Maria Labo

The title "Binyag" translates to 'loss of innocence,' and this little-known film from the Philippenes shows, very effectively, the process in which one young person loses his own innocence. A boy living a quiet, picturesque life in the Filipino province, spending his days swimming in the sea, is offered a job as a "film star" when a shady "talent scout" visits his small village. He promises the naive Leo that he can "make him a star." Leo, excited at the idea of escaping his seemingly mundane life, accepts the offer, thus beginning his journey to the city of Manila, where he will learn some hard facts about the world he lives in.

Hesus Resurreccion, a total scaredy cat who lives with his social-climbing aunt and two rowdy cousins, inherits an abandoned mansion. Coincidentally, the said location serves as a portal to the afterlife for the stranded ghosts, and they know that Hesus is "The One" who would open it. If he didn't, the ghosts would turn into cockroaches.

In this eerie thriller from the Philippines, a group of high schoolers finds themselves contending with more than the usual teen angst issues. It seems they've run afoul of Ulanaya, a menacing, shape-shifting ghost bent on creating terror and pandemonium throughout the land. Can these adolescent, amateur ghost hunters summon the mettle to square off against -- and vanquish -- such a formidable otherworldly nemesis?

Starting from where they last left off, the Spirit Warriors stumble upon a black hole to the Netherworld in their search for an ancient mystical and powerful amulet. Now that they've found a way in, there comes the problem of how to get back - especially as the Netherworld's dark denizens spring into action to give the Spirit Warriors a taste of their gruesome never-land hospitality.

In this movie, the abuwak race is being threatened by extinction. The only way they can grow in numbers again is through the rare ability that only the soon-to-be queen of the abuwaks, Hasmin (Lovi Poe) possesses.

Two lovers spend an unforgettable summer in Greece, but their differences threaten to break them up.

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.

Welcome to the hometown of Yoyong, Poklat, Boying and Uding. Here, there are no big shopping malls, no tall buildings. There are only huge mountains and vast fields as far as the eye can see, and clouds that seem to be always embracing the mountains. Life is simple for the four boys. They are content and very happy if they could eat three meals a day and are able to play. All of them, except for Uding who is an orphan, have left their homes in the mountains because they couldn’t bear the harsh treatment of their parents.

The film depicts the troubles of Jonas and his sisters Carmina and Tricia , who have moved to their family’s old farm after Jonas’ real estate business sank. Jonas hires the help of some local men to put up a fence around their property, and while they all seem helpful at first, they become an indelible source of frustration for him and his sisters.

Adela, a former radio personality, celebrates her 80th birthday. Alone, and without support, she longs for the family and stability of years gone by. Mundane events take on heightened meaning as Adela gauges her life against those of the sea of humanity. Adela is about the quiet moments in life that can fill us with either joy or sorrow.

A back to back treatment of a malaise which has shocked Philippine society for the past so many years: the mysterious disappearances and killings of Filipino journalists and activists. The film focuses on a hard-hitting radio commentator and his conflict with a former classmate who is a suburban town mayor. The radioman’s story runs parallel to the tale of a student-activist on the run with his activist-girlfriend. These parallel stories are interwoven with a third story, that of the former military man , now their would-be assassin. This killer’s unexpected obsession with his wife leads to a climax of murder and mayhem.

A woman after killing her husband and his friends goes into post-traumatic shock and withdraws from any form of communication. A feminist journalist becomes interested in the case and resolves to unravel the truth behind the murders.

Leo belongs to a poor family. Because he did not finish his studies, his only option is to work as a contractual worker in various establishments. In one job, he met a high-spirited girl named Tanya with whom he got romantically involved. In their relationship, he wishes to feel fulfillment and sense of security with her, but he is not prepared for this additional commitment.

A story about two lonely people who met during the whale shark watching season in Donsol, Sorsogon.

After losing his family at sea, Fredo, a fisherman, seeks revenge by plundering the depths of the ocean. He commands a brutal muro-ami divers, pushing them to the brink as survival demands the sacrifice of innocence.

A man gets involved with two mystic sisters who happened to save him from dying ashore.

A robbery goes wrong and the bank's teller Josie is abducted by the gunman Angelito Asuncion. A few weeks pass and Josie escapes to tell a tale of terror and mayhem. She asserts to have faked falling for him in order to win his trust while Angelito surfaces to claim otherwise.

A coming-of-age love story about a young man’s first encounter with love, romance, and heartbreak, told in bits and pieces of poetic and melancholic memories that began on one rainy night.

SYNOPSIS. Fidel (Paolo Contis) is a fresh culinary arts graduate from a Swiss school, working as an under-chef in a casino restaurant in Macau. Fidel is compelled by his mother, Inay Viring (Maricel Laxa), to come back to their hometown in time for the first death anniversary of his father. Fidel starts apprenticing with the town's lechon master, Mang Carding (Jun Urbano) and falls in love with Carding's granddaughter, Carmel (Karylle). As the story moves forward, Fidel is constantly confronted by his familly's over-dependence on him, even if the eldest in the family is his Kuya Roger (Gerard Pizzaras), an ill-tempered trisikad driver. Meanwhile, Fidel's teen sister gets pregnant by her high school boyfriend, and before long has a bad miscarriage. At around the same time, Tiyo Pinoy (Michael de Mesa) stabs the lover of his wife Cora (Joanne Quintas). All this domestic turmoil happens while Fidel is struggling through his training as a litsonero with Mang Carding.

Adela is a young woman who seemed to be cursed from birth. Now a teenager, she begins to show signs of strange abilities which grow stronger as she is bullied.