The black comedy drama film "Filipiñana," the Philippines' bet for Best International Feature Film at the 2027 Oscars, has entered its fourth week in Philippine cinemas.
Prior to hitting local cinemas, "Filipiñana" closed the Cinemalaya Film Festival, proving that Philippine cinema is not made up only of films that dominate the box office.
"Filipiñana" main actor Jorrybell Agoto. Handout
"Filipiñana's" international journey gives Filipino cinema another point of entry into the world, while its continued theatrical run demonstrates that there is an audience here willing to engage with it. And that makes its Oscar journey a story not only about international recognition, but also about local support.
Movie review: ‘Filipiñana’ puts the Philippine class divide on the golf green
Written, directed, and edited by Rafael Manuel and starring Jorrybell Agoto, the film has spent the past year establishing itself within a global film conversation — from its international festival run and Sundance recognition to its growing international profile, international partners, distribution, and press. Its selection as the Philippines’ entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards is, in many ways, the next step in a journey that was already well underway.
Director-general Paolo Villaluna, congratulating the "Filipiñana" team following the Film Academy of the Philippines’ selection, pointed to the film’s ability to translate a distinctly Filipino experience into a story with universal resonance. For Villaluna, the film’s growing international critical recognition affirms both its artistic merit and “its capacity to carry a Filipino story rooted in universal questions of power, identity, and survival to a global audience.