Alessandra de Rossi

Green Bones

A soon-to-be released criminal and a corrections officer is still grieving over the death of his sister opposing the prisoner's release.

Firefly

The film follows a young boy's search for the mythical island of fireflies described in his mother's bedtime stories. Using the "clues" he believes his mother left behind in an old notebook, the boy makes the long journey to the magical island to wish her back to life.

What If?

When a pair of newlywed musicians get trapped in a storm on their island honeymoon, they must face difficult truths that could tear their marriage apart.

Nothing Like Paris

Jojo, a Filipino artist in Paris who has had many lovers, but constantly finds himself desperate to fill the chasm in his life occupied by the mysterious muse of his paintings. For years, his heart is held captive by a woman with no name and no history. Like a compass, Jojo looks for her in every girl he meets, hoping she will be “the one.” One day, a woman named Marie, walks up to Jojo and claims to be the subject of his paintings.

My Amanda

Two unusually close friends share every aspect of their lives together. As their lives evolve, their bond remains the only constant.

Lucid

A young woman who leads a lonely, mundane existence in the real world but who has the perfect life in her lucid dreams which she can somehow control, meets a mysterious stranger who challenges her to turn her dream life into something a bit more adventurous. Then her dreams become more real than her reality and the line between the two starts to blur.

Watch List

Set against the drug wars in the Philippines, Maria's husband is murdered in mysterious circumstances and is left to fend for her three children in a police state. As she delves into Manila’s dark underworld of cops, criminals, and drugs to find answers, she realizes the truth is never black and white, and that she must explore her own darkness to keep her family safe.

Through Night and Day

It follows Ben and Jen whose relationship is put to test as they embark on a trip of a lifetime to Jen's lifelong dream destination Iceland.

Dark Is the Night

Filipino director Adolfo Alix Jr. returns to the Festival with this timely story of a couple caught up in Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs when their son goes missing.

12

Anton and Erika started out as friends for five years and got into a romantic relationship for seven years. Anton is a commercial director while Erika is a former band member and becomes his stay-at-home partner. The day finally comes when he asks her to marry him.

History of the Underground

'History of the Underground' takes a hard and painful look at life during Martial Law with rare and recently unreleased footage from the era

Kita Kita

Lea is a tour guide in Japan who suffered from temporary blindness and if not cured in a few weeks could be permanent. Tonyo who lives right across from Lea is persistent and determined to be her friend. They then become closer and Lea has seen the true character of Tonyo.

Echorsis

A young hustler takes advantage of the love of a gay man, and pays consequences for it in the form of a demonic possession.

A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery

Andrés Bonifacio is celebrated as the father of the Philippines Revolution against Spanish colonial rule. This eight-hour epic examines this myth, undertaking an expedition into history through various interwoven narrative threads, held together by an exploration of the individual’s role in history.

In Case They Don't Arrive

A series of mysterious hand-illustrated postcards take a young woman on a journey throughout the Philippines in search of its anonymous writer.

Dahling Nick

The story of Nick Joaquin, who only accepted the National Artist Award on the condition that the Marcos administration release a well-known writer who was being unjustly detained during Martial Law.

Water Lemon

A story set in a coastal Quezon town where the mundane lives of a grieving widow, her socially-handicapped son and a helpless grandfather interconnect to create bumps in their flatline lives.

Echoes in the Midst of Indecision

Amidst the social and political struggles of the "Bagong Lipunan" era, Red grows up with his middle-class family as an ordinary boy. He then finds himself caught between the conflicts brought by his mother's unbending ideologies, and his father's apolitical instinct to protect his family.

Kid Kulafu

Before he became one of the world's greatest boxers, Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao was a young boy living a hand-to-mouth existence, trying to survive from one day to the next. When he discovers his natural talent for boxing, he embarks on a brutal and intense journey that takes him from the mountains of the Philippines to the streets of Manila, and must risk everything to become a champion - for himself, his family, and his country.

Scarecrow

The search for a missing watch instigates the painful quest for the truth in Belyn’s and her son’s life.

Relaks, It's Just Pag-ibig

Bold Sari enlists with Josh, a young man whom she barely met. They set from Metro Manila to Leyte to find the owner of a letter she found and see the fulfillment of its vow. They discover that the journey is just as relevant as their goal.

Mauban: Ang Resiko

Widow Susan moonlights as a resort masseuse, her second son Junior is into lapu-lapu fish-raising, while her daughter Lota and husband Dudut are into wine-making. A daily fare, 'resiko' treat, has become a threat to the family's fight for survival.

The Mascot

A disgruntled fast food worker finds himself stuck inside his mascot costume.

Woman of the Ruins

On a storm-ravaged island that has seen its share of tragedy, a person who had been assumed dead reappears and ignites a frenzy of reactions, ranging from ecstatic religious fervor to fear.

Liars

The film tells the story of a journalist (Eloisa) whose expose’ of the truth results in life-changing consequences to a baseball team of poor boys. Inspired by a true story.

Alfredo S. Lim: The Untold Story

Alfredo S. Lim has just been awarded as one of Manila's ten most outstanding policemen. The celebration has abruptly ended when one of his co-honorees is killed while trying to stop a robbery. Lim tracks down these criminals which ruffles the feathers of powerful people. His work takes a personal toll on his marriage and also puts his family in danger.

Mater Dolorosa

A woman runs her criminal syndicate all the while taking care of her family.

The Palawan Script

A man gets involved with two mystic sisters who happened to save him from dying ashore.

Sta. Niña

When Paulino Mungcal and his co-worker in a lahar-filled quarry unexpectedly dig up the remains of his 2-year daughter Marikit, they discover that she showed no signs of decay. Could this be a miracle, and could she -- despite death – cure the sick? Inspired by whatever healing power the deceased child may have, Pol asks the church to declare her a saint. But how, when her resurgence stirs up emotions buried by time, and shores up questions about pure love, guilt, sin and salvation?

Ka Oryang

A young woman witnesses the beginnings of a revolution during Martial Law.

Palawan Fate

Punay was born with wounds on her feet so that she cannot step on the earth. Her brother, Angkarang, carries her through a hammock, as he searches the changing landscape of Palawan in hoping to find a healer who can cure Punay. Different people help him carry his sister along the way- a woman looking for her husband, a fisherman who lost his boat, and a young man who is searching for himself- and each one meets their fate.

Dalaw

For the sake of her son, Paolo, Stella is re-married to another man, Anton, in the hopes of a having a whole and peaceful family life. However, after the wedding, she experiences major haunting that endangers her life and the people around her. All the clues are pointing to her dead husband. Feeling guilty of her ex-husband’s death, Stella tries to save her family from the ghost’s wrath. Along the way, secrets start to unravel and Stella is now unsure of who is haunting her and why she is being haunted.

Independencia

Early 20th century Philippines. The sounds of war signal the arrival of the Americans. A mother and son flee to the mountains, hoping for a quiet life. One day, the son discovers a wounded woman in the middle of the forest, and decides to bring her home.

Romeo at Juliet

An unconventional love story between two souls. Their past catches up on them as their affection for each other goes stronger...

Pinoy Sunday

The discovery of a discarded sofa, in Taipei city, transforms a routine Sunday into a capricious adventure of perseverance and self-discovery for Filipino guest workers Manuel and Dado.

Manila

A tribute to filmmakers and National Artists Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. In the "Day" segment, Piolo Pacual portrays the role of William, a drug addict who tries to rebuild his sense of self and reconnect with the people around him. For the "Night" segment, Pascual portrays the role of Philip, who works as a bodyguard for a mayor's son. The bodyguard believes that his boss considers him as part of the family but after a shooting incident, he realizes his real worth to his boss. As he struggles to hide, he is slowly consumed by the claws of darkness lurking the city.

One Night Only

A motley gang of characters that includes a movie star, a reporter, a congressman, a hairdresser, a jilted, suicidal lesbian and a gold-digging playgirl all end up in the same seedy motel on one very strange night.

12

A subtle and brilliant sexual awakening of a boy, who is torn between following his wishes or away from them, even though the world that opens before it is too powerful to be ignored in this way.

Ay Ayeng

A mountain maiden attempts to use education to help solve the problems of an Ifugao village, but finds that outdated traditions and military oppression stand in her way. A photojournalist documents her story.

Hide & Seek

After a tragedy, a family moves to an isolated house where strange apparitions appear.

The Maid

Alone for the first time and away from her family in rural Philippines, Rosa Dimaano arrives in the cosmopolitan city state of Singapore to work as a maid. Her employers Mr and Mrs Teo runs a Chinese Teochew dialect opera troupe takes well to their new domestic help. So do their mentally disabled son, Ah Soon. In Chinese superstition, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is regarded as the month when the gates of hell open for forsaken spirits to walk the earth for 30 days. Unknown to Rosa, she arrives on the eve and her hell is about to begin.

Kutob

Convinced that her boyfriend, Carlo (Ryan Agoncillo), is cheating on her, Erica (Rica Peralejo) consults a fortune-teller, who confirms that bad times are ahead if she doesn't leave him. Nevertheless, Erica ignores the woman's advice, which only makes things worse in her withering relationship. The plot thickens when Lemuel (Marvin Agustin), a close friend, reveals his hidden feelings for Erica … as well as a dangerous dark side.

Spirit of the Glass

At her family's remote ancestral home, Kelly, her boyfriend, Choppy, and a group of their pals fight boredom by dabbling in a supernatural game called Spirit of the Glass, despite the warnings of a weary caretaker. But once unleashed, the terrifying forces they stir up will not be quieted.

Astigmatism

Astigmatism an experimental digital film written and directed by independent filmmaker Jon Red. Shot on mini-digital video it stars Robin Padilla and tells the story from the point of view and through the eyes of Bien an assassin who suffers from astigmatism.

Mano Po 2: My Home

Antonio Chan, a prominent Chinese businessman, has three women in his life Sol, a Filipina; Lu Shui, a Chinese; and Belinda, a Filipino-Chinese. Antonio has children with all three women. A crisis shakes up the over-extended Tsinoy family prompting all the members to re-examine their values, their relationships, and confront issues that they have refused to face all these years.

Homecoming

The movie tells the story of Abigael Edades who returns to her Philippine hometown from her five-year stint as a nurse in Canada. Her town mates rousingly welcome her as a hero, the crass moniker ascribed by the government to hundreds of thousands of Filipinos working abroad. She finds her family in tatters, her parents estranged and living apart and her brother Jepoy living the life of drugs. But she basks in the welcome of her mother and youngest brother Noel and the devotion of her boyfriend, who proposes marriage. Her happiness is short-lived. She is diagnosed with SARS and contaminates Noel. They cause a national scare, are quarantined in Manila and are shunned by their own townspeople and the municipal government. Even her boyfriend leaves her. The hero becomes a heel. "Just a month after my return, my views on life and the people around me have irrevocably changed," she says at the start of the movie.

Message Sent

Jasper runs off to Baguio to intercept the lola of his girlfriend Jessa. Jasper had wrongly sent a hurtful text message to Jessa. Jessa's lola was bringing the cellphone to her grandchild . Desperate to prevent the cellphone (hence the message) from getting into Jessa's hands, Jasper ask help from Alice. On their journey to Baguio, Jasper and Alice discover each other and then get more than what they planned to do. Indeed, there's a silver lining in every cloud, and there's a blessing in every wrong message sent.

Small Voices

Melinda is a new substitute teacher at the Malawig Elementary School, located in a poor remote barrio. A young university graduate, her family expects her to look for work abroad, but in her idealism she takes on a challenging job in the provincial public school, which lacks resources and has corrupt personnel. The heavy monsoon rains and the nearby NPAs also add to her difficulties. The children are indifferent to their studies, having been affected by the hopelessness around them. Melinda tries to motivate them by capitalizing on their interest and talent in singing. She takes advantage of a funding opportunity to enter them in a choral contest. She encounters some resistance, however, from the school administration and from the parents of her students. Furthermore, the death of one of the choral group’s members at the hands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines casts a pall on their once joyful preparations. Melinda, however, constantly tries to rise above these challenges.

Pakisabi Na Lang... Mahal Ko Siya

The story revolves a Gonzo falling for his substitute teacher Geraldine with the p.e. teacher. Through Geraldine's guidance and tutorship, Gonzo mended his happy-go-lucky ways, dreaming romantic scenarios with his teacher in between.

Wretched Lives

A poor Filipino woman (Assunta de Rossi) tries to take care of her mentally handicapped sister amid the poverty and violence of the shantytown in which they live.

Mystrio (Uno... Dos... Tres Pilyos!)

Three boys are confronted with what they perceive as a challenge to prove their masculinity in a story about sexual awakening. Paul is a show-off whose obnoxious ways mask deep insecurities. Cris is the klutz who tries to please everyone but ends up pleasing no one. And Caloy is the scholarly over-protected son more interested in surfing the net than meeting people. They are out to prove themselves real men but they almost always fall flat on their faces. During an out-of-town school seminar, the trio sees a good chance to finally visit a prostitution house with the three other villains in their lives trying also vainly to thwart their every move by picturing them as bad boys. So Paul, Cris and Caloy enter the red house but, instead of losing their innocence, they uncover the shocking reality that girls forced to work there are minors.

Dog Food

Twelve-year-old Lily lives with her father, who has been suspended from the police force, and her stepmother. Her parents sell Lily's aging dog to Mr. Teban for dog meat. Lily convinces Mr. Teban to return her dog, and the she begins a friendship with the dog meat seller, much to the disgust of her friends and family. Mr. Teban becomes her surrogate father, and supports Lily against her abusive father and ineffectual stepmother.