In Ella Arcangel, the Real Monsters Aren't Always Supernatural

In this animated adaptation of Julius Villanueva’s acclaimed comic series, a 12-year-old mambabarang faces mythical creatures and harsh modern realities.

In the Philippines, the aswang, manananggal, kapre, duwende, and other mythical creatures strike fear in our hearts. But in today’s modern realities, who are the real monsters? Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko asks this question as it premieres at the 2026 QCinema International Film Festival.

Based on Julius Villanueva’s supernatural horror-fantasy series, the film follows Ella Arcangel, a 12-year-old mambabarang (sorceress or witch) who takes up her grandmother’s mantle in protecting the residents of Barangay Masikap. As she faces reimagined Philippine mythical creatures, she also confronts gritty urban realities like poverty, crime, gentrification, and the country’s drug war.

Villanueva first got the idea in 2015, while drinking with fellow comic artists after a comic con. As they threw ideas back and forth, he thought about another supernatural comic: Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldismo’s Trese series. “I thought, ‘What if Trese were poor?’” Villanueva tells Vogue Philippines.

At the time, he worked at TV network ABS-CBN, where he would pass by the informal settlers near the studio. Wanting to highlight the community’s stories and its people, he imagined a story in this setting. He chose a little girl as the heroine. Little girls, he says, are often the victims of older men, and with Ella, he hopes to give back the agency deprived from these children.

Embodying the courageous Ella is actress, host, singer, dancer, and model Bianca Umali, who is also making her voice-acting debut in the film. Her character is accompanied by a cat named Mimiw, voiced by comedian Michael V.

The director, National Book Awardee Mervin Malonzo, was an immediate fan of the comic series. “When I read it, I really enjoyed the story and honestly felt a bit envious that he beat me to the concept,” he says. “I became such a huge fan that when I decided to study animation, I asked for his permission to adapt his first story.” He first animated Ella Arcangel: Oyayi sa Dilim, which served as the proof of concept for the film. “A lot of people really liked that short film, which is why it grew into what it is today, a full-length feature film.”

For Villanueva, a significant moment for the short film was when it reached different communities. “I saw that it could be used to reach across party lines,” he says in a mix of Filipino and English. He recalls how, after the previous presidential election, the short film was screened at Liwasang Bonifacio. “There were a lot of kids who lived there who were watching the film. It’s very heartwarming to see that.”

Oyayi Sa Dilim went on to win the top prize at the Animahenasyon Festival in 2020, and the Directing Award at the Paris International Animation Film Festival (PIAFF) in 2022.

For Awit ng Pangil at Kuko, the animation kept the art style of Villanueva’s comics. “I wanted Ella’s characters and world to look like they literally stepped right off the page,” he says. He also drew on anime influences, such as Akira, Metropolis, Ghost in the Shell, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Studio Ghibli films. He was also inspired by Kill Bill, the Coen brothers, and Hirokazu Kore-eda films.

After five years of production, the film will finally reach audiences at QCinema, making its world premiere as the festival’s opening film. With Awit ng Pangil at Kuko, Villanueva hopes audiences might better understand the struggles of the urban poor. “These people who live in informal communities, they’re not cheating the system. They’re victims of the system,” he says.

Malonzo adds, “We have tooth and claw (pangil at kuko) in our title, so audiences should walk away covered in bites and scratches—scars that carry the true message of our story.”

The 14th QCinema International Film Festival runs from November 13 to 22, 2026, with screenings at Gateway Cineplex 18, Robinsons Movieworld Galleria, Ayala Malls TriNoma, Fisher Box Office, and SM Cinema at SM City Fairview. Tickets are available at a discounted price of PHP 200.