'Malditas in Maldives' and 'Hearts in Transit,' 'Yes, we Cannes!'
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FOUNDER and chairman of NDM Plus Nijel de Mesa.
Photograph courtesy of IG/Nijel De Mesa
Daily TribuneShare
FOUNDER and chairman of NDM Plus Nijel de Mesa.
Photograph courtesy of IG/Nijel De Mesa
The Filipino entertainment powerhouse NDM Plus made waves at the recently concluded 2026 Cannes Film Festival, with two of its films, Malditas in Maldives and Hearts in Transit, selected by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to participate in the Philippine Pavilion’s official Marché du Film efforts.
The first film, Malditas in Maldives, starred Arci Muñoz, Kiray Celis and Janelle Tee. Hearts in Transit, meanwhile, starred Will Devaughn, Nico Locco and Sheridan Mortlock in the lead roles.
“I was delightfully surprised. We were in Japan shooting Rob the Firipins with Richard Quan, Robert Seña and Anthony Ocampo when I found out we got selected. We all found out together! It was an honor, and I am grateful to the FDCP that they saw remarkable merits in our company and films,” Nijel de Mesa, founder, owner, chairman and CEO of NDM Plus, said during an exclusive interview with this DAILY TRIBUNE columnist. “It opened doors for international sales, co-productions and streaming opportunities abroad.”
The reception to the two films? Said De Mesa: “They were received well. The films were critiqued by most participants in the Marché du Film as refreshing and unique in approach.”
“We screened the films in other pavilions — like the Italian Pavilion — and at other film events like the RecDeck party,” De Mesa shared. “We only showed snippets of the films in the Singapore-Philippine Pavilion since other producers’ intention in meeting with us was so that they could pitch their projects for our streaming platform, NDM Plus.”
“When we were presenting Malditas in Maldives and Hearts in Transit, people were generally piqued,” De Mesa said as his face beamed with pride. “But of course, everyone at Cannes is a film buff, so it was nice that you saw genuine reactions from peers and the global film community. They were in unison in loving the color grading and cinematography. Most were impressed with Arci Muñoz’s dramatic and comedic chops.”
Yes, they ‘Cannes’
De Mesa was with his wife, Jan Christine, executive vice president of NDM Plus and NDM Studios. Their participation at the prestigious Marché du Film instantly generated attention among filmmakers and international producers eager to collaborate with one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-rising entertainment companies.
“I believe that we were the Filipino studio everyone was pitching to,” De Mesa said with a confident smile and a twinkle in his eyes. “You know, inside the bustling halls and luxury meeting spaces of the Marché du Film, filmmakers from Italy, Spain, France, Australia and New York pitched projects daily to NDM Plus. Executives and producers expressed in the clearest of terms their hopes for co-production opportunities.”
Highlights
The company was able to showcase a formidable lineup of upcoming films and original creative properties that drew strong interest from international buyers, distributors and production groups.
Among those featured were Ghost Project — a full-length horror-comedy film starring Moymoy Palaboy, Analyn Barro, Lance Raymundo, Regine Angeles, Dennis Padilla and Toffi Santos; Rob the Firipins — a full-length fantasy-comedy starring Robert Seña, Richard Quan and Anthony Ocampo; Naijeru — a brand-new anime film; and director Carlo Alvarez’s The Moments After, Anatomy of a Muse and Midnight Cut.
What further strengthened the presence of NDM Plus was when it became one of the major participants at the Singapore-Philippines Pavilion located within the Marché du Film grounds.
De Mesa rounded up his recollection of the Cannes experience with this tale: “A once-in-a-lifetime moment for me was when I walked the iconic Cannes red carpet during the premiere of El Ser Querido, with Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem as its lead actor. To me, walking the red carpet symbolized something larger than prestige. It represented the arrival of a new generation of Filipino storytellers prepared to compete and collaborate on the world stage. What unfolded in Cannes was more than a successful festival appearance. It was a declaration that Philippine cinema is no longer confined to local screens. It is global."