OPENING NIGHT
MANILA'S FINEST (2025)
Directed by Raymond Red
Genre: Thriller | Crime | Action
Starring: Piolo Pascual, Enrique Gil, and Ashtine Olviga
Synopsis: A police thriller set against the tumultuous “First Quarter Storm” in 1970 Manila, this award-winning and controversial period piece from Raymond Red, the first Filipino filmmaker to win the Cannes Short Film Palme d’Or, has earned praise for its subject matter, storytelling, performances, and lush, striking cinematography and art direction. Starring Piolo Pascual, Enrique Gil, and Cedrick Juan.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Lea salonga: A mini retrospective
SANA MAULIT MULI (2025)
Directed by Olivia M. Lamasan
Genre: Romance | Drama
Starring: Aga Muhlach, Lea Salonga, and William Martinez
Synopsis: Lea Salonga and Aga Muhlach star in Olivia Lamasan‘s 1995 romantic drama as a Manila couple separated when Agnes leaves for San Francisco on her mother’s petition and Jerry follows her to America.
THE VALE - ORIGINS (2026)
Directed by John Aoshima and Abigails Hing Wen
Genre: Animation | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Short
Starring: Lea Salonga, Robert Palmer Watkins, and Egan Xander
Synopsis: A grieving, inventor family finds new life in their collective creativity when they build an AI-generated, virtual reality world around their young son’s imaginations. A hybrid live-action and animated short film starring Lea Salonga that marked Abigail Hing Wen’s directorial debut and serves as a prequel to her middle-grade novel, The Vale.
exclusive preview screening
FORGOTTEN ISLAND (2026)
Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado
Genre: Animation | Comedy | Adventure
Starring: H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Manny Jacinto, Jo Koy
Synopsis: From the filmmaking team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the DreamWorks Animation original follows lifelong best friends Jo, voiced by H.E.R., and Raissa, voiced by Liza Soberano, who stumble upon a portal that transports them to the island of Nakalimutan and the magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing about from their Filipino families. But when Jo and Raissa discover that their memories of their entire friendship ar
FEATURE FILMS
NO ROOM FOR LOVE (2026)
Directed by Randal Kamradt and Malou Kamradt
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Dramedy
Starring: Rey “Jaya” Aclao, Bong Cabrera, Garth Garcia
Synopsis: From the filmmakers behind The Monsters Without, a comedy about a Filipino American family of seven sharing one Los Angeles apartment, with each family member chasing a career in entertainment.
EDDIE ROMERO REMASTERED: A CENTURY OF FILIPINO CINEMA (2026)
Directed by Baby Ruth Villarma
Genre: Documentary | Biographical
Starring: Baby Ruth Villarma
Synopsis: From the filmmaking team behind Sunday Beauty Queen and Food Delivery, the documentary presents a portrait of National Artist and major Quentin Tarantino influence, Eddie Romero, whose career ranged from English-language genre pictures filmed in the Philippines to the landmark Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?.
THE ROAD TO SYDNEY (2025)
Directed by Benito Bautista
Genre: Biographical Documentary | LGBTQ+
Starring: Sydney Loyola
Synopsis: From the Emmy-winning director of Harana, the documentary follows Philippine dance master and choreographer Sydney Loyola from Palawan to the San Francisco Bay Area as she transitions, loses her job and housing, and returns home to reclaim her art and reconcile with her father.
58TH (2026)
Directed by Carl Joseph Papa
Genre: Biographical Drama | Animation
Starring: Glaiza De Castro, Ricky Davao, Mikoy Moralez
Synopsis: An animated documentary about the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, told through the family of Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, the photojournalist whose remains were never recovered and whose death the courts left unacknowledged. From the director of Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing), the film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and competed at Annecy earlier this year.
QUEZON (2025)
Directed by Jerrold Tarog
Genre: Historical Drama | Political Satire | Dark Comedy
Starring: Jericho Rosales, Benjamin Alves, and Mon Confiado
Synopsis: Quezon chronicles the political rise and complex legacy of Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. When his fight for Philippine independence from the United States is put to the test, Manuel L. Quezon finds himself playing the brutal game of politics, ambition, and the moral costs of leadership.
KAPPAN-TIRAN (2026)
Directed by Neal “Buboy” Tan
Genre: Thriller
Starring: Ejay Falcon, Sheryl Cruz, Aljur Abrenica, Patricia Javier, Bembol Roco
Synopsis:A controversial thriller set within the shadowy, insular and institutionally shielded world of fraternities and sororities and its banned tradition of hazing, Kappa-Tiran features a multi-generational cast including Ejay Falcon, Sheryl Cruz, Aljur Abrenica, Patricia Javier, Bembol Roco and a host of the Philippines’ top young acting talent.
MUSIC SHORT FILMS SPOTLIGHT
pinay (2026)
Directed by Kessa Ocampo
Genre: Music Documentary
Synopsis: A chronicle of the pioneering Bay Area-based vocal group that ushered in the first wave of Asian American contemporary pop music in the 90s. The film is produced by Christina Luna and directed by Keesa Ocampo, a two-time Emmy Award-winning television writer, director, and producer.
ALONG COMES LARRY, THE LARRY RAMOS STORY (2025)
Directed by Rick Quan
Genre: Biography | Documentary | Educational | History
Starring: Tracy Ramos, Stacy Ramos, Jules Alexander, Del Ramos, Paul Holland
Synopsis: This story chronicles the life of Larry Ramos, a child ukulele prodigy from Kauai, Hawaii, who became the first Asian American to win a Grammy Award.
BEBOT “GENERATION 1” (4K REMASTERED) (2006)
Directed by Patricio Ginelsa
Genre: Music Video
Starring: A newly remastered edition of Bebot: Generation One, the Black Eyed Peas music video directed by Patricio Ginelsa (Lumpia with a Vengeance), presented for its 20th anniversary.
VETERANO (2026)
Directed by Patrick Epino
Genre: Short | Thriller
Starring: Jon Jon Briones, Derrick Aguis, Elmor Garlitos
Synopsis: In 1981 San Francisco, Valentino is an aging Filipino World War II veteran. Beaten down by an oppressive system that stripped him of promised citizenship and benefits, he grabs his old pistol and army jacket for a tense, high-stakes final mission inside a bank.