Esoterica: Manila

As he has done countless times before, Cris (Archie de Calma) is riding the jeepney bus along the Elliptical Road bordering the Quezon Memorial Circle. Suddenly a robbery begins and he finds himself being held at knife point. As his life passes before his eyes, he asks the question, what could I have done in the past to save me from this? "Circles" tells the story of Cris' life in the days leading up to the robbery. As a trader at Quezon Memorial Circle, he deals with all levels of Filipino society. From fruit sellers to student protesters to male hookers all lives intersect at the park and it's historical landmarks. As brave and creative as Pablo's past features ("Doubt", "Bathhouse") and shot gorilla style on a shoe string budget,"Circles" promises to be all things to all gay people: entertainment, fable and erotica.

Ellie and Jake fall in love, but struggle with their relationship when they discover an unexpected connection between their pasts.

What is the measure of true friendship? Jamir, a devout Muslim, and Lando, a Christian, are among an elite group of young recruits formed by military officers for a classified operation. These impressionable young men would undergo intense and grueling training that put their will and strength of character to the test. Amidst all the hardships, these men set aside their differences and became brothers. But what happens when the institution they have sworn to protect becomes the wedge that will tear their brotherhood apart?

Happily Ever After is a trilogy. Each is a love story with a touch of magic, comedy and whimsy. Tying all the segments together is a seemingly fake fortune teller, who uses a science sphere she got at a novelty store as a crystal ball!

A story of married couples but leaves their own spouses for their relationship.

When her boyfriend leaves for Japan on a singing contract, a dancer is so distraught she does not see the car that hits her. The driver pretends to be a helpful passer-by; they fall in love and gets married. Only bringing her to a more complicated life.

An incorruptible and dedicated judge, known as Hukom Roldan, whose once quaint and quiet family life was shattered when he handed a verdict unfavorable to his erstwhile and powerful friend, Don Silvestre. Humiliated, an evil scheme was hatched by Don Silvestre that would place the judge’s wife, Chita in a very uncompromising position making the judge suspect that she really committed an adulterous relationship. He succeeded and the couple separated. The irony of it all was that Judge Roldan, who has been just and fair in all his court decisions, swiftly and readily ‘convicted’ his wife without knowing her side and was convinced of the whole thing.

A story of friends who got entangled in the ironies of falling in love. Fate decides to play a trick on the quartet. Sharron and Jackie are close friends with contrasting personalities. On the other hand William and Rowell are students in the same school who are close to one another as the two girls are. Sharon and Rowell fall for each other and jealousy rears its ugly head on their relationship. Jackie and Rowell felt left out.

In a city where there is deception, crime and betrayal, it is a man who still keeps his word of honor ...

The story delves into what is supposed to be a victorious day for Boy whose first born — Jemjem, graduated from elementary with honors. Throughout the story, bits and pieces of fighting against oppression of losing his main livelihood as a vendor, of fighting for his winnings in a bet to game fowls, fighting for his honor as a family man, and eventually fighting for his own life against fate will be revealed.

Two small-time felons with disparate personas cross paths: One's a principled tough gay; the other is a scheming, street-smart teenager. Together, they get caught up in a string of petty exploits while managing to forge a stronger bond. Can they survive the ordeal?

Discriminated by employers for being a gay misfit, odd Kaye struggles to make ends meet selling her bewildering home-grown beauty soap when her half-transexual best friend Bonn appears with her son for help.

Set in an indigenous community in the hinterlands in Mindanao, a family goes up to the mountains to grieve and bury its youngest member who died from sickness.

Dew is about 2 friends who developed feelings for each other. But they lived in a time when homosexuality wasn't accepted.

Quizz West is conscripted into the United States Army in late 1940. Prior to being shipped out first to San Francisco, then the Philippines, Quizz and his hometown girlfriend Janet discuss their future plans.

Meet Duewand Collier Jr.-Male, 68 years old, American Citizen, a child conceived in the backdrop of the Philippines-American Mutual Defense Treaty, born and raised with Catholic guilt. He has made peace with his past and now tells his story-a story of love.

Erika and Cecil are twins who were separated by poverty right after they were born. Each of them is caught up in her own existence, not knowing that somewhere not so far lived a twin. But one day, fate intervened and found a clever way to bring them together.

A lonely magazine editor finds romance with his personal trainer until a confession changes everything. Based on the novel by Makoto Takayama.

A writer who has not written for years is looking for a tenant to share a spare room in his house. One day, an actor comes to rent the room. His clear and innocent eyes have evoked the writer's interest. When the writer finds out that the daily life of the actor is a performance in itself, he begins to refer the new tenant as the blueprint of his novel.

The story of Toey who escapes the big city to mend a broken heart but by coincidence meets Oat, a young engaged man. Both feeling lonely and desolate, their instant friendship increasingly turns deeper to love...