Photographed by Xenia Patricia
Photographed by Xenia Patricia
Directed by Rafael Manuel, the black comedy drama will compete in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The Film Academy of the Philippines has selected Filipiñana, directed by Rafael Manuel, as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The film was chosen from a shortlist of titles: 58th by Carl Joseph Papa, All the Things I Leave You (Patawid) by Jade Catro, Filipiñana by Rafael Manuel, I’mPerfect by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, Manila’s Finest by Raymond Red, Quezon by Jerrold Tarog, Silenced Nights by Larence Fajardo, and Sisa by Jun Robles Lana.
Filipiñana is a 2026 black comedy drama and dark satire that explores class disparities, patriarchy, and structural violence at an exclusive golf and country club outside Manila.
“We are thankful for this opportunity to represent the country. We’ve been working hard since Sundance and Berlinale,” said producers Bianca Balbuena and Bradley Liew of Epicmedia Productions Inc. “I do hope all this noise, awareness, and acclaim can take us far. It is a steep climb to the shortlist, but we are a whole village, and we’ll be toiling tirelessly.”
The film stars Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos, Teroy Guzman, Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Isabel Sicat, and Nour Hooshmand, with Elle Velasco, Angeli Bayani, Micah Musa, Sunshine Teodoro, Pipay Kipay, and Agot Isidro.
“It’s a real honor pero napakalaking responsibilidad din nito. Lalo na’t ako yung mukha ng pelikula,” said Agoto. “Filipiñana portrays a different side of the Philippines, a different kind of what our cinema is and what it can be. We will work hard to represent the country well, and sana maipakita namin kung gaano karaming stories ang pwedeng manggaling sa atin, and how Filipino cinema continues to grow and find its place in the world. Maraming maraming salamat.”
For Manuel, the film is also a call for better working conditions in the industry. “Filipiñana was shot in 40 shooting days, which I’m well aware is a real luxury, especially in the Philippines – where some feature films are shot for a fraction of this,” he said. “Prioritising this longer shooting schedule allowed us to take our time with each scene – often just shooting one scene a day. Beyond the artistic benefits, more importantly, this production process allowed us to foster a healthier work environment for our cast and crew – especially for the below-the-line members of the crew, who get paid per day and often absorb most of the pressure of rushed and cramped shooting schedules.”
“And this is the most important thing for us: that beyond the artistic intentions of the film, that even through our production process, Filipiñana presented an alternative way of doing things,” he continued. “By representing the Philippines in the Oscars, hopefully Filipiñana also represents how healthier production processes are a viable economic and artistic route for making a film that can compete at the highest levels.”
Earlier this year, Filipiñana premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, taking home the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. The film had its European premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival and made its Philippine premiere at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
The film has the support of Film 4, which helped finance and support the development of Poor Things and The Zone of Interest, and US distributor Kino Lorber, which is the exclusive North American distributor for the documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin. The film is also executive produced by Nathan Studios and Happy Infinite Productions, which produced I’mPerfect and Sunshine, respectively.
“From the moment I saw Filipiñana at the Sundance Film Festival, I’ve been telling everyone I know that it’s nothing short of a cinematic miracle,” said Richard Lorber, Kino Lorber chairman & CEO. “When you’ve been distributing films for many decades, as I have, it feels like a gift that you can still discover something that truly feels like the future of the form. I am beyond thrilled that Rafael Manuel’s stunning and astounding debut has been chosen as the Philippines’ official Oscar submission and wish to reaffirm Kino Lorber’s commitment to helping it go the distance.”
The Philippines has submitted 35 films to the Academy over the decades, with the most recent being Lav Diaz’s Magellan (2025). During its campaign, it joined seven major international film festivals and earned standing ovations, seven nominations, and two wins, but fell short of making the cut at the Academy Awards. Although the country has submitted several films, the Philippines has not received any Oscar nominations.
Aside from Filipiñana, two other Filipino films will also be supported by FAP throughout their Oscar campaign: 58th for Best Documentary Feature and Agapito for Best Live-Action Short Film.
The 2027 Oscars are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles, California. Before the final nominations are announced, the submitted films will undergo the Academy’s selection process, with the Best International Feature Film shortlist expected on December 15, 2026, and nominations to be revealed on January 21, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Filipiñana is a black comedy and dark satire directed by Rafael Manuel that explores class disparities, patriarchy, and structural violence at an exclusive golf and country club outside Manila.
Filipiñana is directed by Rafael Manuel
The Philippines’ 2027 Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film is Filipiñana by Rafael Manuel.
The 2027 Oscars will be held on March 14, 2027.
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are annual honors given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry.