Your guide to 40 Visayan films at CineMatahum 2026

ILOILO CITY — CineMatahum 2026 will screen 40 films across seven setlists on Oct. 14 and 15 at the Miagao campus of UP Visayas (UPV) and on Oct. 22 and 23 at the UPV Cinematheque in Iloilo City, the festival’s organizing team said.

The team described this year’s festival as “way BIGGER THAN EVER.”

The films are grouped by theme and feature diverse narratives that encompass the culture and identity of the Visayas regions.

CineMatahum 2026 highlights these voices and experiences through storytelling, with both competitive and non-competitive sections.

The festival screens stories under three film categories: Cine Kasilingan, Cine Barrio, and Cine Banwa.

Cine Kasilingan is a competitive category with 10 entries, open exclusively to students of UP Visayas, including UP High School and the Graduate School.

The category serves as a creative platform for UPV student filmmakers to share stories that reflect their personal, academic, disciplinary, and cultural journeys.

Cine Barrio is a competitive interschool category with 14 entries, open to student filmmakers from high schools to colleges in the Visayan regions, excluding UP Visayas.

The category honors regional identity and collective storytelling by amplifying narratives from various communities across the Visayas.

Cine Banwa is a non-competitive category with 16 entries that showcases curated works from non-students and community-based creators.

It expands the audience’s cinematic perspective by featuring films that reflect local truths while engaging with broader, global themes.

The festival has roots in Iloilo City, where UPV launched CineMatahum 2023 on Nov. 14 of that year at the UPV Cinematheque, as the Daily Guardian reported.

That edition highlighted the tahum, or inherent beauty, of Western Visayan films.

The first group of screenings, Set A, is titled Nagbaya, Ginbayaan and runs on Oct. 14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Miagao campus’s MILC and on Oct. 23 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the UPV Cinematheque.

“Kalay-uhan kang Kalayohan,” directed by Arcel Vinz Agudo, moves from the voices of consumers into the solitary world of the manug-uling, or charcoal-maker, where fire is both necessity and risk.

“Kapre,” directed by Ayana Andrade, follows a young girl named Dayday, who is haunted each night by the kapre said to dwell in the tree outside their kubo, while her aunt, Tiyay Belen, a local albularyo, clings to ancient beliefs to protect her.

“Sabay sa Agos,” directed by Arsen Carl Vargas, tells of Gabriel, a city boy who falls off a cliff, pollutes a river while bathing, and later realizes that his guide, Agus, was the embodiment of the Agusan River.

“Sunburn,” directed by Michael John V. Pedrajas, is a quiet reflection on the pain of loving what warms you only long enough to leave a burn.

“Bahay-bahayan,” directed by Aleona Louise A. Gardose, follows Mikay, an 11-year-old orphan who tries to keep the younger Eli, her makeshift family, from being adopted and realizes that holding on too tightly might cost her something far more important.

“Ang Pagtabok Kang Alibangbang,” directed by Mylamarie Nievares, follows a girl haunted by guilt and her father’s cruelty who meets Bok, a mysterious boy whose gentle presence awakens her fading spirit.

Set B, titled Kung Imo Mabatian, runs on Oct. 14 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Miagao campus’s MILC and on Oct. 23 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the UPV Cinematheque.

“Under My Sleeve,” directed by Toni Maxinne Advincula, follows August, 25, who returns home with her girlfriend for a final visit before leaving for a new life abroad, and whose younger sister, Dijon, encourages her to go to Germany.

“Panaad,” directed by Aiana Laurice Imperial, centers on Mang Ben, an aging costume maker in Ibajay devoted to preserving the traditions of the Ati-Atihan festival, and his daughter Elena, who returns from the city and clashes with him over authenticity and new materials.

“I Understand You In Every Tongue,” directed by Aneesa Victoria Dabao, is an experimental film about two lovers who understand each other beyond words yet still struggle to communicate when it matters most.

“Bilin,” directed by Tyra Klerrenz D. Oriel, follows Roel, a longtime jeepney driver in Iloilo who refuses to let go of his vehicle as modernization pushes traditional jeepneys off the road.

“Bilin” is inspired by the real experiences of traditional jeepney drivers and honors the unseen sacrifices behind every ride.

“Ngaa Tugnaw ang Gab-i,” directed by James Mathew Dela Cerna, follows Lucas, a quiet student and devoted son who juggles school deadlines with late-night freelance work until a sudden chill leads him to uncover the heart of his Binalaybay.

“Ining Kanta Nga Indi Ko Mahambal Sa Imo,” directed by Alexus Jan B. Yap, is a Hiligaynon musical drama about Alon, a son raised by a father who taught him to express himself through music and then silenced it after a devastating loss.

Set C, titled Mga Handumanan, runs on Oct. 14 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Miagao campus’s MILC and on Oct. 23 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the UPV Cinematheque.

“Gugma Sa Balod,” directed by Gale Adelyn U. Elisan, follows Tala, a young woman whose world collapses after the passing of her grandmother and who spirals into a surreal mourning inside a home heavy with silence and shadow.

“Lab-Lab Tita,” directed by Renalyn Bico, follows 18-year-old Hyanna through her last 24 hours at home before college, spent with her seven-year-old niece, Cyanna, who does not yet understand what goodbye means.

“Ka Budlay Budlay Gid Ya!,” directed by Hezekiah M. Estorque, explores through repetition, chaos, and moments of stillness the paradox of wanting to create while having nothing left to give.

“Pagdumdom,” directed by Mhika Jhella Cenizal, follows Boboy, a curious and adventurous young boy who explores the Plaza’s story as he listens to Tatay Pedring’s tales of the Bacolod Public Plaza.

“Remember, Sunshine,” directed by Aneesa Victoria Dabao, is an experimental film that explores Alzheimer’s disease and how music therapy helps people with similar forms of dementia recognize people, recall memories, and find moments of “lucidity.”

“Anggid,” directed by Zian Christian F. Lirazan, follows Kael, a young painter on the brink of graduation, who completes a bucket list with his best friend, Azul, after a devastating loss.

Set D, titled Sa Dulom kag Kapawa, runs on Oct. 14 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Miagao campus’s MILC and on Oct. 23 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the UPV Cinematheque.

“Thesis Defense,” directed by Japhet S. Frava and Justin Louis A. Mercolita, takes viewers into the mind of Alex, where pressure, guilt, and self-doubt take the form of three panelists.

“Siga Suga,” directed by Kris Catherine P. Bautista, follows Bok and his grandmother, who are left alone in the dark by a blackout, and an interruption that gives way to a love quietly unfolding.

“No Exceptions,” directed by JJ Lozada, follows Samuel Landov, a man known for doing his job right who believes consistency holds a city together and never makes exceptions.

“Tagu-anga,” directed by Jenny G. Cantomayor, follows Jheren, a young person who experiences strange things that no one else notices and who keeps everything to himself for fear of being judged.

“Saan Aabot ang Pagkababae Mo?,” directed by Renalyn Bico, is an experimental film in three parts that follows a woman through the stages and expectations of womanhood.

“Padulong sa Panganod,” directed by Margarita G. Bisnar, follows a man who returns to his childhood home after many years and realizes that he had already reached the “clouds” in his own way.

Set E, titled Handom kag Dumot, runs on Oct. 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Miagao campus’s MILC and on Oct. 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the UPV Cinematheque.

“Ang Hita Ko na ga Luha Kwarta,” directed by Carlos Ronnel A. Barino, follows Lina, who works a grueling nightclub job to provide for her autistic brother, Jacob, until a brutal assault pushes her to a psychological breaking point.

“Due Date na ni Judith,” directed by Kieth Earl Rebaño, follows Judith, 25, who visits a clinic for what she assumes is a routine pregnancy check-up and is presented with a contract she hesitantly signs.

“Espiho,” directed by Nika Wella Rose D. Ruiz, follows Raya, a 20-year-old hopeless romantic who performs midnight rituals with a mirror and candles to win the heart of Anton.

“Ophelia Blooms,” directed by Arron D. Aperocho, concerns blossoms grown from seeds coated in blood that vanish without an invitation, leaving only madness to be reaped from the barren grounds of oblivion.

“You Will Learn How To Tie It Again,” directed by Fahleen Fang, follows Jiko, a queer and expressive fashionista who meets Red at a party, acquires HIV after a relationship with him, and ends it by choosing himself.

“Kusina ni Rosa,” directed by Ren Sucaldito, is set in a town haunted by disappearances, where a widow’s quiet eatery inside a former funeral home draws a lone woman searching for her husband.

Set F, titled Tugda sang Duta, runs on Oct. 15 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Miagao campus’s MILC and on Oct. 22 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the UPV Cinematheque.

“Amar,” directed by Timothy James Sampang, follows a 17-year-old balut vendor who sells at wakes to save money to return to school and hears warnings about the amaranhig, a feared local folklore of resurrected corpses.

“Kanibal,” directed by Michael Baylon, follows Lea, a market vendor and diehard supporter of Mayor Lin, whose body begins to mirror the very meat she sells as a development project transforms the public market.

“Binhi Sa Huram Nga Duta,” directed by Ricky Azuelo Gicanal, follows Owa, an aging farmer who cultivates vegetables on land he does not own and who learns that Phyllis, a younger man from the community, has secured the land title for him.

“Pagkatapos ka Abo,” directed by Gian Genoveza, is set in a silent, post-apocalyptic town where a solitary man bound to his past encounters a young girl who fears memory itself.

Set G, titled Delikado, runs on Oct. 15 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Miagao campus’s MILC and on Oct. 22 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the UPV Cinematheque.

“Tililing: E-Motion Sickness,” directed by Dranreb T. Cimatu, follows a group of friends at the Bacolod Public Plaza whose laughter stops at the scream of Zanna, a woman who was abandoned while pregnant and cast onto the streets.

“Studio 4,” directed by Erika Vega and TEFU, follows a photographer who develops an unusual fascination with the woman behind her lens until the photographs begin revealing something she has been desperately trying to hide.

“Rafflesia,” directed by Carl Justine Amedo, follows a group of friends whose hiking trip in the woods of Antique turns into a nightmare when they get lost and realize a menacing figure is hunting them.

“Dollyhouse,” directed by Shekainah Glore G. Lozarita, follows six-year-old Dolly, whose longing to belong lures her into a game of trading innocence for material things.

“Displaced, Defiled, Destroyed,” directed by Toni Maxinne Advincula, is a three-part work that begins with a surrealist film about a fish and ends with a grief-stricken man who destroys the floral offerings left by a rival mourner.

“Ang Huling Banlaw ni Susan,” directed by Hezekiah Estorque, follows Susan Manalo, a tired but determined labandera who escapes into daydreams of becoming a boss, a socialite, and a powerful mayora as poverty wears her down.