Since 2009, the Binisaya International Film Festival has steadily created a space for Bisayan filmmakers and film industry professionals to come together to showcase their work, regardless of language, and champion cinema unfettered by commercial restraints. Now in its 15th edition, the festival continues to celebrate Bisayan talent while expanding its reach to include national and international voices. This year’s festival will take place in Cebu from August 17 to 24, featuring a strong lineup of Binisayan shorts, national entries made outside of the Visayas, and international full-length features.
Binisaya and Global Talent
Featured Binisaya shorts include Davaoeño director Adrian Lo’s period piece When the Sun Sets Over Davao, which centers around a comfort woman gaining supernatural powers during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Cebuano director Redh Honoridez’s dramatic short, Walk With Jesus, which follows a young girl’s walk with the Son of God while hiding from a pursuing death squad, will also be screened. Other shorts in the lineup include Juvy Ann Clarito’s Sa Ilalum sa Balabal sa Alitaptap, Mico Lorenzo Minerva’s Ang Noble Savage Nagpahungaw sa Iyang Emotional Bagage, and Jam Moreno’s Sari-Sari.
The festival’s Binisaya Horizons category, which features non-Bisaya films from the Philippines, includes Miko Buan Acuña’s short Maryosep, which sees Jesus learning about humanity in an afternoon drinking session with his neighbors. In Kyd Torato’s short horror film, Bisan Abo Wala Bilin, a grotesque skin disease plagues a distant barrio. These entries, along with the eight other films in the category, reflect the festival’s commitment to showcasing bold, experimental storytelling from across the archipelago.
In the festival’s international category, Binisaya World, global productions such as the Singaporean surreal short The Inescapable Desire of Roots and the Chinese thriller short Across the River join six other international shorts in showcasing a wide range of cinematic voices.
The category also includes Filipino post-apocalyptic romcom short Water Sports starring Elijah Canlas, John Renz Javier, and Ricky Davao, which follows Canlas’ and Javier’s characters as they navigate a world destroyed by climate change.
Information on the festival’s schedule and ticket prices will be released later this week.
