(Left photo) The opening film of Philippine Film Industry Month 2026 is the 4K digitally restored ‘Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang’ (1974) by National Artist Lino Brocka. Starring Christopher de Leon, it will screen on Sept. 4 at Red Carpet Cinema, Shangri-La Plaza. The closing film is the newly restored ‘Sister Stella L’ (1984) by Mike De Leon, starring Vilma Santos. It will screen on Sept. 20 at the Metropolitan Theater.
MANILA, Philippines — The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is looking back at one of the richest periods in local movie history as it marks the Philippine Film Industry Month (PFIM) this coming September.
Carrying the theme “Pelikula: Ginintuang Ikalawa,” PFIM 2026 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Second Golden Age of Philippine Cinema, with a month-long lineup that revisits landmark films while also creating platforms for emerging filmmakers and the next generation of industry talents.
During a recent press conference at the Cinematheque Centre Manila, FDCP chairperson and CEO Jose Javier “direk Joey” Reyes pointed to 1976 as a particularly remarkable year for Philippine cinema, when several films now regarded as classics were released within a span of 12 months.
Among them were Mike De Leon’s “Itim,” Lino Brocka’s “Insiang,” Mario O’Hara’s “Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos,” Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara’s “Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo,” Eddie Romero’s “Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon?” and Ishmael Bernal’s “Nunal sa Tubig.” Direk Joey noted that having that many important films come out in a single year was something Philippine cinema has not quite replicated since.
Throughout September, these six films from 1976 will be screened for free at FDCP Cinematheque Centres nationwide as part of the celebration of the Second Golden Age.
Interestingly, PFIM will officially open not with a 1976 film but with the 4K digitally restored version of Brocka’s “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang,” released two years earlier in 1974.
According to direk Joey, the choice has both historical and personal significance. He recalled that in 1974, Brocka brought a then-young Christopher de Leon to De La Salle University to promote “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang.” Direk Joey, who was still in college at the time, had the opportunity to interview the late National Artist with fellow students.
“It was an hour-long interview and after that interview I decided to become a screenwriter,” the award-winning filmmaker recalled. “Because Brocka explained to me the importance of Philippine cinema.”
Joey believes “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang” helped change how Filipino films were viewed, particularly among audiences who had looked down on local movies at the time, and helped pave the way for the creative surge that ensued.
The restored classic will screen on Sept. 4 at Red Carpet Cinema in Shangri-La Plaza. The ceremony will also see the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) announce the country’s official entry to the 99th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars.
FDCP chairperson and CEO Jose Javier ‘Joey’ Reyes looks back at Philippine cinema’s Second Golden Age as the agency marks Philippine Film Industry Month this September.
More classics return to the big screen
Besides the films from 1976, the PFIM will reach even further into the past through “SineUna: Cinematic Action Before the War,” which brings together five surviving films from the pre-World War II era: “Zamboanga” (1937), directed by Eduardo de Castro; “Giliw Ko” (1939), directed by Carlos Vander Tolosa; “Tunay na Ina” (1939) and “Pakiusap” (1940), both directed by Octavio Silos; and “Ibong Adarna” (1941), directed by Vicente Salumbides.
Direk Joey lamented how few local films from before World War II have survived or remain available to audiences, underscoring why the FDCP continues to push for film preservation and restoration.
Other screenings at the Cinematheque Centre Manila include Brocka’s “Jaguar” on Sept. 9 under the "Reel to Real: Pelikula at Panayam" screening and talkback series.
The FDCP’s Director’s Series, meanwhile, will put the spotlight on Jeffrey Jeturian on Sept. 10 with screenings of “Tuhog” and “Kubrador,” followed by a Q&A with the veteran filmmaker.
The celebration will also move outside the Cinematheque. In partnership with the Intramuros Administration, “Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon?” will be screened at Teatro in Fort Santiago on Sept. 11.
Other PFIM events include the Sept. 17 world premiere of Mike Alcazaren’s documentary “Kodomo-tachi: Children of the War,” which draws from firsthand accounts of survivors of the Battle of Manila. Direk Joey described the documentary as “absolutely heartbreaking,” particularly because its elderly interviewees were still children when they witnessed the horrors of the war.
JP Habac’s “Olsen’s Day” will also be featured in Kapelikula, the FDCP’s screening event for JuanFlix subscribers, on Sept. 19.
In Iloilo, from Sept. 10 to 23, Pelikula ng Bayan will showcase the top three films of the Bantayan Film Festival from the past decade, spotlighting the work of Guimbalanon filmmakers.
On Sept. 20, the newly digitally restored “Sister Stella L,” directed by Mike De Leon and starring Vilma Santos, will be presented as the closing film at the Metropolitan Theater under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ "Mga Hiyas ng Sineng Pilipino."
Direk Joey said restoring the 1984 classic had been particularly challenging for the FDCP, making its return to the big screen another major highlight of this year’s PFIM celebration.
Among this year’s Parangal honorees for Philippine Film Industry Month are Viva’s Vic ‘Boss Vic’ del Rosario, veteran actress Hilda Koronel, the late critic and educator Tito Genova Valiente.
New stories, new filmmakers
PFIM is not solely focused on the past, with the introduction of the first PFIM Short Film Competition mounted with the FAP, Metro Manila Film Festival and Quezon City Screen Commission. The FDCP chair said around 120 short films were submitted, with 10 finalists selected for the competition. The films will roll into Cinematheque Centres nationwide from Sept. 11 to 23.
The ninth edition of Sine Kabataan will likewise continue the FDCP’s effort to develop young filmmakers. Ten entries from filmmakers representing Metro Manila, Nabunturan, Cebu, Antipolo, Laguna, Negros Oriental, Ilocos Norte and Leyte will premiere at Red Carpet Cinemas from Sept. 18 to 20, before continuing their run at Cinematheque Centres from Sept. 22 to 26.
Direk Joey said giving young filmmakers an actual platform is important because they represent the future of the industry.
More than screening their films, he stressed that young participants are also guided through the filmmaking process.
The focus on young talents will continue with the return of the Film Education Convention or FilmEc on Sept. 25 and 26 at De La Salle University Manila.
The biennial gathering brings together students, teachers, film professionals and enthusiasts for workshops, discussions, screenings and networking activities.
According to direk Joey, the FDCP-backed Academic Film Society began with around 20 member schools and has since grown to more than 100 schools around the country offering programs related to film, communication, television and broadcasting.
He said FilmEc is also meant to assist educators who may be teaching film-related subjects without having received formal training in filmmaking, while giving students from different parts of the country the chance to connect with one another.
Filmmaker Jeffrey Jeturian takes the spotlight in the FDCP’s Director’s Series this Philippine Film Industry Month, with screenings of his acclaimed films ‘Tuhog’ and ‘Kubrador’ on Sept. 10 at Cinematheque Centre Manila.
Photos courtesy of FDCP, official social media pages
Honoring industry pillars
PFIM will officially culminate on Sept. 30 at Seda Vertis North in Quezon City with a closing ceremony recognizing both longtime pillars of Philippine cinema and recent achievements.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, Viva Communications chairman and CEO Vic Del Rosario, veteran actress Hilda Koronel and critic, and the late educator and regional cinema advocate Tito Genova Valiente.
Annual Achievement Awards, on the other hand, will be given to artists whose works made waves in the international filmfests. They are Ryan Machado ("Raging"), Jorrybell Agoto and Ruby Ruiz ("Filipiñana"), as well as the women of “Enjoy Your Stay” — Mercedes Cabral, Anna Luna, Irma Adlawan, Donna Cariaga, Madeleine Nicolas and Hasmine Killip.
The ceremony will also recognize the Quezon City Screen Commission following Quezon City’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Film.
The finalists of Isapelikula, the FDCP’s film incubator and match-funding program, will also be announced, with selected projects eligible for production grants of up to P1 million.
Michael Sager and Aya Fernandez will host the closing program, with performances by Sam Mangubat, Esang, AC Bonifacio, Kai Montinola and Jarren Garcia.
Overall, the FDCP hopes that the upcoming month-long industry event can be a reminder of what Philippine cinema has been capable of and what it can aspire to become again.
As for where Philippine cinema should place its priorities moving forward, direk Joey expressed disagreement with the idea of making films with the likes of the Oscars in mind, even as the country enters another Oscar submission season.
He argued that the more immediate goal should be to make films compelling enough to bring Filipino audiences back to the cinemas.
“Gumagawa tayo ng magandang pelikula dahil gagawa tayo ng magandang pelikula. Kasi 'pag gumawa kayo ng magandang pelikula, babalikan ng audience at papanoorin,” he said in response to a question. “I think that's more important at this point (than) the Oscars.”