8th Sinag Maynila Kicks Off Philippine Festival Season
8th Sinag Maynila Kicks Off Philippine Festival Season
8th Sinag Maynila Film Festival Launches with Intimate Presscon
After announcing its selection online, the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival started 2026 early for its eighth edition, holding an invite-only press conference in Gateway Cineplex 18 in Cubao, Quezon City, with the narrative feature film selections' cast and filmmakers ahead of the festival's launch. The festival is set to run March 23 through 29 in selected cinemas across Metro Manila, with Gateway Cineplex 18 as the festival's official venue partner. The festival's other partner cinemas this year include Megaworld cinemas such as Eastwood Cinemas in Quezon City, Lucky Chinatown in Manila City, and Uptown Cinemas and Venice Cineplex in Taguig City. Detailed screening schedules are available on Sinag Maynila's social media pages.
About the Entries
This year's edition of Sinag Maynila begins just six months after the festival's last run back in September 2025. Celebrating the chosen films, Solar Studios President and festival co-founder Wilson Tieng calls each film "is a testament to the creativity and resilience of the Filipino spirit." The six films chosen as the festival's narrative film finalists are All About Her, Ang Bangkay, Desperada, Lanaya, Pinikas (Halved), and Sweet Escape. Except for Pinikas, all films are having their world premiere at Sinag Maynila.
The team behind All About Her
The crime drama All About Her explores the police investigation of a beauty queen's sudden death and the conflicting testimonies they gather. Tony Labrusca stars alongside real-life beauty queens Yuki Sonoda and Kelley Day. After Labrusca led last year's CineSilip hit Dreamboi, he returns to the festival after 2024's What You Did. For director Joel C. Lamangan, this is his follow-up project right after last year's Madawag ang Landas Patungong Pag-asa. Actress-writer Quinn Carrillo (My Father, Myself) penned the screenplay.
Speaking on the need for Filipinos to tell their stories, Lamanagan stated that despite challenges like shorter shooting days and fewer resources than before, “Gusto pa rin namin gumawa. Pero gusto natin na Pilipino na gumawa ng sarili nating istorya. Ayaw ko dumating ang panahon pag gising namin hindi na ang Pilipino ang gumagawa ng istorya ng bayan natin dahil wala nang gumagawa. Kaya ang ating storya, ang ating kuwento, dapat ang gumagawa tayo-tayo.”
[We still want to produce (films). But we still want Filipinos to produce our own stories. We don’t want to come to the point when we wake up that we Filipinos aren’t making our own stories because no one makes them anymore. That is why our stories, our narratives, we should be the ones making them.]
The team behind Ang Bangkay
Psychological period drama Ang Bangkay centers on the grieving house of Don Segismundo Corintho, an embalmer who must navigate the suspicious living, and the deceased with secrets to tell. Filmmaker-actor Vincent Tañada helms this Philippine Stagers Foundation project after his 2023 film Ako si Ninoy. Ang Bangkay is based on Tañada’s play, which was staged in 2012 and won a Palanca, with Tañada leading a cast that includes Vean Olmedo, Johnrey Rivas, Lili Montelibano, and Mercedes Cabral. Rivas considers his role in the film a full-circle moment, recalling his various roles during the play’s previous staging, including being an usher, production assistant, and music designer. Tañada, on his part, did not anticipate a commercial theatrical release for Ang Bangkay.
Per Tañada, “My… father passed on because of COVID and I decided to record, or to immortalize my craft, so I did this film. Hindi ko inisip na isasali ko ito o ipapalabas ko pa ito. Parang pang-sarili ko lang ito... Pagkatapos, noong i-sinubmit namin ito at nakapasok, sabi ko, ‘Siguro, it’s about time na makita ninyong lahat.’”
[I didn’t think of submitting or releasing this (film). It’s just for me. Afterwards, when we submitted it and it got in, I said, ‘Maybe it’s about time that everyone gets to see this.]
The team behind Desperada
In Desperada, a woman carries her trauma and seeks refuge in a shelter for the mentally ill, discovering unexpected love proving that broken hearts can still have hope. Directed by Louie Ignacio and written by Dennis Evangeslita, both TV veterans, the film is fronted by Robb Guinto, marking her first non-VivaMax leading role, with a cast including Yasser Marta, Mhack Morales, Sue Prado and Mercedes Cabral.
For Prado, “What excited me about Desperada… because it’s a human interest story. At lagi’t palagi naman ang cinema ay reflection kasi ng isang kultura, ng isang society, and yung Desperada is an example of that.”
[And it’s always been the case that cinema becomes a reflection of a culture, of a society, and Desperada is an example of that.]
Guinto took interest in the project and accepted it because, “It’s very relevant kasi yung kwento namin… nangyayari din talaga siya sa totoong buhay. Kaya gusto ko rin malaman o matutunan kung ano ba talaga yung nararamdaman ng isang may trauma o may pinagdadaanan sa buhay.”
[It’s very relevant because our story… really happens in real life. That’s why I want to know, to learn the true experiences of someone going through trauma or going through life.]
The team behind Lanaya
Lanaya follows a nursing student commissioned by a detective to spy on an old lady to confirm whether or not she murdered her husband. This is Filipino-Canadian filmmaker Clyde Capistrano's directorial debut, which he also wrote. The cast includes Shaun Salvador, Jun Nayra, Rolando Inocencio, and Madeleine Nicolas. According to Salvador, In order to build the tension between their characters, Salvador and Nicolas both drew on their U.P. Theater background as a foundation. On their working relationship, Nicolas says, “Nandoon na yung instant trust kasi alam kong pareho kami ng discipline sa pagkasabak na trabaho na alam mong pagdating mo sa set, inaral mo na yung script. Alam mo na yung line mo. Pwede kayong mag-usap totally.”
The team behind Pinikas (Halved)
The Bisaya-language, slice-of-life dramedy Pinikas (Halved) goes back to 2006, to the life of a teenage breadwinner in a fishing village seeking love and hope in internet cafés, torn between love that's near and far. Cris Fuego wrote and directed the film, which stars Angela Villarin and Jade Makawili. Filming began pre-pandemic, with post-production stretching into almost four years before it finally landed at Sinag Maynila. After a stellar showing at the 15th Binisaya Film Festival in August 2025, Pinikas notched best-of placements in Rolling Stone and in SINEGANG.PH's very own list.
The team behind Sweet Escape
A romantic drama, Sweet Escape shows the unexpected bond between Candy (Arci Muñoz), a Filipino medical professional, and Dave (Kang Dong-Gun), a Korean entrepreneur, who both carry tragic secrets and seek personal redemption. Rommel C. Ricafort directs from a screenplay by Shine D. Ricafort. For the Ricafort couple, this is their second exploration of the relationship between Filipinos and Koreans after the 2017 Filipino-Korean co-production You With Me. In balancing the film’s many narrative threads, writer Shine Ricafort recognizes the film’s scale but says, “Pero dahil magaling yung actors, na-carry nila yung role, yung pagsi-switch ng character ni Candy (Arci Muñoz) from being a doctor to an ordinary person… Yung editing din nag-help a lot para ma-trim down yung transition na iyon.”
On Regional Cinema
Like every year, festival co-founder and filmmaker Brillante Mendoza says, "Gusto naming i-involve ang regional films... And then, of course, may makikita natin may halong mainstream yung ibang mga pelikula, at tsaka yung iba independent talaga, totally independent. Iyon ang gusto nating mangyari sa Sinag Maynila. Hindi siya yung totally na either independent lang. Mine-merge natin yung dalawa para mas maging accessible siya sa mga manonood."
[We want to involve regional films... And then, of course, we'll see a mix of mainstream films, while others are really independent, totally independent. That's what we want to accomplish here with Sinag Maynila. It's not totally independent only. We merge the two so it can be accessible to audiences.]
On the number of submissions they received, especially from student filmmakers and filmmakers from other Philippine regions, Mendoza observes that "Mga direktor natin, despite sa mga nangyayari sa ating industry ngayon, kapag nakakakita tayo ng ganyan karaming mga short filmmakers at mga estudyante na nagkaka-interest na gumawa ng pelikula kahit papaano nagkakaroon tayo ng pagasa. Huwag sana mawala kasi sila itong mga future directors natin and filmmakers."
[Our directors, despite what's happening to our industry now, if we see that many short filmmakers and students who become interested in making films, we still become hopeful, regardless. Hopefully, this doesn't get lost because they are our future directors and filmmakers.]
Full Festival Lineup: Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival started 2026
Below is a full list of the festival's line-up of films, including student-submitted narrative and documentary short films from 22 universities and colleges across the country:
Feature Film Entries
ALL ABOUT HER by Joel Lamangan
ANG BANGKAY by Vincent M. Tañada
DESPERADA by Louie Ignacio
LANAYA by Clyde Capistrano
PINIKAS (HALVED) by Cris Fuego
SWEET ESCAPE by Rommel C Ricafort
Shorts (Student Category)
AGLIBAS by Louie J. Canieso & Yohan R. Yapchiongco
ALAMAT NG ANIK-ANIK by Jann Gabaldon
BAGA-BAGA by Mark Jerome Orque
BAGz by JD Mardo
BILANGGO NG KINAHINATNAN by Euxim Valonzo Garcia
CROSSINGS - WE SHALL RETURN by Josiah Tollison
DUROS by Harvey Gozado
HATAW by John Paul Soriano & Francis June Bayangos
ISA KA HIGAYON by Chelsea Tasic
LAYO RA’S TINAI by Klark Marquez
LUGUD by Jarno Malonzo
MAG UNSA NA LANG TA ANI? by Keith Nemenzo
MGA ULOL by Vince Ivan Vesiete
ODDS by Joshua Antiporta
ANG PABORITONG ANAK NI TATAY by Jun Randel Solvia
RE: LIVING KALIPAY by Mariel Joanachim Rovero
SA PAG-UWI by Margareth Buendia
SINO KAMUKHA KO? by Darlene Ballano
SUFFER EXTRA by Mark A. Delos Santos
SUNBIRD by Kate Biazon
TILILING: E-MOTION SICKNESS by Dranreb Cimatu
UNDER THE TABLE by Branden Josh Domingo
UNGGOY-UNGGUYAN by Mark KC C. Alcaraz
YOUNG HEART by Janine Icamen & Angela Legaspi
Shorts (Open Category)
AZAZEL - ANG KARBON by Randy Q. Villanueva and Utes Salazar
BLIND DATE by Victor Villanueva
FLORA by Francis Ner Marañon
HOY! PILI KA NA! by Banjo Hinolan
INANG REYNA by King Louie Palomo
KAON by Miguel Dimaiwat
MAGINDARA by Ryand Angelo G. Ugaldd
PAGBALIK SA LAWOD by Lee Joshua Sardoma & Elaiza Marie Empat
PAON by Seb Valdez
RELYEBO by Paul Ocampo Untalan
SAKALING MALIMUTAN KITA by Ivan Villacorta Gentolizo
TANAN NGA MAKITA KAG INDI MAKITA by Glydel Beatisula
TONTON by Charlene Mead Tupas
TWENTY YEARS NEVER PASSED by Fahleen Fang Casidsid)
Documentary (Student Category)
ASA ANG MGA SALIDA SA LEYTE? (Extended Cut) by Linus Masandag & Lebron Ponce
CEMENTO by Justine Borlagdan
DI LALIM DI LALUM by Nicole Reyes
LILA SA GITNA NG ASUL by Cristina Iscala
AS THE GONG FINDS US by Joe Macky Bib Canal
SHALOM by Kiah Resureccion)
Documentary (Open Category)
DEL MUNDO by Rommel Tolentino
HOPE FOR THE DAWN TO COME by Monsi Alfonso Serrano
MGA MUNI-MUNI SA GITNA NG AMBON by Gio Gonzalves
NOMO KWEEN: THE LAST WOMAN STANDING by L.A. Oraza
WORDPLAY by Che Tagyamon
Sinag Maynila Film Festival runs March 23 until March 29 in Gateway Cineplex 18 and selected Megaworld cinemas, with its awards night taking place March 28.
