The Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival will close on Tuesday with a lineup of 61 films. I had hoped to catch all five competing feature films, but their screenings were scattered across different times and cinemas, making it impossible to marathon them with a tight schedule. As of press time, I managed to watch six short films from Set J and one full-length feature.

SET J: SHORTS 

HELLO, MR. JENKINS 

by Gian Arre & Flo Reyes

Originally an entry in last year’s advocacy-driven Sorok Short Film Festival, the technically polished Mr. Jenkins remains relevant. Tastefully executed in portraying a sensitive subject, the film contrasts bright colors with the grim reality of online child sexual abuse and exploitation. Jaime Fabregas plays the titular Mr. Jenkins, a children’s show host with catchy ditties and a disquieting focus on young Emily — superbly acted by Cassy Lavarias.

3 out of 5 stars

IPON-IPON (SAVING) 

by John Rev A. Remo

The most affecting entry in the set portrays a child caught between warring parents. Technically rough but emotionally powerful, the film follows a young schoolboy saving money to treat his parents to a picnic, dreaming they might love each other again. It packs a gut punch with its depiction of innocence, while also engaging weighty themes: unwanted pregnancy, the Filipino norm of forcing marriage to avoid childbirth out of wedlock, and whether a broken family can be better than a toxic but intact one.

4 out of 5 stars

PUNO’T DULO NG BAHAGHARI (BEGINNING AND END OF THE RAINBOW) by Kyle Dexter Millave

An insightful documentary on “deadnaming” — when someone refers to a transgender person by the name they used before transitioning instead of their chosen name. It follows a trans man, Jhen, and a trans woman, Pat, and explores how being addressed correctly affirms identity. It also examines the Philippine legal system, where documents like passports still bind officials to gender markers on record. The subject deserves a full-length treatment, but this short offers a meaningful glimpse.

3 out of 5 stars

BOI by Luke del Castillo

 Tense and unsettling, the drama follows Reggie, an awkward boy who cannot stand up for himself, living with his mother and her live-in partner. A coming-of-age tale, it captures the confusion many LGBT youth face while growing up. The film portrays homophobia, abuse, and bullying with painful clarity: From Reggie’s struggles on the basketball court to his humiliation at the hands of his stepfather, culminating in an explosive release of long-suppressed anger.

4 out of 5 stars

MGA ANINGAL SA TAGUANGKAN (ECHOES FROM THE WOMB) 

by Rovic Lopez

A feminist short on unwanted pregnancy, the film imagines the father gaining perspective during gestation. Its execution is too abstract, with drawn-out sequences that fail to move emotionally, but it provokes some reflection.
1 out of 5 stars

SA DIHANG NABULABOG ANG TANAN (THE DAY I MESSED UP) by Redh Honoridez

This comedy follows an aspiring teenage filmmaker surprised on his anniversary with his girlfriend. It’s a light, amusing romp about hormones, young love, and passion for cinema. The girlfriend’s father steals the show with hilarious antics. Ultimately, though, it feels like filler — fluffy but entertaining.

2.5 out of 5 stars

FULL LENGTH

JEONGBU 

Topel Lee’s slow-burn horror is confined mostly to a house where an estranged couple lives with their teenage daughter. The jump scares fall flat, and repetitive scenes dull the impact, making the film drag. 

Ritz Azul, as the distressed mother, delivers a strong, convincing performance despite a thin script. Her tension with Aljur Abrenica, as the distant father, and their teenage daughter is palpable. Still, midway through, the heavy borrowing from the 2001 Nicole Kidman film The Others becomes obvious. Yet the ending twists again and again, ultimately landing in amusement rather than emotional force.

1.5 out of 5 stars

Sinag Maynila is currently screening at Gateway 2, Robinsons Manila, Trinoma, Robinsons Antipolo and Market! Market!. Tickets are priced at P250. The festival closes on 30 September, with the awards night, Gabi ng Parangal, set for tonight, 28 September.