The filmmaker spoke with Rolling Stone Philippines about directing the Christmas movie, the optimism needed in cinema, and his return to the major festival

2025 was the year when fresh voices, revived names and niche subgenres pushed Filipino music into a louder, stranger and richer places

A year of box-office highs, festival wins, and unwanted setbacks reveals a Philippine film industry evolving under pressure

Even as digital streaming dominated music consumption, 2025 saw Filipino collectors continuing to build their own future for music — one CD, vinyl, and cassette at a time