Pakil brings faith, heritage to first Turumba Film Festival
The historic town of Pakil is opening a new chapter in its cultural story as it prepares to stage the 1st Turumba Film Festival on September 3, 2026.
Built around the theme “Tanaw at Tradisyon: Pagtatanod sa Lupa, Lawa at Kabundukan,” the inaugural festival will use cinema as a platform to explore the community’s identity, traditions and relationship with the natural environment.
Known for its deeply rooted religious and cultural heritage, Pakil will bring together three important elements of community life—faith, art and film—in an event envisioned to encourage greater appreciation of the town’s history and traditions.
The festival also puts attention on the landscapes that have helped shape generations of life in the community. From the lake to the surrounding mountains and land, these places are more than scenic backdrops; they form part of the livelihood, memories and collective identity of the people.
Through filmmaking and visual storytelling, the Turumba Film Festival hopes to inspire audiences to look more closely at these connections while encouraging conversations about preserving both cultural traditions and the environment for future generations.
The festival takes its name from Turumba, a devotion closely associated with Pakil and an important part of the town’s religious identity. By bringing that familiar name into the world of cinema, the new event creates another avenue through which local stories and experiences can be shared and celebrated.
The first edition also reflects how filmmaking can serve as a living record of a community. Stories captured on screen can preserve customs, document changing landscapes and introduce younger audiences to traditions that have been passed down through generations.
The 1st Turumba Film Festival will be held on September 3, 2026, with organizers expected to announce the venue and complete program in the coming days.
As Pakil welcomes its first Turumba Film Festival, the occasion promises more than a gathering for movie lovers. It becomes an invitation to rediscover a town through its people, spirituality, environment and stories—and to recognize cinema as another powerful way of keeping heritage alive.
