The Rotary Film Festival Manila 2026, organized by the Rotary Club of Luntiang Maynila Prime, serves as a platform for young and emerging filmmakers to tell powerful stories that spark dialogue, inspire change, and amplify voices often left unheard.
With the theme “Voices for Change,” the festival aims to highlight films that shed light on pressing social issues, celebrate Filipino creativity, and promote cinema as a tool for social impact. Entries are encouraged to explore stories connected to the 7 Areas of Focus of Rotary: peacebuilding and conflict prevention, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, community economic development, and protecting the environment.
The Rotary Film Festival Manila invites students and young professional filmmakers to submit their short films under three competition categories:
-
Senior High School / College Category
-
Vertical PSA Category (portrait short-form videos promoting advocacy)
-
Open Category (for independent or youth filmmakers)
Submission of entries is free, and filmmakers are welcome to submit multiple entries. The festival accepts short films across all genres—narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental—that embody creativity, purpose, and social relevance.
The festival will culminate in an awards night in April 2026 (venue to be announced), recognizing outstanding works with numerous awards and special citations.
The submission deadline is February 15, 2026, and entries are open to all student and youth Filipino filmmakers nationwide.
The Rotary Film Festival Manila is more than just a competition—it’s a youth-driven movement empowering storytellers to use film as a force for good and community transformation.
For submission details and updates, follow Rotary Film Festival Manila on Facebook and Instagram.
In partnership with WhenInManila.com, the official media partner of Rotary Film Festival Manila 2026.
