It looks like there’s hope for director Baby Ruth Villarama’s ill-fated documentary.
On March 14, Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea was unexpectedly pulled from the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival two days before its intended screening for local audiences. The documentary centers around the Filipino fishermen, Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine Navy navigating the crowded West Philippine Sea in order to deliver desperately needed food to nearby communities.
Although no specific reasons behind the pull-out were released, Villarama voiced her frustrations over the decision. “It feels like history repeating itself — a déjà vu [for] artists suppressed during different times in our history,” the director told Rolling Stone Philippines on March 14.
However, on that same day, international documentary festival Doc Edge reached out to Villarama’s team expressing concern over Food Delivery’s pull-out. Doc Edge organizers proposed making space for Villarama’s project, even though the festival’s deadline for submissions had already passed.
“It means a lot to share this film at one of the most respected documentary festivals in the Asia Pacific,” Food Delivery producer Chuck Gutierrez told Rolling Stone Philippines.
“I was in front of my family’s tombs in Bulacan when the call came in,” Villarama told Rolling Stone Philippines. “They told us the film had been selected as one of their competing titles. It felt like a sign. Maybe there is a silver lining after all.”
Villarama noted that since its inclusion into Doc Edge, Food Delivery has been fine-tuned to hopefully speak to a wider audience. “The issues of food security, sovereignty, and human dignity in the West Philippine Sea are not ours alone,” the director said. “These are challenges many other countries face too.”
“We hope this world premiere marks the beginning of a new chapter, one where the film can finally do what it was meant to do: open hearts, spark honest dialogue, and help us imagine a path toward peace in the West Philippine Sea,” continued Villarama.
Gutierrez echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of starting difficult but necessary conversations. “More than a screening, this is a call to listen to the voices from the West Philippine Sea,” said Gutierrez. “We hope it sparks real conversations and moves the world to stand with us for peace, dignity, and sovereignty.”
Villarama is hopeful that her documentary will eventually be screened in local theaters. “We truly hope it can be screened in the Philippines when the time is right,” said Villarama. “We can’t wait for our fisherfolk, our soldiers, and their families to see it. And perhaps, someday, we hope our friends in China can see it too and understand that the film offers nothing but a sincere and peaceful invitation to reflect, listen, and find common ground.”
