We’re bringing the vibrant and nostalgic vibes of 2016 back this year, and we’re taking some of our favorite Filipino films with us.
Our diverse roster of local movies has undergone a wide range of changes and storytelling breakthroughs over the past decade. The rise of nationwide film festivals has recognized various emerging actors, creatives, and filmmakers. Student-led projects have also been making their rounds on social media. And most notably, Filipinos are expressing great interest in making our films more accessible to the public, online and onsite.
Photo: Regal Entertainment, Inc., ABS-CBN Star Cinema/YouTube
We’ve come a long way in creatively championing the stories, voices, and experiences that have shaped our culture.
As our vast library of Filipino films continues to expand, here’s a look back on eight standout titles from 2016 that remain unforgettable, inspirational, and thought-provoking ten years later:
Die Beautiful
The LGBTQIA+ community will always remember this critically acclaimed comedy-drama by Jun Robles Lana. We experience grief, longing, acceptance, and self-love through the eyes of Trisha (Paolo Ballesteros), a trans woman and beauty queen with a dying wish to transform into her favorite female celebrities throughout her wake. Die Beautiful also offers a vivid perspective into the country’s queer spaces and chosen families that have stood by one another in the face of adversity.
Sunday Beauty Queen
Confidence and compassion take center stage in Sunday Beauty Queen, an award-winning documentary by Baby Ruth Villarama. The film, which won Best Picture at the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) m, highlights the empowering stories of Filipina domestic helpers in Hong Kong who prepare to become candidates in an annual pageant.
The Super Parental Guardians
Yes, you read that right. It has been ten years since we laughed out loud at Vice Ganda and Awra Briguela’s iconic “spaghetti face-off” in The Super Parental Guardians. There’s never a dull moment in this chaotic comedy by Joyce Bernal, which also stars Coco Martin, Onyok Pineda, Matet de Leon, Assunta de Rossi, and Kiray Celis, among others.
Saving Sally
Avid Liongoren’s Saving Sally introduced many Filipinos to the magic of local animation. The film follows Marty (Enzo Marcos), an aspiring illustrator and comic book artist, who catches feelings for gadget inventor Sally (Rhian Ramos) and strives to protect her from the “monsters” and “evil forces” that haunt her everyday life.
2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten
The year 2016 also gave us many remarkable coming-of-age stories. One of which was Petersen Vagras’s 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten, a compelling tale of friendship and self-discovery that’s bound to tug at your heartstrings. The movie revolves around Felix (Khalil Ramos), a high school outcast who grapples with conflicting emotions upon befriending his new classmates, Magnus (Ethan Salvador) and Maxim (Jameson Blake).
Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery)
Piolo Pascual and John Lloyd Cruz star in this eight-hour historical drama by Lav Diaz about the search for Andres Bonifacio’s lost body. The intriguing and intense film, a collaboration between Filipino and Singaporean production companies, won the Alfred Bauer Prize at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival before its theatrical release in the Philippines.
Barcelona: A Love Untold
“Stop acting like you know my pain. Stop acting like you own it! Hindi ikaw si Celine, and you will never be Celine!”
Our entertainment and pop culture landscapes haven’t been the same since we heard those life-changing lines in cinemas. Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla had us swooning and crying buckets in this bittersweet romance by Olivia M. Lamasan, set in the scenic and vibrant city life of Spain.
Baka Bukas
Samantha Lee’s directorial debut film, Baka Bukas, opened the floor to numerous conversations about sapphic stories and their rightful place in the local film scene. Here, we meet Alex (Jasmine Curtis-Smith), a struggling creative who slowly falls in love with her best friend, Jess (Louise delos Reyes). The two get caught in a flurry of heartbreak, confusion, and regret that puts them through the wringer.
ALSO READ: JM Ibarra, Fyang Smith to Lead New Film—Here’s What We Know So Far
What are your favorite Filipino films of 2016? Share your picks with us in the comments below!
Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email us at wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com’s Facebook Page. Interact with the team and join the WhenInManila.com community at WIM Squad, and join our Viber group to stay updated with the latest around the Philippines and beyond!
