Cinemulan Film Festival 2026 honors emerging Filipino filmmakers

A short film from Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna emerged as the big winner of the Cinemulan
Film Festival 2026 held last May 30 at the Southville International School and Colleges (SISC)
Luxembourg Hall.
“Still, She Breathes” took home the coveted Best Picture and Best Cinematography awards. Led
by director, writer, and editor Charles Urbano, the film secured multiple top-tier nominations and
stood out as a testament to technical and narrative excellence.
Meanwhile, “Sabi ni Lola” from SISC earned major creative accolades for Best Director (Lauren
Sablan), Best Screenplay (Katrina Garcia), and Best Actor (Joseph Budoso).
Other awards went to Best Actress Quithana Lee for “Ang Bestida sa Kalye Hubad” from
University of Batangas, Best Editing winner Santiago Pido for “I Know Your Soul” from De La
Salle-College of Saint Benilde, and Popularity Award recipient “Katha” from Polytechnic
University of the Philippines-Manila.
Cinemulan was presented in partnership with the Communication and Multimedia Arts
(COMMA) department’s “Kalayaan, Kabataan, Kabuhayan” (KKK) initiative.
Centering on the theme “Healing, Change, and Growing Pains,” this year’s festival explored the
uncomfortable, quiet, and deeply transformative nature of personal growth. Out of a competitive
pool of student-led submissions, eight shortlisted films were selected to showcase the unique
voices, raw creativity, and storytelling excellence of the Filipino youth.
A major highlight of the awarding ceremony was an inspiring keynote by guest speaker Pepe
Diokno, director of “GomBurZa” (2023) and “Isang Himala” (2024) from the Metro Manila Film
Festival.
Diokno shared a humbling memory from his early days, revealing that he did not win any
awards during his very first film festival experience at Cinemalaya. Instead of a setback, he
viewed it as a vital turning point that allowed him to build the industry connections that shaped
his career.
The award-winning director also urged the students to fight the inner voice of self-doubt or the
“little monsters” within and channel that energy into constantly improving their craft, viewing
every festival and workshop as a continuous opportunity to learn and grow.
The festival entries were evaluated by Digital Dreams International President and
Producer Danzen Santos Katanyag, Manila-born actor, writer, and filmmaker Mariana Serrano,
and advocacy filmmaker, creative producer, and film educator Seymour Barros Sanchez.
The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from SISC College Director Dr. Astrid De Leon
and concluded with a forward-looking closing address by COMMA chairperson Kei Gabutero.
As Cinemulan continues to grow, it solidifies its place as a vital, professional launchpad for the
next generation of storytellers championing contemporary Filipino cinema.