Bacolod film joins Diwa festival in Seattle

BACOLOD CITY — “Manokan Country,” a short film about Bacolod City’s culinary heritage and community resilience, has been selected to screen at the Diwa Filipino Film Festival in Seattle this June.

The festival, held in collaboration with the annual Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, will return to the Seattle Center Armory Loft 2.

“Manokan Country” is among 30 films chosen to celebrate the Filipino spirit and diaspora.

The 20-minute comedy-drama will be screened under the “Sometimes You Just Gotta Laugh” program on June 7, Sunday, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

It will be shown alongside “Guys! Action!” by Jem Catabijan, “Philip vs. The School” by Terrence Santiago, “Ambag” (Impact) by Mark Giddel Liwanag, and “Te Seguiré a la Oscuridad” by Joy Regullano.

Written and directed by Banjo Hinolan, “Manokan Country” centers on Bacolod’s famed chicken inasal culture and the pressures faced by communities confronting modernization.

The film follows Raul, played by Hector Gloria, a passionate restaurant owner trying to save his family’s Chicken Inasal business from a ruthless real estate developer, Mrs. Lopez, played by Tex Romero.

To protect his legacy and the community’s cultural heart, Raul organizes a high-stakes cooking competition.

With the support of his daughter, played by Jerianne Panisales, and the local community, Raul must confront sabotage while balancing tradition and innovation.

Louis Dormido and Hayde Portal play supporting characters in the film.

Hinolan and Maria Althea Rose Mauricio co-produced “Manokan Country” as one of the 10 finalists at the Bacolod Film Festival in 2024.

The film is told in Hiligaynon with English subtitles.

Organizers described the film as an uplifting testament to Filipino resilience and the power of food to unite people.

The Diwa Filipino Film Festival is a community-centered event made possible by 4Culture and powered by Shunpike.

By exhibiting independent films from the Philippine islands and beyond, the festival provides a platform for stories that celebrate the “Diwa,” or spirit, of the Filipino people wherever they reside.

For Bacolod, the selection brings one of the city’s most recognizable cultural symbols, Manokan Country, to an international audience through film.

The screening also places Bacolod’s local storytelling within a wider Filipino diaspora conversation, connecting regional language, food heritage, and community identity with audiences in the Pacific Northwest.