Daily Tribune
'Abanse.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Bloom Where You Are Planted.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Child No. 82.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Cinemartyrs.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Open Endings.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Padamlagan.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Paglilitis.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Republika ng Pipolipinas.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
'Warla.'
Photograph courtesy of Cinemalaya
Cinemalaya announced today, 18 August, its official festival dates for the 21st edition: 3 to 12 October, with Shangri-La Plaza, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, as its central hub. As in previous years, the festival is expected to be screened simultaneously in other select malls, alongside its central hub at Shangri-La Plaza.
The festival has been making the rounds of different locations: the Philippine International Convention Center in 2023, Ayala Malls Manila Bay in 2024, and now Shangri-La Plaza. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, Cinemalaya’s longtime home, remains under renovation, with the CCP Main Building in Pasay City expected to welcome the festival back by 2027.
This year’s 10 full-length competition line-up offers a wide range of stories:
Abanse, written and directed by Chad Vidanes, follows a single mother who brings her son to a campaign rally in hopes of restoring his scholarship, only for the event to descend into a fatal stampede.
Bloom Where You Are Planted, written and directed by Noni Abao, tells of three land rights activists who endure exile, imprisonment, and death as they cling to their vision of home in Cagayan Valley.
Child No. 82, written and directed by Tim Rone Villanueva, tracks a teenager racing against time at a movie star’s wake to prove he is the late icon’s illegitimate child.
Cinemartyrs, written and directed by Sari Dalena, centers on a filmmaker whose attempt to restage forgotten massacres awakens spirits and endangers her crew.
Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan, written and directed by Dustin Celestino, portrays four Filipinos grappling with political deceit and personal reckonings in a fractured society.
Open Endings, written by Keavy Eunice Vicente and directed by Nigel Santos, explores the friendship of four queer women—exes turned allies—whose bond is shaken by a life-changing decision.
Padamlágan (Nightlight), written and directed by Jenn Romano, follows a father’s desperate search for his missing son after the Colgante Bridge collapses in Naga just days before Martial Law.
Paglilitis, written by Raymund Barcelon and directed by Cheska Marfori, depicts a woman who reopens her harassment case against a powerful boss, only to find herself tried in the unforgiving court of social media.
Republika ng Pipolipinas, written and directed by Renei Dimla, tells of a farmer who declares her land a micronation in defiance of eviction and corruption.
Warla, written by Arah Badayos and directed by Kevin Z. Alambra, follows a gang of transgender women funding their transition through kidnappings until violence threatens to tear them apart.
Alongside the main competition, Cinemalaya will continue its short film program (2025 finalists yet to be announced), plus a showcase of Filipino classics, documentaries, and art films. Book launches, filmmaker talks, and workshops will also take place throughout the festival.
For full updates, follow Cinemalaya’s official social media pages.
