Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana has been selected as the Philippines’ official entry for the Best International Feature Film category of the 99th Academy Awards, placing the acclaimed Filipino film at the forefront of the country’s Oscars campaign.
The selection was made by a Committee composed of Filipino film industry experts approved by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and convened by the Film Academy of the Philippines. The Committee reviewed eight films submitted for consideration, evaluating them based on artistic merit, cultural relevance, and international campaign potential.
In choosing Filipiñana, the Committee highlighted the film’s artistic integrity, strong visual style, cultural relevance, and incisive examination of class, power, labor, and social realities. The Committee also considered the producers’ commitment and capacity to mount an international Oscars campaign, as well as the film’s growing recognition on the global festival circuit.
Film Academy Director-General Paolo Villaluna congratulated the team behind Filipiñana, describing the film as a visually distinct and provocative portrait of the Filipino experience.
Set within an elite country club outside Manila, Filipiñana follows 17-year-old Isabel, a young woman from rural Ilocos who works as a “tee girl,” lining up golf balls for the club’s wealthy members.
Isabel becomes fascinated by Dr. Palanca, the club’s president. However, as she begins to uncover the violence beneath the club’s carefully manicured surface, she discovers that her fascination is connected to a darker shared history.
Through the enclosed world of the country club, the film explores privilege and labor, wealth and inequality, and the social structures that allow hierarchies to persist.
For director Rafael Manuel, the film’s message also extends to the way it was produced. The production team deliberately sought to create a healthier working environment for the cast and crew, particularly below-the-line workers who often face the pressures of compressed shooting schedules.
“By representing the Philippines in the Oscars, hopefully Filipiñana also represents how healthier production processes are a viable economic and artistic route for making a film that can compete at the highest levels,” Manuel said.
The film stars Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos, Teroy Guzman, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Isabel Sicat, and Nour Houshmand.
Agoto said representing the Philippines comes with both honour and responsibility, adding that the cast will work hard to represent the country and showcase “a different side of the Philippines” and what Filipino cinema can be.
Filipiñana has already established a strong international profile. It made its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision.
The film later had its European premiere in the Perspectives section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. It also screened at the San Francisco International Film Festival, where it won the New Directors Award, and at the Independent Film Festival of Boston, where it received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature.
At the Cinema Jove International Film Festival, Filipiñana was awarded the Luna de València for Best Feature Film.
Its international distribution has also continued to expand. Kino Lorber acquired North American distribution rights following the film’s Sundance recognition, while BFI Distribution acquired the film for theatrical release in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Lead producer and Epicmedia Productions Inc. COO Bianca Balbuena expressed confidence in the film’s growing international momentum and the team’s preparations for the Oscars campaign.
The film has received support from Oscar-winning Film4, known for titles such as The Zone of Interest and Poor Things, as well as US distributor Kino Lorber. In New York, the film reportedly delivered Film Forum’s biggest opening weekend performance of the decade and reached 141% growth in its second week at the US box office. BFI is also set to release the film in UK theaters in November.
Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber likewise reaffirmed the distributor’s commitment to supporting Filipiñana through publicity, marketing, and advertising as the film transitions into its Oscars campaign.
With its official selection, Filipiñana now begins its campaign for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category of the 99th Academy Awards
58th and Agapito Also Receive Film Academy Support
The Philippines’ Oscars push will extend beyond Filipiñana, with the Film Academy of the Philippines also providing campaign support to 58th and Agapito as they seek consideration in their respective categories.
Carl Joseph Papa’s 58th will be supported for consideration in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, while Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero’s Agapito will be supported for consideration in the Best Live Action Short Film category.
Through its Pinoy Oscars Pursuit initiative, the Film Academy aims to increase the international visibility of Philippine cinema by supporting Filipino films competing for consideration across various Academy Award categories and other major international and industry awards.
Villaluna said the initiative reflects the Film Academy’s desire to bring more Philippine films and Filipino voices to the Academy.
58th is an animated documentary directed by Carl Joseph Papa that revisits the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre through the story of Reynafe Castillo, whose father, photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, was among those killed in the massacre, although his remains were never recovered.
The film premiered at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Harbour section before being selected for the Contrechamp section of the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. It also received the Facing the Edge Award at the 2026 Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand, an Academy Awards-qualifying documentary festival.
Meanwhile, Agapito, directed by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero, premiered in the Short Film Competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received an Honourable Mention from the Short Cuts jury.
The film follows Mira, a senior pin setter at a fading duckpin bowling alley, and her monthly visits with her brother Junior.
Together, Filipiñana, 58th, and Agapito represent a broader push to bring diverse Filipino stories and filmmakers to the global stage.
The 99th Academy Awards will be held on March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles.
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