This month, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is giving us a ton of new reasons to fall in love with animation.
Though some of us might still consider it an underrated art form, animation has already been leaving lasting impressions on the country’s media landscape over the years.
Photo: Netflix Philippines, Mano Animation Studios/YouTube
Now, with highly anticipated animated projects like Sun Chaser, Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko, and DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island underway, more Filipinos are finally paying attention to the vibrant creative avenue. And thanks to the FDCP’s annual I Animate film festival—in partnership with Intramuros Animation—new opportunities can arise to invest in animation, support local creatives, and champion the stories they tell through their art.
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From April 21 to 25, 2026, I Animate is holding nationwide screenings of its carefully curated lineup of local and international animated films. You can catch these movies for free at the FDCP’s Cinematheque Centers in Manila, Davao, Iloilo, and Negros.
Are you ready to explore the vivid world of animation from the comfort of your local cinema? Here are the seven full-length features you can check out at this year’s I Animate film festival:
Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story (2020)
We’re ready to laugh like there’s no tomorrow and feel the kilig vibes all over at I Animate and JuanFlix’s screening of Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story. This globally recognized raunchy romance between a cat and two dogs follows the titular character (Angelica Panganiban) as she navigates her rocky relationship with a macho janitor, Roger (Robin Padilla), and her growing feelings for a high-profile business dog, Iñigo (Sam Milby).
The film’s director, Avid Liongoren, will share the stage with his crew members for an insightful talkback session on their creative process.
Manang Biring (2015)
Carl Joseph Papa has made his mark on the local film industry through his animated films that are simple yet striking in their storytelling. His works of art consistently highlight Filipino voices and identities, and Manang Biring is no exception. This bittersweet animated comedy revolves around the terminally ill Biring (Erlinda Villalobos), an elderly woman who strives to stay healthy enough to reconnect with her estranged daughter for the holidays.
Paglisan (2018)
Another one of Papa’s must-watch works is Paglisan, a heartfelt drama that every husband and wife will resonate with at I Animate. Crisanto (Ian Veneracion) and Dolores (Eula Valdez) strive to keep their marriage afloat as he gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and she battles deep-seated depression.
Space Cadet (2025)
The sky is the limit in Kid Koala’s Space Cadet, a heartfelt tale about chasing your dreams like it’s nobody else’s business. When young astronaut Celeste blasts off to the moon on her first solo mission, her childhood robot companion is left to grapple with the uncertainties of growth and life’s unpredictable learning curves.
Bouchra (2025)
If you’re in the mood for complex familial relationships set against bleak atmospheres, then Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani’s Bouchra is right up your alley. This Moroccan-American drama follows the titular protagonist, a coyote in her mid-30s who struggles to figure out her sexuality while documenting her long-distance bond with her mother.
Unicorn Wars (2022)
This is not the time for cuddles and cuteness. Horror, comedy, and camp take center stage in Unicorn Wars, an animated frenzy written and directed by Alberto Vásquez that guarantees a bloody good time. You’re in for a handful of colorful chaos with war-hungry teddy bears who go completely off the rails (Care Bears gone wrong, you say?) as they fight unicorns in the charming yet terrifying Magic Forest.
The Glassworker (2024)
The Glassworker will take you on a journey of love, life, acceptance, and hope in all forms that’s bound to prevail even in the face of the cruelest adversities. This breathtaking Pakistani movie by Usman Riaz captures the highs, lows, and in-betweens of a young glassblower as he grows up in war-stricken lands.
This Year’s I Animate Short Films
The FDCP also has a must-watch roster of short films for you to explore at I Animate. These include:
- The Dark Harvest: Graveyard Shift by Bryan Velayo,
- I’m Best Left Inside My Head by Elian Idioma,
- The Vanishing Fireflies by JP Corton,
- Runo! by Jazmine Gin R. Pateña and Lysa Catolico,
- DUROS by Harvey Gozado,
- I am but a small boy by Yuan Amandy, and
- Unravelled by Avryll Nartates, Sofia Bianca Chua, and Maria Isabella Patricia Manaloto.
You can sign up for a seat at I Animate through this link. More details on the film festival’s screenings are available on the FDCP’s social media pages.
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Which movies will you be checking out at I Animate this year? Let us know in the comments below!
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