‘Iti Mapukpukaw’ director Carl Joseph Papa returns to Cinemalaya with animated short on aftermath of sexual assault
‘Iti Mapukpukaw’ director Carl Joseph Papa returns to Cinemalaya with animated short on aftermath of sexual assault
SINEGANG.ph published this press release sponsored by The Next 24 Hours. No staff writer participated in writing this article.
Two years after his groundbreaking animated feature Iti Mapukpukaw was hailed as Best Film at the 19th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, Carl Joseph Papa is back in the circuit with another animated offering.
Premiering at Cinemalaya 2025, Papa’s The Next 24 Hours is an animated short film on the quest of a woman to seek help and justice in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault.
“The next 24 hours after an assault is the most critical period for victim-survivors, but is also the most difficult,” Papa said. “Their first steps during this time period will dictate whether they get proper medical care and legal help.”
The Next 24 Hours focuses on the ordeal of Sheila, a 29-year-old victim-survivor of sexual assault, as she navigates the coldness of the healthcare system, hides her trauma at work, and resists manipulation by her assailant.
Papa said The Next 24 Hours seeks to empower victim-survivors of sexual assault and provide a window into the labyrinthine process of getting immediate help from healthcare and legal professionals.
“Being assaulted is already traumatic, but the bureaucratic processes that victim-survivors face following the assault can be just as distressing. We hope to lend a voice to those who have gone through the same ordeal so that they get the care and compassion they deserve,” he said.
The Next 24 Hours marks his return to the Cinemalaya screens after his full-length feature Iti Mapukpukaw was selected to be the Philippines’ first animated film submission to the 96th Academy Awards.
Aside from serving as its director, Papa is also the editor, executive producer, and animator of The Next 24 Hours.
Starring Christela Marquez and written by Jasmine Mendoza-Yu, the short is backed by production companies Gate 11 Collective, 901 Studios, Puppeteer Studios, and Terminal Six Post.
Cinemalaya 2025 will run from October 3-12 at Shangri-La Plaza Cinemas.
