Cinemalaya 21 Short Films Lineup
Discover the bold, boundary-pushing voices of this year’s short film competition. From surreal workplace tales to haunting folklore, experimental visions to intimate human stories, these 10 shorts showcase the raw creativity and fearless storytelling that define Cinemalaya.
Shorts A
Please Keep This Copy
by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta | 6 min 30 sec | Experimental Documentary
Old pages and archival fragments come alive in a white void, echoing the rebellious voices of boys from a Catholic high school during a turbulent political era. As order dissolves into chaos, their youthful defiance spills into memory and ink.
Cast: Class of M2017, Teachers of M2017
Ascension From The Office Cubicle
by Hannah Silvestre | 20 min | Off-beat Existential Drama
Thelma, a call center agent stuck in the grind of exploitation, finds herself drawn to the charm of a lottery host. What begins as a fleeting fantasy turns into an obsession, blurring the line between her harsh reality and the dreamlike world on her computer screen.
Cast: Ginger Nolasco, Dads Valencia
Hasang (Gills)
by Daniel de la Cruz | 16 min | Absurdist
Boni spends a summer caring for his grandmother, only to witness her gradual transformation into a tilapia. Bound by love and fear, he confronts grief and the mystical beliefs of his community, learning the interconnectedness of life, death, and nature.
Cast: Igan James Nualda
Radikals
by Arvin Belarmino | 20 min | Absurd Drama
A rookie dancer, mocked for his poor performance in a bizarre chicken-dance troupe, faces a relentless heckler. What begins as humiliation unravels into strange and unsettling events, exposing the group’s disturbing way of dealing with weakness.
Cast: Elora Españo, Timothy Castillo, Ross Pesigan
The Next 24 Hours
by Carl Joseph Papa | 14 min 7 sec | Drama
Sheila, a 29-year-old woman in Metro Manila, struggles through the day after a sexual assault. Facing indifference from institutions and manipulation from her attacker, she fights to reclaim her sense of safety and control over her life.
Cast: Christela Marquez
Shorts B
Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit (Objects Do Not Randomly Fall From The Sky)
by Maria Estela Paiso | 10 min 16 sec | Docufiction
Sita recalls nearly drowning as a child in the waters of Zambales, while her mother admits she never learned to swim. As they transform into half-human, half-fish figures, the sea becomes a backdrop for the stories of local fisherfolk confronting territorial aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
Cast: Leonardo Cuaresma, Joel Elejorde, Luis Fontilla, Ranel Madela, Rea Jane Realizo, Noraiza Alog, Moises Dulatre, Sylvia Reyes, Maria Estela Paiso
Kung Tugnaw Ang Kaidalman Sang Lawod (Cold As The Ocean Runs Deep)
by Seth Andrew Blanca | 15 min | Drama, Horror (Analog)
A debt-ridden seafarer borrows from his superior to send money home to his girlfriend. As pressure mounts and paranoia takes hold, he begins to sense an ominous presence lurking in the ship’s corridors—an unseen force that won’t let him escape.
Cast: Ryan Galleca, Lheo Fernando Fonseca, Anthony Ken Bucasas, Seth Andrew Blanca, Ma. Erica Seidel, Eddie Odicta Jr., Giovani Borja, Elester Saquilabon, Winston Farinas
Figat (Tomorrow)
by Handiong Kapuno | 15 min 16 sec | Drama
Ching-ay, a young Kalinga girl, resists the pull of modern distractions and chooses to craft a traditional instrument for school. Guided by her heritage and elders, her performance becomes a quiet but powerful act of cultural pride and resilience.
Cast: Aeoli Siagan, Tiffany Pagigian
Water Sports
by Whammy Alcazaren | 19 min 36 sec | Apocalyptic Romcom
In a world undone by climate change, Jelson and Ipe cling to their love as a means of survival. Amid trials of body and spirit, they discover that the truest way to endure may not be to fight—but to simply live, laugh, and love.
Cast: Elijah Canlas, Renz Javier, Bon Lentejas, Ricky Davao
I’m Best Left Inside My Head
by Elian Idioma | 20 min | Dark Comedy
Golden boy Alec Dominguez, once adopted by wealthy philanthropists, returns to his childhood orphanage for a reunion. What begins as nostalgic camaraderie quickly twists into guilt, accusations, and grotesque visions of abandonment, forcing him to face the fractures of his past.
Cast: Elian Idioma, Lau Cortes, Aj Prudenciado, Glemuel Rigo, Romnic Calosor, Andrea Idioma
Shorts A
Please Keep This Copy by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta
Ascension From The Office Cubicle by Hannah Silvestre
Hasang (Gills) by Daniel de la Cruz
Radikals by Arvin Belarmino
The Next 24 Hours by Carl Joseph Papa
Shorts B
Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit (Objects Do Not Randomly Fall From The Sky) by Maria Estela Paiso
Kung Tugnaw Ang Kaidalman Sang Lawod (Cold As The Ocean Runs Deep) by Seth Andrew Blanca
Figat (Tomorrow) by Handiong Kapuno
Water Sports by Whammy Alcazaren
I’m Best Left Inside My Head by Elian Idioma
Catch Shorts A & Shorts B at Cinemalaya 21!
For complete screening dates and schedules, please visit the official page:
👉 facebook.com/CinemalayaOfficial