PINOY FANTASMA I FILIPINO PHANTASMS
BAKUNAWA FEST 12 introduces a section that's 100% Pinoy! Fantastic shorts from around the Philippines directed by some of the most exciting emerging filmmakers of today.
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Alab ng Puso by Pafsy Mejia (2025) Philippines 19:50min
Action, Thriller I Philippine Premiere
In a world governed by rules and rituals, even an act of compassion can become a fall from grace. But what should be done if one's own conscience refuses to follow the rigid structures of the community?
All About ChooChooZoom by Jai Reyes (2025) Philippines 3min
Surreal, Drama, Fantasy I Bacolod Premiere
iA frenetic experimental short that serves as a raw, chaotic capture of a filmmaker's artistic paralysis. Described by filmmaker as a "labor of love born out of frustration and desperation," the film visually translates the manic, overwhelming energy of navigating intense creative blocks and the high-pressure anxieties of modern content creation.
Alitaptap by Adriano Sanchez (2025) Philippines 8:43min
Drama, Queer I Bacolod Premiere
A queer drama that follows an old man reminiscing about a fleeting, profound love from his youth. He looks back on a dear friend who brought light into his life before mysteriously vanishing, leaving him to wonder if their connection was real or just a beautiful dream. His only tangible proof of their relationship is a single photograph where his friend's figure is obscured by a bright, firefly-like white glow.
Ang Embalsamador, Baliw at Bangkay by Jasper Tan (2025) Philippines 20min
Mystery, Experimental I Visayas Premiere
Set in a lifeless morgue within a world where corpses hold the true essence of identity, an embalmer is consumed by a morbid desire to taste the bodies he prepares. His dark obsession spirals out of control when he is dispatched to retrieve a new body, only to look down and discover that the corpse he is tasked with handling is his own. Caught in a terrifying, surreal cycle of acceptance and transformation, he must confront his mortality as he is gradually reborn and shaped by his true self.
Ang Luha ay Bahagi ng Karagatan by Ryner Viray (2025) Philippines 21:31min
Drama, Mystery I Bacolod Premiere
The film centers on a newly turned 60-year-old woman suffering from schizoaffective disorder inside a mental institution. Having spent the entire year in isolation, she eagerly waits for her family to arrive for their annual birthday visit. However, as her special day unfolds, an approaching typhoon begins to loom over the facility, threatening to derail her highly anticipated plans and distort her fragile grasp on reality.
Ang Pagbabalik ni Max Buwaya
by John Luke Bagtas Miraflor (2025)
Philippines 20min
Action, Drama, Animation I Visayas Premiere
Set in 1989, it tells the story of Rody, a legendary heel wrestler known in the ring as Max Buwaya. After years of living in obscurity and fading into the shadows of the past, he gears up for one final, monumental match to reclaim the championship belt that slipped away from him.
Anino sa Kahilom by Athena Bagaslao & Copler Zulita (2025) Philippines 7min
Mystery, Drama I Bacolod Premiere
It explores the quiet, unseen, and personal lives of youth navigating their local community's unique social landscape. It handles regional coming-of-age realities with raw intimacy, focusing on finding voice and identity amidst personal or environmental silence.
Cut! by Jon Asher Go Medalla (2024) Philippines 12min
Thriller, Horror I Philippine Premiere
The film serves as a tense meta-narrative that explores the psychological friction, chaotic breakdown, and artistic anxieties that take place behind the scenes of a movie set.
Dapyos by Jael Mathea Tipon (2025) Philippines 15min
Fantasy, Drama I Philippine Premiere
In the ancient Melanau kingdom, a humble fisherman's life unravels when his sister is taken as sacrifice. Defying rulers, spirits, and fate, Tugau's quest to save her forges him into a warrior-king whose choices ignite a war among nations.
Ishang by Zechri Jacob L. Alvarez (2025) Philippines 11:12min
Fantasy, Drama I Bacolod Premiere
It follows a young girl who spends her days selling fish on the street with her mother. Her exhausting daily routine takes a surreal turn when she notices bizarre physical changes and begins transforming into a fish herself, forcing her to confront a strange, deeper connection with the very creatures she sells.
Relyebo by Paul Ocampo Untalan (2025) Philippines 12:10min
Horror I World Premiere
A seafarer stuck in total isolation in the middle of the sea begins to seek companionship from the odd corners of his ship. His deep longing is eventually heeded by a mere dummy. What initially begins as a harmless, quiet escape from his bland and lonely routine on board soon spirals into a definitive turning point for his career and his life's course
Sa Taguangkan sang Duta by Emmanuel Lerona (2024) Philippines 22:21min
Drama I Bacolod Premiere
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Elena leaves her city job to return to her drought-stricken family farm and reunite with her husband. Faced with severe water scarcity and heavy pressure to conceive, she decides to resurrect an ancient full-moon agricultural ritual taught by her grandfather. Performing the ceremony at dawn, they blend indigenous spirituality, ecological survival, and human fertility into a desperate act of radical hope for their future.