FEU’s TAM DokyuFest 2026 celebrates student documentaries and social truths

The Far Eastern University Department of Communication recently concluded TAM DokyuFest 2026 with the announcement of the festival winners. Guided by the theme “Visions for a Shared Humanity,” this year’s festival featured 19 official finalist documentaries produced by third-year Communication students. Rather than mere class projects, these student films served as powerful, empathetic manifestos confronting pressing social and environmental realities.

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama opened the awarding ceremony.

The Best Documentary prize went to “Balong ng Buhay” produced by Michaela Kristine Guillen and directed by Erin Gzy. A poignant look at an elderly fisherman fighting for survival amid reclamation projects in Laguna Lake, it also received the Best Directing award for Erin for handling the subject matter with profound humanity. Erin urged the public to join the fishermen’s struggle against the Laguna Lake reclamation, emphasizing that everyone’s future is at stake.

“Pamanang Pamangan” (Food as Heritage) produced by Dustine Josh Lacsina and directed by Johanna Cien Rivera won first runner-up along with Best Cinematography for Drew Patal for translating reality into a lingering visual language. The documentary is a sophisticated culinary exploration of Pampanga’s rich food culture, spanning home kitchens to street food.

The second runner-up award was given to “Pihit ng Panahon” produced by Maristelle Quiñones and co-directed by Chloe Cantonjos and Tobit Laggui. It tackled the intersecting lives of two clock repairmen who restore both broken timepieces and human connections. Tobit and Elaine Monica Tiambeng also got the Best Editing prize for their seamless integration of archival and contemporary footage, narrative pacing, and emotional cohesion.

“Sa Pagliit ng Dagat” directed by Shayne Flores and Chelzea Mafae was awarded the Special Jury Prize for its “courageous quietude,” as the film captures the delicate balance between survival and urban development facing the fishing communities of Little Samar in Navotas.

The SDG Advocacy Award was bestowed on “Isang Tasa ng Pag-asa” produced and directed by Precious Nikole Tungpalan for Papa Barako Studios for spotlighting grassroots innovation and actionable hope rather than just tragedy.

The festival also recognized Jarvey Abutan with the Best Sound for “Ibong Yabi” for its immersive environmental textures that elevated the daily life of a Mangyan community.

The festival expanded its horizon this year by featuring entries from UP Diliman, Mapua University, and the University of San Carlos in Cebu, while partnering with FEU’s National Service Training Program. Aligned with various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the films explored critical global themes such as Climate Action and No Poverty.

The event also featured a special screening of the documentary “An Elegy to Forgetting” at the AB 202 Theater Room. This was followed by a talkback session with director Kristoffer Brugada, moderated by FEU DepComm Chair Chrissy Cruz Ustaris.

Since its inception in 2022, TAM DokyuFest has served as a vital breeding ground for the next generation of Filipino truth-tellers, proving that every story, no matter how mundane, carries a “beating heart.”