Palm City Film Festival 2025: Diverse Voices, United Stories in the City of Harmony
Palm City Film Festival 2025: Diverse Voices, United Stories in the City of Harmony
PICTURE 1: Photo from the official Facebook page of the Tagum Tourism and Cultural Office, taken during the Palm City Film Festival 2024.
The 3rd Palm City Film Festival, Tagum City’s annual celebration of cinema, is set to commence this November 17-22, 2025. The event is dedicated to promoting creativity and cultivating young storytellers, guided by the theme “Celebrating Films and Stories in the City of Harmony, A Platform for Peace and Unity.” Although primarily hosted in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, the festival holds a regional significance, as it welcomes participants from various high schools and colleges across Mindanao. It features competition categories exclusively for student filmmakers, offering both high school and college students the platform to demonstrate their artistic talents, convey meaningful narratives, and experience the essence of independent filmmaking.
One of the major highlights of this year’s festival is the Sinag Maynila 2024 Reload Shorts and Documentary Showcase, scheduled for November 17–19, 2025. The event will feature free screenings of world-class short films, documentaries, and feature-length films at the Herminigildo C. Baluyo, M.D. Hall and Gaisano Mall of Tagum Cinema 2. Organized by the City Government of Tagum in collaboration with the Tagum City Tourism, Arts, and Culture Council, Inc., the showcase is presented by Solar Entertainment Corporation, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Rebecca Chuaunsu Film Production, and the Tagum City Youth Development Office.
Adding prestige to this year’s edition, acclaimed filmmaker Zig Dulay will deliver a film talk in the morning, followed by film critic and film educator Tito Valiente in the afternoon on November 21, 2025, aimed at imparting valuable insights into storytelling and the art of filmmaking. More than a festival, it serves as an educational and cultural experience, providing SPA students of DepEd Tagum City, Multimedia Arts students in the Davao Region, and local film enthusiasts with opportunities for artistic growth and appreciation of Filipino independent cinema.
The Palm City Film Festival 2025 has officially released the list of short films selected for this year’s showcase, which will be screened from November 20–21, 2025, at the Herminigildo C. Baluyo MD Hall, Gaisano Mall of Tagum Cinema 2, and Farmers Training Center, USEP Apokon, Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
Highlighting diverse voices in storytelling, this year’s festival features a total of 13 competing short films, 5 documentary shorts, and 12 exhibition films:
Competing Short Films
PICTURE 2: A still from ‘Huni’ by Aimee Naomi Ang-ug & Jugi Tabada.
Bahandi by Jielian Roche and Elpedio Jr Peralta
Tamisa by Joey Jay Dorado
Between the Shelves by Alexandra Bataluna Bontilao
Huni by Aimee Naomi Ang-ug & Jugi Tabada
Beat by Evzen Freders Conejero
Mik-Ap by Justiny Sayson
Ang Singkwenta Ni Curt ug Curvin by Von Jorge Actub
Tinubdan by James Van Sion
Project Kalinaw by May Kylah Candelasa
Beyond Here by Roziel Nabuya
Balay Balay by Jun Gilar Saberon
Pre-Loved for Sale by Yugin Camanzo & Pearly Aberee Dolor
Raket by Denesse Acebedo Nagaliza
Competing Documentary Short Films
PICTURE 3: A still from ‘Layag’ by Justiny Sayson & Shetori Robles.
Panikad by Abdul Raffy Macasiding & Klen Dale Anne Dompales
Layag by Shetori Robles & Justiny Sayson
Di Lalim, Di Lalum by Nicole Reyes
Hulagway sa Kalampusan by Mildred Mae S. Torreon
Bak-Bak by Yugin Camanzo
Exhibition Films
PICTURE 4: A still from ‘Kon Mag-abot Ang Tab-Ang Ug Parat’ by Von Jorge Actub.
Bugsay sa Paglaum by Jopee Lucañas
Kon Mag-abot Ang Tab-Ang Ug Parat by Von Jorge Actub
Bantay Ni Bantay by Alan Filoted
Lit-ag Sa Pagsalig by Hermiony Cloe Ponteras
Ang Paboritong Anak Ni Tatay by Jun Soliva
Epithymia by Jairus Sajot
Pipty by Rolydan Sicor
Tipasi by Wilbert L. Beniga
Tagok by Christelle Tesado
I Ampo Mo Kami by Rayvenne R. Abasolo
Anino Sa Kahilom by Athena Bagaslao & Copler Zulita
Form 137 by Von Jorge Actub
Now in its 3rd year, the Palm City Film Festival continues its mission of nurturing grassroots filmmaking and empowering local talents in the region. The festival will run from November 17–22, 2025, in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. For more updates and announcements, you may visit their official Facebook page: Palm City Film Festival
SINEGANG.ph is an official media partner of the Palm City Film Festival 2025.
