Nine features. Ten shorts. Thirteen days. Twelve screens across Metro Manila.
Here is everything you need to know about Cinemalaya 22 “Reel Reflections” which runs from August 6 to 18, 2026.
Cinemalaya returns for its twenty-second edition under the banner Cinemalaya 22: Reel Reflections. The organizing committee frames this year’s slate as work that emerges from “reflection,” films that surface voices and perspectives that sharpen how we understand ourselves and each other.
This year’s lineup is unusually full of mirrors. A grandmother sees herself through a scammer’s flattery. A mayor’s daughter watches a video she can’t unwatch. A priest and a taxi driver look at each other and find the same moral rot. Three generations of women stare down the same inheritance of grief. Even the two bookend films—an OFW in the Swiss Alps and a caddy at an elite country club—are stories about people watching wealth up close and calculating what it costs to stay near it.
The festival’s own programming note for 2026 put it more elegantly: this edition arrives with a generation of filmmakers who treat cinema less as storytelling and more as world-building; out of memory, identity, longing, and resistance.
At the July 8 launch at Shangri-La Plaza, FDCP chairman and filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes made the case for why the festival still matters, noting that four of the ten best Philippine films of the previous year came out of Cinemalaya. His charge to the finalists was blunt and quotable: “be brave, break rules, and think Filipino.”
He also argued that Philippine cinema is at a point where the question is no longer persistence but survival, and that independent filmmakers who defy convention are the strongest argument for the value of the Filipino creative.
Read on below to find out more information about each full-length and short film entry, plus movie schedules, and which cinemas will be screening these movies and other details you may need.
2 Valid IDs
Drama · 90 min · Director: Ma-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan
Sylvia is a poor farmer. Money has been sent to her. She cannot claim it, because claiming it requires two valid IDs and she does not have two valid IDs. What sounds like a bureaucratic inconvenience becomes, over ninety minutes, a slow interrogation of what a person will compromise to prove they exist.
Why you may want to watch this: This is the most Filipino premise in the entire lineup—whole feature built on the specific despair of the requirements list. Anyone who has stood at a window and been told to come back with something they don’t have will feel this in their spine.
A.ni.mál
Drama, Dark Comedy · 120 min · Director: Dustin Celestino
In a provincial town, the mayor’s daughter comes home carrying a video: a powerful family friend abusing his dog. Everything after that is about what the people around her decide to do with the fact that the video exists.
Why you’d like this: At 120 minutes it’s tied for the longest film in competition, and dark comedy is the hardest register to sustain that long. Celestino is swinging big. The premise: a small atrocity that everyone would prefer not to have seen is a near-perfect vehicle for the “Reel Reflections” theme, and it’s the kind of setup that turns an audience into a jury.
Ganggang
Drama · 89 min · Director: JL Burgos
Ilay and Ten-ten lose the spider fight. Anton wins, which means Anton keeps lording over the schoolyard. Watching from the sidelines is Mel, a city boy, who doesn’t yet know he’s about to become an ally in a campaign against a bully considerably worse than the one in the ring.
Why you’d like this: The shortest film in competition at 89 minutes, and the only one built on an authentically Filipino childhood ritual: ganggang, spider fighting that has never been given a proper feature. Expect a crowd-pleaser with teeth. Burgos seems to have a documentarian’s eye, and stories about boys and small acts of violence rarely stay small.
Hand of God
Drama · 106 min · Director: Mark Duane Angos
A remote village, decades of conflict, and a young army lieutenant who introduces football to the local children. As the game starts to knit something back together, he forms a fragile bond with a child soldier. Both of them are forced to choose between the innocence they’ve already lost and the war they already know.
Why watch this: Football-as-redemption is a well-worn shape internationally but almost untouched in Philippine cinema, and the child soldier angle gives it a specifically local weight. This is also the film most likely to travel—the premise reads clearly to a festival programmer in another country.
Kaka sa Yawan
Drama · 90 min · Director: Alpha Habon
A coming-of-age story set in Mindoro. Niko is a Manila boy. Ayan is a Tadyawan-Mangyan. Over one summer they trade what they have—Niko teaches Ayan to read, Ayan teaches Niko to swim. Years later, the adult Niko comes back to keep a promise.
Why you might like this: The only film in the lineup centering an Indigenous community, and the structure—idyllic summer, then the return—is engineered for an emotional gut-punch in the third act. If you cry at movies, be warned, I guess?
Mag-iina
Horror · 105 min · Director: Giancarlo Abrahan
Near the fortieth day after her estranged father’s death, a woman returns to the family’s ancestral home. Three generations of women are there. What binds them is grief, madness, and an evil thicker than blood.
Why brave the lines at the cinema: The only horror film in competition, and horror is having a genuine moment in Philippine festival cinema. Plus this line-up of strong, reliable actresses is enough to make you pay attention.
Status: Rejected
Drama, Comedy · 90 min · Director: Vahn Leinard Pascual
A grandmother, lonely and still hoping for a better life, is swept into an unexpected online romance. It challenges her sense of worth, her place in her family, and the dreams she refuses to give up.
Why you would love this: Every Filipino family has a version of this story and most of them tell it as a joke. Pascual appears to be taking it seriously—a romance scam narrative told from inside the heart being scammed rather than from the smirking outside. That’s a much harder and much better film.
Tayo Lang ang Nakakaalam
Drama · 120 min · Director: David R. Corpuz
A man bound by a love that must stay silent struggles to remain visible inside a family that once made him feel at home.
Why it might be the one: The most economical logline in the lineup and the most loaded. Tied for longest runtime at 120 minutes, which suggests Corpuz is letting the silence do real work. A quiet devastation candidate.
Tirik (To Set Upright)
Drama, Thriller · 91 min · Director: May-i Padilla
Paring Bert is a priest. Santos is his parishioner and a taxi driver. Together they take a gritty journey toward reconciling their own moral failures, while trying to survive an assassination attempt.
Why watch this: The only genre thriller in competition, and the title is a small piece of poetry. Tirik, meaning to set something upright, which is exactly what both men are trying to do to their lives while the world tips over. Padilla drew the first talkback slot of the festival, which suggests programmers want conversation around this one early.
The opening and closing films for this year’s festival are Enjoy Your Stay and Filipiñana.
In Enjoy Your Stay, Mercedes Cabral stars as an undocumented OFW working the wealthy side of the Swiss Alps, forced to betray her own community’s trust or lose custody of her daughter back home. A Swiss-Filipino co-direction opening a Philippine independent festival is itself a statement about where Filipino stories are being made now.
The movie is directed by Dominik Locher and Honeylyn Joy Alipio and will screen on August 6, 2026 at 7:30 PM · at the Red Carpet Cinemas Shangri-La Plaza.
Filipiñana is an expansion of Manuel’s acclaimed 2020 short of the same name, following a young country club caddy who gradually assembles a violent picture of what sits beneath the club’s manicured surface.
Directed by Rafael Manuel and will screen on August 18, 2026 at 8:30 PM at the Red Carpet Cinemas Shangri-La Plaza.
Cinemalaya 2026 Short Films — Set A
| Title | Director | Genre | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoy, Hoy, Ingat! Hey, Hey, Take Care! | Norvin de los Santos | Magic Realism, Social Dramedy | A grieving boy chasing viral fame and his terminally ill brother set out to recover the family jeepney — the one thing standing between them and survival. |
| Honey, My Love, So Sweet | JT Trinidad | Queer, Coming-of-Age Drama | Inside a decaying cinema in the heart of Manila, a young person named Life discovers first love through the movies — and through a new friend's father. |
| Para Paraan Finding a Way Through | Mae Chan Li | Documentary, Human Rights | Told through the lived experience of a wheelchair user, the film exposes the everyday barriers built into ordinary spaces and asks audiences to see exclusion where society sees normal. |
| Silkscreen | Rey Anthony Villaverde | Drama | A struggling T-shirt printer reconnects with his aging father, who once owned their fading family business, as both confront what time has done to the craft and to each other. |
| Runo! | Lysa Catolico & Jazmine Gin Pateña | Animation, Comedy | Days into the apocalypse, a very silly Filipino stray aspin makes the long and dangerous journey to fetch her student owner and defeat her true nemesis: an empty food bowl. |
Cinemalaya 2026 Short Films — Set B
| Title | Director | Genre | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
| The River Flows in Different Places | Lot-Lot Hermosura | Documentary | Two Filipino-Palestinian mothers forced to flee Gaza recount their repatriation and the work of rebuilding the idea of home in a country both foreign and familiar. |
| Elenita Elena Elaine | Gabriela Serrano | Science Fiction, Drama | In a dreamless Manila, a fallen star appears on the eve of a woman's departure to help her and her mother finally say goodbye. |
| kung paano kakalas never been there, never | Joseph Vitali | Documentary, Slice of Life | A street vendor races to sell his last sherbet before Christmas ends, chasing the simple chance to finally go home and rest. |
| Sorbetes Ice Cream | Jennissie Gilbuena | Drama | In the wake of a traumatic event, two brothers cope in incompatible ways — one of them by eating ice cream. |
| The Keeper | Nolan Rae Fabular & TRNZ | Animation, Drama | When an intruder disrupts the rigid order of a trophy hall, its devoted keeper spirals into a pursuit that unravels the world she so carefully curated. |
August 7, 2026Friday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts B | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | — |
| 2:30 PM | Shorts AGala | GanggangJL Burgos | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Shorts A |
| 5:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin CelestinoGala | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | TirikMay-i PadillaTalkback | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 8:30 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha HabonGala | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 2:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
| 5:30 PM | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 8:30 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
| 2:30 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 5:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 8:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Shorts A | Shorts B |
| 3:00 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Shorts B | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 6:00 PM | Shorts A | TirikMay-i Padilla | GanggangJL Burgos | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
| 9:00 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
August 8, 2026Saturday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts A | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | — |
| 2:30 PM | Shorts BGala | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | GanggangJL BurgosTalkback | Shorts B |
| 5:30 PM | TirikMay-i PadillaGala | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard PascualTalkback | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan RazTalkback | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 8:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-LuarcaGala | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
| 2:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 5:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 8:30 PM | Shorts A |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
| 2:30 PM | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 5:30 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 8:30 PM | Shorts B |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Shorts A | — | — |
| 3:00 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | GanggangJL Burgos | Shorts B | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 6:00 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 9:00 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | TirikMay-i Padilla | Shorts B |
August 9, 2026Sunday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | — | — | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | — |
| 2:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane AngosTalkback | — | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
| 5:30 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. CorpuzGala | Shorts BTalkback | Kaka sa YawanAlpha HabonTalkback | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
| 8:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard PascualGala | TirikMay-i Padilla | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 8:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | Shorts A |
| 8:30 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | — | — | Shorts B | — |
| 3:00 PM | GanggangJL Burgos | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Shorts A | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 6:00 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Shorts A |
| 9:00 PM | Shorts B | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
August 10, 2026Monday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | — | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 5:30 PM | GanggangJL BurgosGala | Shorts A | Book Launch: Sine Film PelikulaThe 100+ Greatest Films of Philippine Cinema · Jo-Ann Maglipon & Joel David | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 8:30 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan RazGala | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Shorts B | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | Shorts B |
| 8:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin CelestinoTalkback |
| 8:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | — | — | Shorts A |
| 3:00 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
| 6:00 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Shorts B | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 9:00 PM | GanggangJL Burgos | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
August 11, 2026Tuesday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 5:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane AngosGala | GanggangJL Burgos | Book Launch: The Quiet ManThe Films of Mario O’Hara · Noel Vera | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
| 8:30 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Shorts A | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 8:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 5:30 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
| 8:30 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla | — | Shorts B | Shorts A |
| 3:00 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | TirikMay-i PadillaTalkback | GanggangJL BurgosTalkback | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
| 6:00 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. CorpuzTalkback | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 9:00 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
August 12, 2026Wednesday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Shorts B | — | — |
| 2:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-LuarcaTalkback | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | Shorts A |
| 5:30 PM | Shorts ATalkback | TirikMay-i Padilla | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
| 8:30 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Shorts B | GanggangJL Burgos |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 2:30 PM | Shorts A |
| 5:30 PM | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 8:30 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
| 2:30 PM | Shorts A |
| 5:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 8:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Shorts B | Shorts A | Shorts B |
| 3:00 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
| 6:00 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | GanggangJL Burgos | TirikMay-i Padilla | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 9:00 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Shorts A | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | TirikMay-i Padilla |
August 13, 2026Thursday
Gawad Awards at 6:30 PM. Special screening of 58th by Carl Joseph Papa.
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | GanggangJL Burgos | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Gawad AlternatiboMain Competition | Shorts A |
| 2:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Symposium: Alternative IntelligenceCinemalaya & Film Academy of the Philippines · 1–5 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
| 5:30 PM | Shorts B | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Symposium: Alternative IntelligenceCinemalaya & Film Academy of the Philippines · 1–5 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 8:30 PM | 58thCarl Joseph Papa | Shorts A | Gawad Awards6:30 PM | 58thCarl Joseph Papa |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts B |
| 2:30 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
| 5:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 8:30 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts B |
| 2:30 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 5:30 PM | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 8:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Shorts A | — | — |
| 3:00 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Shorts B | Shorts A | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 6:00 PM | GanggangJL Burgos | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 9:00 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Shorts A |
August 14, 2026Friday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts A | Shorts B | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 2:30 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla | A.ni.málDustin CelestinoTalkback | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 5:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. CorpuzTalkback | Book Launch: Trip to Quiapo Book 2National Artist Ricky Lee | Shorts B |
| 8:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | GanggangJL Burgos | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts A |
| 2:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
| 5:30 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
| 8:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 2:30 PM | Shorts B |
| 5:30 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 8:30 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Shorts B | Shorts B |
| 3:00 PM | GanggangJL Burgos | Shorts A | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Shorts A |
| 6:00 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Shorts A | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 9:00 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | TirikMay-i Padilla | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
August 15, 2026Saturday
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts B | Shorts A | — | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 2:30 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 5:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | TirikMay-i Padilla | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
| 8:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | GanggangJL Burgos | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 2:30 PM | Shorts B |
| 5:30 PM | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 8:30 PM | GanggangJL Burgos |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Shorts A |
| 2:30 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 5:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 8:30 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Shorts BTalkback | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | TirikMay-i Padilla |
| 3:00 PM | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard PascualTalkback | Hand of GodMark Duane AngosTalkback | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Shorts B |
| 6:00 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-LuarcaTalkback | GanggangJL Burgos | GanggangJL Burgos |
| 9:00 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | TirikMay-i Padilla | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
August 16, 2026Sunday
Asian premiere of closing film Filipiñana. Note: the festival’s summary listing gives the closing film as August 18, 8:30 PM — confirm before planning.
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | Shorts A | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual |
| 2:30 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz | TirikMay-i Padilla | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 5:30 PM | GanggangJL Burgos | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 8:30 PM | FilipiñanaRafael ManuelAsian Premiere · Closing | FilipiñanaRafael ManuelAsian Premiere · Closing | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | Shorts B |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 2:30 PM | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz |
| 5:30 PM | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 8:30 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 2:30 PM | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon |
| 5:30 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos |
| 8:30 PM | GanggangJL Burgos |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | — | Shorts ATalkback | Kaka sa YawanAlpha Habon | A.ni.málDustin Celestino |
| 3:00 PM | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan RazTalkback | Tayo Lang ang NakakaalamDavid R. Corpuz | A.ni.málDustin Celestino | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca |
| 6:00 PM | TirikMay-i Padilla | GanggangJL Burgos | Shorts B | Kaka sa YawanAlpha HabonTalkback |
| 9:00 PM | Hand of GodMark Duane Angos | Status: RejectedVahn Leinard Pascual | Mag-iinaGiancarlo Abrahan & Guelan Varela-Luarca | 2 Valid IDsMa-an L. Asuncion-Dagñalan & Abet Pagdagdagan Raz |
August 17, 2026Monday
Awards night. All venues run the festival’s four highest-grossing titles as Box Office #1–#4.
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30 PM | Box Office #1 | Box Office #3 | Box Office #2 | Box Office #4 |
| 5:30 PM | Box Office #2 | Box Office #4 | Box Office #1 | Box Office #3 |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Box Office #4 |
| 2:30 PM | Box Office #2 |
| 5:30 PM | Box Office #3 |
| 8:30 PM | Box Office #1 |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Box Office #4 |
| 2:30 PM | Box Office #2 |
| 5:30 PM | Box Office #1 |
| 8:30 PM | Box Office #3 |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Box Office #2 | Box Office #4 | Box Office #3 | Box Office #3 |
| 3:00 PM | Box Office #3 | Box Office #2 | Box Office #2 | Box Office #1 |
| 6:00 PM | Box Office #1 | Box Office #3 | Box Office #1 | Box Office #2 |
| 9:00 PM | Box Office #4 | Box Office #1 | Box Office #4 | Box Office #4 |
August 18, 2026Tuesday
Winners’ encore day. Every screen plays an award-winning film across both categories.
Red Carpet @ Shangri-La Plaza
| Time | Cinema 1 | Cinema 2 | Cinema 3 | Premiere Theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts |
| 2:30 PM | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts |
| 5:30 PM | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts |
| 8:30 PM | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts |
Ayala Malls — Manila Bay / Glorietta
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts |
| 2:30 PM | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts |
| 5:30 PM | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts |
| 8:30 PM | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts |
Ayala Malls — Circuit / Market! Market! / TriNoma
| Time | Screening |
|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts |
| 2:30 PM | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts |
| 5:30 PM | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts |
| 8:30 PM | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts |
Gateway Cineplex 18
| Time | Cinema 11 | Cinema 12 | Cinema 16 | Cinema 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts |
| 3:00 PM | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts |
| 6:00 PM | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts | Best DirectionFull Length and Shorts |
| 9:00 PM | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts | NETPAC FilmFull Length and Shorts | Best FilmFull Length and Shorts | Special JuryFull Length and Shorts |
Other happenings at the Cinemalaya Festival
Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video
The Gawad Alternatibo main competition screens at Shangri-La Cinema 3, primarily in the 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM slots from August 7 through August 13. The Gawad Awards ceremony is August 13 at 6:30 PM. This is the experimental and alternative-media wing of the CCP’s film program, and it is where the genuinely strange work lives. Free your morning for it at least once.
“Alternative Intelligence” symposium
Happens on August 13, 1:00–5:00 PM at Shangri-La Cinema 3. A joint symposium by Cinemalaya and the Film Academy of the Philippines. An AI conversation for an industry that is right now trying to figure out what generative tools mean for a filmmaking economy already running on ₱2 million budgets. Expect this to be contentious. Go.
Exciting book launches
Three of them, all at Shangri-La Cinema 3 at 5:30 PM:
- August 10 — Sine Film Pelikula: The 100+ Greatest Films of Philippine Cinema by Jo-Ann Maglipon and Joel David
- August 11 — The Quiet Man: The Films of Mario O’Hara by Noel Vera
- August 14 — Trip to Quiapo Book 2 by National Artist Ricky Lee
A Ricky Lee book launch is an event in Philippine letters, not just Philippine film. Arrive early.
Special screening
August 13, 8:30 PM — 58TH by Carl Joseph Papa, screening simultaneously in Shangri-La Cinema 1 and the Premiere Theater. Papa is one of the most distinctive animation-forward voices working in Philippine cinema so it’s definitely going to be an interesting watch.
How much are tickets and where to buy them
While there are no festival passes this year, Cinemalaya has put together some bundles and special deals:
- Double Movie Deal: ₱630. Two films on the same day, saving ₱70.
- Barkada Deal: ₱1,400. Buy four tickets, get a fifth free.
- Snack Upgrade: free. Popcorn and drink upgrades with every ticket. Red Carpet Cinema only.
- Cinemalaya Premiere Experience: ₱999. Premium seating, free snacks, a festival shirt, the official Cinemalaya Balanghai Passport (a stamp-rally card for your screenings), and discount vouchers for merch and partner establishments.
- Block Screening: ₱25,900. 70 seats at Red Carpet Cinemas. For schools, film orgs, and companies with a culture budget.
Balanghai Passport: if you are the kind of person who is going to see six or more films anyway, the Premiere Experience math gets interesting fast, and the passport is a genuinely nice artifact to keep. If you’re seeing two films, skip it.
Source: Cinemalaya Facebook page
You can purchase tickets here:
Your Cinemalaya playboook
Here’s a practical playbook if you’re (1) on a budget and want to make sure your get the most value out of your money (2) don’t have a lot of time to see everything (3) have a specific preference for certain types of movies.
If you have one day:
Go on August 18. Everything playing is an award winner. Alternatively, go on August 7 or 8 for the gala energy and the fullest slate. But take note that these are most likely to be sold out even before the festival starts.
If you have one weekend:
August 7–8. Every competition film screens at the Shangri-La venue with gala premieres, and the first talkbacks. But it is very likely that people may have already booked tickets to the movies screening during these days, so expect to not get the seats you want.
If you want the best value:
Watch both shorts programs. Ten films for two tickets — ₱700 regular, ₱500 student. Historically the shorts competition also produces the some of the best moments in the entire festival.
If you’re bringing a date:
Sanaol. Ganggang (charming, propulsive), Status: Rejected (funny and sad in the right ratio), or Shorts A (variety keeps everyone engaged, and Runo! seems like a guaranteed crowd-pleaser).
If you want to be scared:
Mag-iina. It’s the only horror film in competition and it is not messing around with its stacked cast.
If you want to have insightful conversations with friends:
A.ni.mál or Tirik seem to be made of the best ingredients that would generate huge, profound reactions from viewers.
If you want to cry:
Kaka sa Yawan or Tayo Lang ang Nakakaalam have storylines that feel like they’re going straight for your heart strings.
Some other important things you may want to remember:
- Shorts programs are blocks, not individual tickets. One ticket, five films, roughly 90–100 minutes total.
- Gateway’s schedule is offset one hour from the Shang and Ayala. 12/3/6/9 versus 11:30/2:30/5:30/8:30. Do not assume you can hop between them mid-day.
- Talkbacks add 20–40 minutes to a screening’s total runtime. Budget for it or you will be the person walking out during a filmmaker’s answer. Awwwkward.
- Traffic between Mandaluyong and Cubao during festival hours is genuinely bad. Commit to a venue for the day. Goodluck booking a car. Angkas or MoveIt would be faster, but then again, booking one right away is not guaranteed.
- Schedules change. Cinemalaya’s official Facebook page is the fastest source of real-time updates.
- Bring a light jacket. Mall cinemas in August are aggressively air-conditioned, and a 120-minute film in Cinema 3 is a long time to be cold.
FAQs
When is Cinemalaya and where is it held?
Cinemalaya 2026 happens from August 6 to 18, 2026 and will be held at the following cinemas: Red Carpet at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City (Cinemas 1, 2, 3, and the Premiere Theater), five Ayala Malls Cinemas branches (Manila Bay, Glorietta, Circuit Makati, Market! Market!, TriNoma), and Gateway Cineplex 18 in Cubao (Cinemas 11, 12, 16, 17).
How much are Cinemalaya 2026 tickets?
₱350 regular and ₱250 for students. Bundle deals including a ₱630 double-feature and a ₱1,400 barkada pack have been reported, along with a ₱999 Cinemalaya Premiere Experience.
How many films are in Cinemalaya 2026?
Nine full-length films and ten short films in competition, plus an opening film, a closing film, the Gawad Alternatibo competition, and a special screening of Carl Joseph Papa’s 58TH.
What is the Cinemalaya 2026 theme?
Cinemalaya 22: Reel Reflections
When is Cinemalaya 2026 awards night?
August 17, 2026. Winning films screen across all venues on August 18.
What are the opening and closing films of Cinemalaya 2026?
The opening film is Enjoy Your Stay, directed by Dominik Locher and Honeylyn Joy Alipio, screening August 6 at 7:30 PM at Shangri-La Plaza.
The closing film is Filipiñana, directed by Rafael Manuel. The movie is an expansion of his 2020 short.
Are there English subtitles?
Cinemalaya films are typically screened with English subtitles, which is standard practice for the festival’s international jury and NETPAC consideration.
Where can I buy Cinemalaya tickets online?
SureSeats and Ayala All Access for Ayala Malls branches, redcarpetattheshang.com for Shangri-La Plaza, and TicketNet for Gateway Cineplex 18.