2026 Finalists
Full-Length
‘a.ni.mal
‘a.ni.mal
Writer: Dustin Celestino
Director: Dustin Celestino
Producer: Janel Gutierrez Celestino
Production Company: SINE METU Media Productions
LOGLINE
In a provincial Philippine town, the naïve daughter of the mayor comes home with a video of a powerful family friend abusing his dog.
SYNOPSIS
An average day takes an unexpected turn in a small, unnamed province in the Philippines when the mayor’s daughter, Lily, returns home with a compromising video of the governor.
As the mayor scrambles to protect his longtime ally, tensions rise within his own household.
The mayor is determined to shield the governor from scandal. His wife, Ofel, sees an opportunity to expose the truth to the governor’s wife. And their daughter, Lily, threatens to make the video public, unless the governor surrenders his beloved dog to her.
2 Valid IDs
2 Valid IDs
Writer: Abet Pagdagdagan Raz
Director: Ma-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan
Producer: Geo Lomuntad
LOGLINE
Sylvia, a poor farmer, is unable to claim the money sent to her because of she lacks the required two valid IDS. In her struggle in securing the IDs, Sylvia finds herself in a situation that challenges her character, beliefs, and morality.
SYNOPSIS
Sylvia, a poor farmer, is asked to provide 2 valid IDs to claim the money sent by a relative at the remittance center for the medical treatment of her husband, Ramon, who has severe COPD.
But there is a problem, she doesn’t have a single ID. A requirement that looks simple but impossible for someone like her.
Even if it is against her will, she resorts to a “fixer” to help her secure 2 valid IDs. Weighed down by exhaustion, hunger, and endless lines of bureaucracy, the little money sent to her is nearly drained because of their daily expenses. As the days pass, her husband’s condition declines, and Sylvia’s hope begins to fade.
In trying to prove her identity, Sylvia is forced to confront the limits of her faith, her conscience, and her humanity.
Dangeom
Dangeom
by Paul Sta. Ana
LOGLINE
As he cares for his ailing grandfather with his Korean aunt, a queer Korean-Filipino dancer’s K-pop dreams expose a deep wound—the pain of not belonging.
SYNOPSIS
GABO SEO, 22, a gay Korean-Filipino aspiring dancer, has lived in South Korea for just a year and a half. While chasing K-pop auditions, he accepts a caregiving job from his aunt, MI-KYUNG, to look after his grandfather, JUN-HO, a retired swordsmith now fading into dementia. For Gabo, it’s a way to earn money while keeping his dream alive.
But Jun-ho’s household is haunted by loss. Two decades ago, he disowned his son-Gabo’s late father-for marrying a Filipina and abandoning the sword-making tradition. Mi- Kyung, too, was denied the right to inherit the family craft, forced instead to carry the household alone. Into this tense home steps Gabo, the half-Filipino grandson Jun-ho never wanted, and a living reminder of the son he erased.
When a precious heirloom dagger vanishes, Mi-Kyung accuses Gabo of stealing it. The charge reopens wounds of betrayal and rejection, branding him as a thief in a land where he already feels foreign. As suspicions mount- complicated by MIN-JAE, Jun-ho’s loyal apprentice-Gabo must fight not only for his innocence, but to prove he belongs to a family and a culture that would rather forget him.
In the face of accusation and exile, Gabo turns to dance- the only language through which he can transform grief into strength. Through movement, he carves out a space that tradition has denied him, forging an identity between steel and rhythm. In a home where memory is fading, his body becomes both archive and rebellion.
Ganggang
Ganggang
by JL Burgos
LOGLINE
Isang pelikula ng pagkakaibigan, karahasan, at katapangan ng kabataan sa gitna ng tunggalian ng mga pwersang armado.
SYNOPSIS
Sa unang salpok pa lang ng mga gagamba, alam na ng magkaibigang Ilay at Ten-ten na uuwi silang biguan. Maghahari na naman ang panalo sa laban at siga ng kanilang iskwelahan na si Anton.
Kasabay ng pagdagsa ng militar sa kanilang lugar ay ang pagdating ni Mel, anak ng sundalo, bagong kaibigan ni llay at Ten-ten at kaalyado laban sa grupo ni Anton. Tatahakin ng tatlong magkakaibigan ang masukal na daan para lamang sa GANGGANG na tatalo sa kalaban. At sa dulo ng kanilang paghahanap, kakaibang sapot ang kanilang madadatnan.
Ang pagdating kaya ni Mel ang magiging susi sa pagwawakas ng mga naghahari-harian sa kanilang lugar?
Kamay ni Bathala
Kamay ni Bathala
Writer & Director: Mark Duane Angos
LOGLINE
In a remote village scarred by years of conflict, a young army lieutenant introduces football to children. As the game begins to heal wounds and rebuild trust, he forms a fragile bond with a child soldier—forcing both to choose between the innocence they’ve lost and the violent realities of war.
SYNOPSIS
Fresh from the academy and full of idealism, Edgardo Reyes– a young army lieutenant is deployed to a remote village in Mindanao— an area silenced by fear and hardened by years of armed conflict. Reyes arrives not with weapons of war though, but with a football. Reyes wants to introduce the beautiful game of football to the community. But his act of bringing a game to the children is met with suspicion, silence, and shuttered windows.
After getting the reluctant approval of the village elder, Reyes starts to show the village children how to play the game. The children and the village’s initial distrust soon melt when the kids start enjoying the game.
Not long after, laughter returns to the air. Children begin to chase the ball day in and day out. One of them is Magbaya, a child soldier. He is supposed to be recruiting village children to become child soldiers like him. Magbaya is part of a violent terror group, and he is not supposed to become close to a soldier. But he, along with the other kids, forms a bond with Reyes because of the beautiful game.
Their fragile connection becomes the heart of the story: a soldier trying to protect, and a child trying to remember how to be a child.
But peace is never simple. As Reyes’ presence attracts threats from both local militants and wary villagers, the football field becomes a battleground of ideologies. When Magbaya is asked to return to the armed group he once called family, Reyes must risk everything— not for victory, but to keep one boy from slipping back into war.
Mag-iina
“The Mothering”
based on the play Corridors
Originally written & adapted for the screen by Guelan Varela-Luarca
Directed by Giancarlo Abrahan
LOGLINE
A woman returns to her family’s ancestral home to mourn her estranged father, reuniting three generations of women who uncover that the grief, the madness, and the evil within the decaying mansion are thicker than blood.
SYNOPSIS
After 21 years living in New York, Anj has finally come home to the Philippines to mourn the death of her estranged father. She returns to her ancestral home, a cavernous, groaning, creaking hull of its past grand self, halls and corridors echoing with the cries of three grieving women, a maid, and a young stranger boy—the only people in Anj’s life that she could call family.
Her newly-widowed mother, Mita, who seeks to burn her black witching candles to force her dead husband’s spirit to visit her one last time—
Her aunt Ysobel who struggles to keep the house standing amidst poverty, caring for her aging mother, and paying her penance for a secret guilt by caring for and adopting an orphaned child—
Her grandmother, Angela, the matriarch, a 90-year-old painter and a member of the Order of National Artists of the Philippines—a genius, reclusive, cantankerous woman, full of bile and loathing for the members of this household, except for the orphan boy whom she has renamed after her dead son—
The maid Katte, overworked and terrorized by the women in this house, especially by Ysobel who sneaks into her bed at night and enjoys her body against her will—
And finally, the orphan, now named Yñigo, a 10-year-old boy with a mysterious past, the quiet witness to the cruelties in this house, an innocence slowly being taken over by an unknown force—could it be the spirit of his namesake, Anj’s dead father?
Three days back in her childhood home is enough to remind Anj of three things: why she left, why she needs to leave at once, and, lastly—why she might never escape.
May Buntot ang mga Yan
May Buntot ang mga Yan
by Alpha Habon
LOGLINE
A coming-of-age story of two friends in Mindoro: NIKO, a Manila boy, and AYAN, a Mangyan. Their unique bond spans a whole summer of being introduced to each other’s culture and lifestyle, with Niko teaching Ayan how to read, who in turn teaches Niko how to swim.
Years later, an adult Niko returns to Mindoro to honor a promise to his old friend.
SYNOPSIS
Niko, a 21-year-old man from Manila, returns to Mindoro, the island that once broke him. This unravels the memory of a pivotal summer from his youth: his friendship with Ayan, a playful Mangyan boy with big dreams. Their eventual friendship helps Niko see the world differently. In time, they make a pact to be inseparable and fulfill their dreams together.
Now, in the present, a jaded Niko is back to keep his word. Torn between land and sea, memory and reality, he confronts a forgotten past: an estranged identity, a fractured childhood, and a promise left unfulfilled. He eventually learns to rise above the currents of his grief, and carry forward the spirit of a bond that once saved him.
The film celebrates the richness of Mangyan traditions, intergenerational healing, and how the poignant memory of a friend, can bring forth healing and the courage to rewrite one’s future.
Status Rejected
Status Rejected
Directed by Vahn Leinard Pascual
Story by Vahn Leinard Pascual
Screenplay by Vahn Leinard Pascual and Ivan Villacorta Gentolizo
Produced by Fea Fortuna
LOGLINE
Longing for love and the promise of a better life, a grandmother finds herself swept into an unexpected online romance that challenges her sense of worth, family, and the dreams she refuses to let go of.
SYNOPSIS
Virginia “Biring” Divinagracia, a 73-year-old widow, has spent her life caring for others— her children, her grandchildren, and a home that no longer feels like hers. After yet another U.S. visa rejection, her dream of reuniting with her son, Kiko, abroad feels impossible.
A chance reunion with an old friend introduces her to the digital world, where Biring rediscovers connection and visibility. There, she meets a charming American stranger, Steve, who makes her feel wanted for the first time in decades.
As her heart opens, so does her hope that this might finally be her ticket to love and to the America she’s always dreamt of. But as her world begins to revolve around the screen, the line between dream and delusion blurs, testing how far she’ll go for love and belonging.
Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam
Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam
Director: David Corpuz
Writers: David Corpuz and Iar Lionel Arondaing
Producer: Kristine Camille Sulit
LOGLINE
Bound by a love kept in silence, a man struggles to remain seen within a family that once made him feel at home.
Tirik
Tirik
(To Set Upright)
Directed by May-i Guia Padilla
Story by Charlson Ong
LOGLINE
Paring Bert, a priest, and his parishioner, Santos, a taxi driver, goes on a gritty journey to make peace with their moral conflicts while they elude an assassination attempt.
SYNOPSIS
Set against the backdrop of Manila’s unforgiving streets during the height of the drug war, TIRIK follows Paring Bert, a weary but steadfast priest, and Santos, a rugged taxi driver haunted by his past. Their unexpected journey begins as an act of faith and compassion—an ordinary funeral visit that turns into a day-long odyssey through guilt, redemption, and moral reckoning.
As the two men traverse urban chaos and rural silence, they confront the fragile lines between sin and salvation, justice
and vengeance. What starts as a road trip becomes a confessional of conscience, where each kilometer peels back their buried truths and tests the limits of their faith in God and in each other. Through moments of grim humor, humanity, and quiet dread,
TIRIK asks: how far will a man go to make peace with himself—and at what cost?
Short Films
ASCENSION FROM THE OFFICE CUBICLE
ASCENSION FROM THE OFFICE CUBICLE
by Hannah Silvestre
Thelma, an exploited call center agent, grows increasingly enamored by the late night host of the local lottery draw.
Thelma is a call center agent overwhelmed by the oppressive monotony and exploitation of her job. Craving a real connection amidst her dreary work environment, she turns to the lottery as a flicker of hope. Her infatuation with the charming lotto presenter, Arman, begins as a harmless fantasy but soon spirals into full-blown obsession. As Thelma’s disillusionment deepens, she finds solace in the imagined world inside her computer screen, where Arman offers her a way out of her mundane reality. A surreal journey through tiny vices, false hopes and quick fixes, “Ascension from the Office Cubicle” is a tribute to all modern-day laborers.
FIGAT
by Handiong Kapuno
While the world is lost in screens, a young Kalinga girl – untouched by the pull of technology – brings a handmade instrument to class, carrying the voice of her ancestors and inspiring a quiet yet powerful return to cultural pride.
Figat is a simple and uplifting short film that follows Ching-ay, a spirited young girl from Kalinga who carries the soul of her ancestors amidst the noise of modern distractions. When her teacher assigns the class to bring a musical instrument, Ching-ay chooses to embark on a journey to craft a traditional instrument from her roots. Guided by her elders and the rhythms of her heritage, she discovers the profound beauty and power of her culture. Along with her best friend Gu-ay–as, Ching-ay plays her handmade instrument before her classmates, not only bridging the gap between past and present but also awakens a sense of cultural pride that resonates far beyond her classroom. Figat is a celebration of tradition, resilience, and the quiet strength of a young girl determined to keep her culture alive.</div
HASANG
by Daniel De La Cruz
One summer, a young boy witnesses his grandmother slowly transforming into a tilapia.
Boni lives in a rural community, steeped in indigenous belief that the deceased are believed to transform into animals after death and return to the wilderness. One summer, he is entrusted with caring for his grandmother, only to witness her slowly transforming into a tilapia. Conflicted by love, fear, and helplessness, he must navigate his grief and the spiritual significance of her transformation. Boni faces a challenging journey of letting go and embracing the mystical truths while discovering the interconnectedness of all beings in their slowly deteriorating world.
I’M BEST LEFT INSIDE MY HEAD
by Elian Idioma
Alec Dominguez, a 20 something year old multi talented, multi-awarded-golden-boy- adopted by the–owners–of–gay-philanthropists has a reunion with his old buddies from his original home, The Dominguez Orphanage.
Alec Dominguez, a 20-something-year-old multi-talented, multi-awarded-golden-boy—adopted by the owners of gay philanthropists—returns for a long-awaited reunion with his old buddies from his original home, The Dominguez Orphanage. He lingers outside, staring at the worn facade with a nostalgic expression, the smell of old wood and faint laundry drifting toward him, before an excited voice interrupts. It’s Boy Tao. They hug tightly, laughter hiding years of absence. Inside the plenary hall, Boy introduces him to the rest of the gang: Frueland, Edilberto, and Song Un, accompanied by his ever-literal translator, TRANSlator. Over dinner, the chatter flows warmly—at first. Yet Alec notices something off in the way they speak to him, almost like he’s a guest in a place that once felt like his own. One by one, questions dig deeper, centering on his life after adoption. Song Un drops a homophobic jab about Alec’s parents. Alec tries to respond, but Boy cuts him off with accusations and guilt. Then Jeppilon appears— burned, broken—a symbol of the orphanage’s neglect after Alec left. The guilt crushes him. In a violent vision, friends morph into a monstrous amalgamation tearing him apart. In reality, only Frueland and Edilberto remain, watching as Alec, smiling faintly, summons a guitar.
KAY BASTA ANGKARABO YAY BAGAY IBAT HA LANGIT
by Maria Estela Paiso
A young girl turns into a fish and recounts the territorial aggression being experienced by the fisherfolk in her hometown Zambales.
Standing by the beach, young Sita confesses to her mother that she almost drowned in these waters when she was a child. In turn, her mother admits that though she grew up by the sea, she never learned how to swim. Sita and her mother turn into half-fish-half-humans and swim through their turbulent past in Zambales, all while listening to the local fisherfolk recount the territorial aggression of China in the West Philippine Sea.
KUNG TUGNAW ANG KAIDALMAN SANG LAWOD
by Seth Andrew Blanca
In his desperation to send money to his girlfriend, a debt-stricken seafarer takes his superior’s help, only to sense an unknown presence tightening its hold on him.
At the end of the month, an ordinary seaman sent his hard-earned money to his girlfriend, only to know it wasn’t enough. Fearing she might leave him, he borrows again — this time from the ship’s Second Officer. As time goes by, the officer keeps pressing him about the unpaid debt, but the seaman keeps putting him off, trying to calm things down with massages. Anxiety eats away at him, haunted by the fear that he might be reported. His mind begins to sink into despair. As the voyage stretched, there was a “Thing creeping through the corridors and walls. It has a voice, but no face. Watching from a distance, the thing lets him know it’s there — waiting.
PLEASE KEEP THIS COPY
by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta
Across a white void, old pages come to life and speak. A cacophony of archival voices of rebellious youth in a private all-boys Catholic high school during a moment of political turmoil breaks through, seeking liberation as lines break out of formation and colored ink spills out of the pages.
Across a white void, old documents and mementos appear, telling the story of a recent past. During a moment of great political change and violence in the country, a rowdy class of high school students growing up in an elite private all-boys Catholic school attempt to navigate systems of influence and control. They do what teenagers do when told what to do: they try to make their own fun, and find their own voice in the process.
RADIKALS
by Arvin Belarmino
A young rookie from a bizarre chicken-dance group faces a heckler after being the worst dancer at a performance — leading him to a series of strange events that reveal what the group does to their weakest link.
Radikals follows a young, inexperienced dancer in an eccentric “Bakte” troupe whose disastrous performance draws the ire of a relentless heckler. What begins as a humiliating encounter spirals into a bizarre chain of events, revealing the troupe’s unsettling way of handling its weakest links.
THE NEXT 24 HOURS
by Carl Joseph Papa
LOGLINE
After a sexual assault, a young woman navigates a cold and bureaucratic system over the course of 24 hours, fighting to reclaim her safety and sanity while battling the manipulations of her assailant.
SYNOPSIS
Sheila, a 29-year-old living in Metro Manila, is grappling with the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault. Over 24 hours, she faces a detached healthcare system, hides her trauma at work, and resists her assailant’s manipulation. Consumed by shame, fear, and disbelief, Sheila struggles to reclaim control of her body, her life, and her safety. “The Next 24 Hours” is a harrowing and intimate look at what it’s like to navigate a society that often fails to protect its victims.
WATER SPORTS
by Whammy Alcazaren
LOGLINE
Two sad boys harness the power of their love in an attempt to survive a world devastated by climate change.
SYNOPSIS
The Teacher believes that children are our future. He says to teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Jelson and Ipe, students deep in love, undergo trials of the mind and body as they prepare themselves to survive a world devastated by climate change. Though life may be harsh and unforgiving, They believe what their teacher says that a strong heart and mind can triumph with an iron will. But Jelson and Ipe soon learn that maybe the best way to survive the end of the world is to simply just live, laugh, and love.