Hilda Koronel's 'Sisa' selected at Tallinn’s A-List Black Nights Film Festival

Philippine cinema legend Hilda Koronel is making her highly awaited comeback to film with the world premiere of Jun Robles Lana’s Sisa. The movie was chosen for the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF, Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival) this coming November.

Renowned for her roles in Lino Brocka’s masterpieces Insiang and Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Koronel has become one of the Philippines’ most celebrated actresses for over four decades. She went on hiatus and moved to Los Angeles in 2012. 

After over a decade, she returns with a piece helmed by acclaimed director Jun Robles Lana, a recognized name in the international festival circuit with award-winning films like Bwakaw, Barber’s Tales and Die Beautiful.

Tallinn Black Nights is Northern Europe’s largest film event and recognized as one of the FIAPF-accredited “A-list” festivals alongside the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. Sisa's selection in its Official Competition affirms both the film’s artistic strength and the continuing global resonance of Filipino storytelling.

For international audiences familiar with Philippine cinema, Koronel represents a living connection to the golden age of Filipino social realism, an actress whose performances have become essential to world cinema history. Sisa promises to introduce her timeless artistry to new generations, in a story that bridges the local and the universal.

Sisa’s world premiere will be on 20 November in the Official Competition of the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. Both Lana and Koronel are scheduled to attend both the premiere and the awards ceremony of the festival.

Sisa was supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Film Philippines Office, produced by The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films, Quantum Films, Cineko Productions, CMB Films, YayWati International, in association with Kidlat Entertainment.