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With the Academy Awards race heating up, Filipino cinephiles are getting rare, timely access to one of this year’s most talked-about international contenders. Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value—winner of the Cannes Grand Prix and nominee for Golden Globe Best Motion Picture – Drama—will screen in Philippine cinemas from 28 January to 3 February.
The Norwegian drama is nominated at the 98th Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best International Feature Film, and Best Actress in a Leading Role, placing it firmly at the center of the global awards conversation. Its arrival in Manila comes just as Oscar momentum peaks, giving local audiences the chance to experience the film on the big screen during its most crucial moment.
The screenings are made possible through FDCP Presents: A Curation of World Cinema, the annual program of the Film Development Council of the Philippines that brings internationally acclaimed films to local theaters.
“As 2026 begins, the Film Development Council of the Philippines will open the audiences to the best of world cinema,” said FDCP Chairman and CEO Jose Javier Reyes.
This year’s lineup places Sentimental Value alongside other major festival and awards standouts, reinforcing the FDCP’s commitment to sustaining film culture and theatrical viewing in the Philippines.
Sharing the spotlight with Sentimental Value is It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi, the Palme d’Or–winning film that continues the director’s fearless exploration of truth, resistance, and everyday humanity. Also included is The Sound of Falling by Mascha Schilinski, Germany’s official entry to the Academy Awards and winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, as well as Resurrection by Bi Gan, recipient of the Cannes Prix Spécial Award, known for its hypnotic and dreamlike approach to time and memory.
FDCP World Cinema films will screen in select venues across Metro Manila and key provincial locations, including SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, Ayala Malls Cinemas, Gateway Cineplex, Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinemas, Power Plant Cinema, Cinema ’76 Film Society, and Cinema 2000. Tickets are priced at ₱250, with schedules available through participating cinemas.
As awards season enters its final stretch, FDCP Presents places Filipino audiences inside the global conversation—back in theaters, where these films are meant to be seen.
The return of FDCP Presents comes at a moment when cinema faces constant competition from streaming platforms, short-form videos, and vertical content. Yet recent commentary underscores why theatrical viewing remains irreplaceable.
In a VMMAN-SEA article titled “Cinema Is Not Dead: Why Theaters Still Matter,” published this month, writer Dayne Aduna notes: “that the magic of cinema lives in theaters, where stories are felt together, not alone at home.”
The article also recalls a moment from the awards circuit that resonated deeply with film lovers. When Stellan Skarsgård accepted his Golden Globes award, he said: “In a cinema, where the lights go down and eventually you share the pulse with other people, that is magic. Cinema should be seen in cinemas.”
Aduna further encapsulated what many cinephiles find reassuring: “Streaming platforms, home theaters, and shorter content have changed the way people consume movies. But the shared experience Stellan describes is something that cannot be replicated on a laptop or a television. The thrill of the lights dimming, the collective reaction of an audience, and the feeling of being part of something larger cannot be streamed.”
In this context, FDCP Presents reinforces cinema’s sustainability by keeping films where they belong—on the big screen. By curating acclaimed international titles and screening them nationwide, the program sustains theatrical viewing as a shared, cultural experience, not just a mode of consumption.
