Every year, Filipino film festivals provide platforms and opportunities for directors, screenwriters, and actors to maximize their artistic freedom. The Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) SineKabataan short film festival has quickly become a renowned part of these nationwide showcases.
Since 2017, SineKabataan has catered to the country’s promising filmmakers aged 18 to 23. The film festival continues to help them hone their craft and produce brief yet impactful stories that are unique to their evolving perspectives.
Photo: Project 8 Projects, Blooming!
One of this year’s standout SineKabataan entries is Ronnie Ramos’ Blooming!, headlined by nine-year-old Annika Co, the expressive and articulate breakout actress of Antoinette Jadaone’s Sunshine.
If you enjoyed Co’s performance and key role in Sunshine, then her participation in Blooming! is just the sign you need to support the short film. Here’s everything else we know so far about this emerging SineKabataan fan favorite.
Meet Nena, Our Outstanding Kikay Bida
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Blooming! is a love letter to girlhood and growing up, shown through the eyes of an innocent fifth grader. Needless to say, the short film is right up Co’s alley. She plays Nena, the star student of Grade 5, Section Gumamela, who slowly comes to terms with her own body when she’s tasked to name the parts of a flower.
Will Nena grow petals? Will she morph into a tree? Nothing is sure for now. However, we can expect the same compassion, grace, and eloquence from Co that earned her a heartfelt viral moment on the It’s Showtime segment, Mini Miss U, in 2023. We’re even more excited to see her bravely portray contrasting characters in two consecutive projects at such a young age.
Co’s wisdom and eloquence beyond her years have become paramount to all her projects, onscreen roles, and blessings in the entertainment world so far. This dutiful daughter captured Filipinos’ hearts on live television, and now, she’s all set to do the same in this vibrant coming-of-age production.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
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To truly understand Blooming!, even from teaser photos and behind-the-scenes posts alone, we must tap into the one place where we spent our foundational years of growth and learning: elementary school.
The short film’s simple yet distinct sneak peeks are reminiscent of our student lives, purposefully spotlighting nostalgia, growth, and the uncomfortable yet life-changing trial by fire we call puberty. Subject portfolios, textbooks, handwritten report card grades, bulletin boards, and numbered assignments on ruled notebooks generously sprinkle familiarity throughout each preview.
Blooming! has yet to reach our local theaters, but we can already sense a comforting short film for kids at heart who’ve been missing their campus days a little extra lately. We may have outgrown our school uniforms, but we can always make room for the memories and lessons they carried that we’re bound to revisit through Nena’s fifth-grade adventures.
Be Part of Project Blooming!
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Blooming! is gearing up for the highest honors at this year’s SineKabataan, and you can help the short film and its enthusiastic team achieve them.
If you want to witness this project in full bloom, you can express your support through their social media pages and monetary pledging channels. Or better yet, show up at the SineKabataan 2025 premiere night (which we’re still staying tuned for) to cheer for the film in the flesh. Think of it as chipping in for your class section’s funds that you’d save for a rainy day or spend on handy props, materials, and equipment for campus-wide competitions.
Like group projects and class performances, there are no small roles in bringing Blooming! to fruition. If you and your classmates could put your differences aside for joint efforts throughout the school year, who says you can’t do the same for Nena and her friends at Payapa Elementary School decades later?
Blooming! will join nine other short films at SineKabataan this year, spanning various genres and narratives that shed light on issues in health, education, security, peace-building, and family values.
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On May 2, 2025, SineKabataan’s top ten finalists entered the film festival’s editing and mentorship stage. While waiting for their respective premieres this September, which is also Philippine Film Industry Month, you can check out more of this year’s notable entries.
These include Cedrick Valenzuela’s sentimental ode to healing, When It Rained Malunggay Leaves, and Joshua de Vera’s Elephant Paths, an adventurous drama for the youth who struggle to find their footing in the world.
ALSO READ: FDCP to Hold Sine Kabataan Short Film Festival to Celebrate the 3rd PH Film Industry Month
Are you excited for Blooming!? Which other short films are you anticipating at this year’s SineKabataan? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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