High hopes for this feminist Filipino gothic horror film
High hopes for this feminist Filipino gothic horror film
SINEGANG.ph published this press release by Charlie Vitug Productions. No staff writer participated in writing this article.
Filipino filmmaker and disability rights advocate Charlie Garcia Vitug is set to begin production on her latest film, Immaculada, a bold gothic horror that explores women's rights and bodily autonomy in the Philippines.
Scheduled to commence principal photography in July 2026, Immaculada is a co-production between Charlie Vitug Productions (CVP) and Arrowhead Cinepoint Audio Visual Rental, in association with ATC Remote Studio by Michele Masin. The project is supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines under its prestigious CreatePH Films Funding Program, an initiative dedicated to championing ambitious and globally competitive Filipino films.
The film marks Vitug's first directorial work since Ballad of a Blind Man in 2024, the breakthrough short film that brought her international acclaim after winning Best Asian Film at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and Short Film of the Year at the 2025 SEA International Film Festival, within a year of its premiere at the grand re-opening of the Manila Metropolitan Theater as part of the 2024 Manila Film Festival. Immaculada also represents a new chapter in the filmmaker's career as her first production while undertaking postgraduate studies at the New York Film Academy, reflecting a continued commitment to sharing unheard Filipino stories to global audiences.
Vitug wrote this film alongside Joaquin Muñoz Consing, marking the return of two voices in contemporary Philippine Cinema. Consing is best known as the producer of Kantil, an official entry to the 20024 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, and as the writer-director of Write Here, which earned a nomination for Best Short Film at the 2022 FAMAS Awards.
Leading the cast is Elora Españo,, known for her performances in films such as Tandem which was nominated for New Wave Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival, and Her Locket where she bagged the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2024 Sinag Maynila Film Festival.
Starring alongside Españo is veteran actor Joel Saracho, seen in Philippine Cinema’s most celebrated recent works such as Ang Duyan ng Magiting and GomBurZa, and is a frequent collaborator of Vitug and Consing. Also joining the cast are Victor Relosa, widely dubbed as the ‘Vivamax King,’ and Carla Zarcal.
The film’s post-production is supported by ATC Remote Studio under Michele Masin, known for his work on classics such as 1917 and Midsommar.
As a Filipino gothic horror film, Immaculada seeks to merge genre filmmaking with urgent contemporary discourse. Drawing from religious iconography, folklore, psychological horror, and the lived realities of Filipino women, the film examines the intersection of womanhood, faith, power, and bodily autonomy.
With production set to begin this July and festival ambitions already underway, Immaculada aims to build upon the growing international momentum of contemporary Philippine Cinema by bringing a uniquely Filipino perspective to one of the most enduring and globally relevant conversations of our time.
