Cinemalaya 2025: Mike De Leon’s ‘Kakabakaba Ka Ba?’ revealed as closing film

By: Hannah Mallorca

Cinemalaya 2025: Mike De Leon’s Kakabakaba Ka Ba?’ revealed as closing film. Image: Facebook/Cinemalya
The poster for Mike De Leon’s “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?” Image: Facebook/Cinemalya
The musical-comedy “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?” was chosen as the closing film of the 21st edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which ends on Oct. 11.

The festival’s closing and opening films were announced on its social media platforms on Monday, Sept. 29, while inviting filmgoers to show support for local cinema.

The Mike De Leon-helmed film tells the story of Onota (Boboy Garovillo) who struggles to smuggle contraband into the Philippines, until his master (George Javier) offered him to try using the unassuming cassette tape in another attempt. This led to Onota slipping the cassette tape in the belongings of a passenger named Johnny (Christopher de Leon).

It turns out that the particular contraband caught the interest of many groups, forcing Johnny, Melanie (Charo Santos), Nonong (Jay Ilagan) and Nancy (Sandy Andolong) in chase beyond their control. They soon disguised themselves as priests and nuns and set off for Baguio, where they unwittingly discovered a bigger stream of syndicate activities.

“Kakabakaba Ka Ba?” will be screened at 8 p.m. of Oct. 11 at the Shangri-La Red Carpet Cinema in Mandaluyong.

Meanwhile, “The Elysian Field” (originally titled as “Ha Lyngkha Bneng”) will be the festival’s opening film, scheduled for an Oct. 3 screening at Shangri-La Red Carpet Cinema.

Directed by Indian filmmaker Pradip Kurbah, it tells the story of Livingstone (Albert Mawrie) and his fellow villagers living at Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India, in the year 2047.

After a months-long wait, this year’s Cinemalaya will be held from Oct. 3 to Oct. 11. /ra