I love film festivals because it allows me and other Filipinos to see how amazing the local film industry is. But the thing is, they’re not widely accessible. Some film festivals only screen in one place. And for someone who lives in the south, supporting a film festival and watching all the entries is something to be planned and strategized in advance.
Thankfully, the Pista ng Pelikulang Pinoy was launched. It’s a film festival hosted by the progressive Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), where almost 800 theaters across the Philippines will be playing 12 selected films from August 16 to 22. For its inaugural run, the council selected an intriguing lineup that has something for everyone.
Check out the lineup of films at this year’s Pista ng Pelikulang Pinoy:
100 Tula Para Kay Stella
Throughout his four years in college, Fidel, a stuttering student, tries to finish 100 poems dedicated to Stella, an aspiring but frustrated rock star, to win her heart.
AWOL
AWOL is an action-thriller about an expert Army sniper who, armed with his tactical knowledge and deadly skills, goes on a quest to protect his family from the man who masterminded the attempt on his life and his loved ones.
Bar Boys
Four best friends enter law school and are forced to make sacrifices along the way. They sacrifice sleep, love, family, and even their principles to succeed. However, the dog-eat-dog nature of the institution ultimately forces them to sacrifice each other.
Birdshot
While venturing deep in the mountains, fifteen-year-old Maya unknowingly kills an endangered Philippine Eagle, leading the authorities to start a manhunt to find the eagle killer. Forced to hide in the forest to elude the police, she hears the call of an eagle. She follows its call to a place where a more horrific discovery unravels.
Hamog
Hamog is a story of four children called batang hamog, who get hooked in unexpected events in their daily routine of crime and survival in the busy Manila streets.
Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B
Jewel is a mysterious woman who lives alone in the city. She has a secret which has led her to settle into a lonely existence. That is, until she meets Nico, a broken-hearted, down-and-out guy who also feels unlovable like she does. Jewel is torn between wanting to love him and wanting to save him from herself. Will he accept her if he knew the truth about her? Can she ever find love, or is she destined to be alone forever?
Paglipay
In order to fulfill his arranged marriage with a fellow Aeta, Atan crosses the mountain river going to town to earn for the bandi (bride price). As he adapts himself with the modern way of life, he meets a city girl who would make his life turn. Atan faces cross-cultural modifications amid changes in the mountain brought about by immense modernity.
Patay na si Hesus
When Iyay learns that Hesus, her estranged husband, has died, she gathers her children and tells them that they are going on a trip – an inter-island road trip smack in the middle of the Philippines, to be exact. No ifs or buts about it: they are attending their father’s funeral. Her children – Hubert, who has Down Syndrome; Jude, a lovesick trans man; and Jay, who is living the bum life – join her with varying degrees of reluctance as she drives them in her extra-mini mini-van.
Pauwi Na
This is the story of a family on a journey from poverty in the city to an imagined paradise in the countryside. Broke, desperate, and with little more than the clothes on their backs, the family decides to pedal their way thousands of miles on rickshaws in a tragicomic exodus to the green fields of the provinces.
Salvage
A news crew is designated an unwanted assignment of covering news in rebel-ridden Mindanao where there have been rumors of Aswang killings. Following a lead that brings them into the remote barrio where the serial deaths began, a group of armed men in military uniform attempts to abduct the cynical team. As they escape toward the forest, they go through a macabre journey where they encounter the convoluted surrealities of what it means to be salvaged.
Star na si Van Damme Stallone
Based on real-life characters and events, this tale is about Nadia, a single mom from Bocaue, Bulacan, who goes through the trials and tribulations of raising Vanvan, a child with Down Syndrome.
Triptiko
Triptiko is an anthology of stories about how life can sometimes take unexpected turns: a yuppie who “just got lucky” is struck by a string of unlucky circumstances; a male model’s life is upended because of evil boils appearing on his body; a folk singer’s romantic ideals are to the test as his beloved slowly changes into something he does not understand.
FDCP has partnered with Globe for #PlayItRight, an anti-piracy advocacy to change the Filipinos’ mindset and behavior in consuming entertainment. Through #PlayItRight, FDCP and Globe are giving audiences opportunities to watch local films from legitimate sources.
The festival will have a series of promos to encourage people to watch. The 4 + 1 Barkada Promo will give a group of friends who buys four tickets the fifth ticket for free, while students can enjoy student rates in watching films. Those who will watch in theaters in Metro Manila will only have to pay P150 per ticket, while students outside Metro Manila will only have to pay P100 per ticket. SM Cinemas is offering an ePlus Promo where customers can pay P990 for a PPP-branded ePlus card good for six films.
Viewers may find more information and buy tickets using PistApp or GMovies. In GMovies, users can watch the latest movies in three simple steps: they can pick their movie on the website or app, select the cinema, showtime, and seats, and choose the payment method. Users can choose between paying via credit card, a claim code, GCash, bank payment, or M-Pass for Ayala Cinemas. First-time users of GMovies can get P50 off their first ticket when they use the promo code PELIKULA.
This post is in partnership with Globe Telecom. GMovies is available for download on Apple and Android devices.