaldo

Gloria is a pretty laundress working for a rich young couple. Her male employer is sick and tired of his wife's negative ways, so he decided to use Gloria to rile her.

A wealthy couple’s sacrificing adopted son, Alonzo (Christopher de Leon) and wayward biological son, Alvaro (Mat Ranillo III) vie for the love of the same woman, Estella (Vilma Santos).

Plot TBA; described as an international action thriller.

A sheltered girl, who grew up in a very protective family, is asking a boy to fight for their love. If only he was not too consumed by his own battles.

A series of killings is targeting the children of corrupt government officials. A young, idealistic detective takes on the case, and begins to question his concept of justice. It turns personal when the killer he’s pursuing abducted his fiancée.

Jaira, Chelsea, and Alecz catch up with their friend, Sujee, who lives in Busan, Korea. Sujee is lonely and seeks people who understand her struggles as a diaspora but her friends have a different image of her life there.

A young man from the province is ripped off by the petty crook. He disguises himself and gets a room at the crook's house, waiting for the chance to get his revenge.