Here are some PH films submitted to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film
Here are some PH films submitted to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film
Feature art by Abigail Manaluz
Feeling the Oscar season yet? Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing) may have ended its Oscar journey too early after not making it to the final list of nominees for the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards. But it’s still a win in our books to see it come close for the Academy’s consideration.
Through the years, there have been several Filipino films submitted for Best International Feature Film, then known as Best Foreign Language Film, at the Academy Awards. Here are some of the films you might want to check out.
Fabian (Sid Lucero) in despair in Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan (2013). Photo from the festival trailer in TIFF.
Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan (2013)
Dir. Lav Diaz
Lav Diaz, the master of slow cinema, adds color to his usual black-and-white moving masterpieces, placing Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment,” in the context of Philippine social justice. Submitted for the 87th Academy Awards in 2014, Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan, the four-hour epic, sees Sid Lucero act the hell out as Fabian, a bright fellow who abandoned his law studies and eventually has someone’s blood on his hands. Meanwhile, the person who gets pinned for the crime, Joaquin (Archie Alemania), suffers the fate of being transformed by his newfound life in prison. Ultimately, the film portrays crime and social class in the form of ill-fated circumstances, making way for an unfortunate and accurate representation of how justice is seemingly served in our land.
Unfortunately, the film isn’t available for streaming. However, you can check out the films of Lav Diaz, currently showing on MUBI.
Corrupt reporter Sisoy Salas (John Arcilla) contemplates in On the Job: The Missing 8. From Reality MM Entertainment and Globe Studios.
On the Job: The Missing 8 (2021)
Dir. Erik Matti
The ambitious sequel to On the Job, Erik Matti’s On the Job: The Missing 8 goes all out with its three-and-a-half-hour runtime filled with action, thrilling stakes, and a reflection of corruption in harsh times. Leads Dennis Trillo and John Arcilla are standouts, with the latter earning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. Matti offers another timely sign of the times, with current issues such as the attacks on press freedom, rampant fake news, and a government depicted of a similar nature to reality. Submitted for the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, On the Job: The Missing 8 showcases what a Filipino production can do with high-caliber acting, writing, and direction.
You can watch the film along with the first film as a six-part miniseries on HBO Go.
Maya (Mary Joy Apostol) wields a shotgun in Birdshot. Photo from TBA Studios’ official website.
Birdshot (2016)
Dir. Mikhail Red
Eagle eyes were on Mikhail Red when Birdshot started making rounds in the film festival scene and eventually became the first Filipino-produced film to be available when Netflix Philippines was launched in 2018. The coming-of-age thriller follows the unintentional death of a Philippine eagle and two police officers investigating the disappearance of a busload of farmers who were on their way to Manila.
Birdshot also became a coming-of-age for Red, who would be known as one of the rising voices in Philippine cinema today, known for directing (and also writing) genre films sprinkled with local flavor. The film was submitted to the 90th Academy Awards in 2018.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, the film isn’t available on Netflix or other streaming platforms
Indoy (Christian Bables) in Signal Rock. Photo from San Diego Asian Film Festival’s website.
Signal Rock (2018)
Dir. Chito S. Roño
In Signal Rock, Christian Bables stars as Intoy, who takes care of his parents while his sister Vicky works as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Finland. Intoy searches for a signal whenever he contacts his sister in the strange rock formations of Samar. The island, a place he calls home, witnesses Intoy’s life slowly changing; a love departing, and his ambitions slowly reaching out which will make him leave the island for work. It was an entry to the 2018 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino and the official entry to the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.
Maxi (Nathan Lopez) and Victor (J.R. Valentin) in Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros. Photo from Rotten Tomatoes.
Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005)
Dir. Auraeus Solito
A coming-of-age tale that awakens the questioning of a teenager’s sexuality, Auraeus Solito’s debut feature, Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, follows Maxi (Nathan Lopez), who establishes an unlikely friendship with a police officer, Victor (J.R. Valentin). Eventually, the circumstances of living amid hard times and growing up serve as pivotal anecdotes in the life of one Maximo Oliveros. It also awakened Philippine cinema in the mid-2000s, which saw the rise of independent filmmakers and stories that pushed the industry forward. It won Best Film at the inaugural Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and the official entry to the 79th Academy Awards in 2007.
You can watch Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros on Vimeo
Manilyn Reynes, Gina Alajar, Roderick Paulate, and Elizabeth Oropesa in Ded na si Lolo. Screenshot from the film’s trailer.
Ded na si Lolo (2009)
Dir. Soxie Topacio
Writer and director Soxie Topacio highlights Filipino traditions, superstitions, and beliefs in Ded na si Lolo, a story about a family mourning the death of their patriarch in this satirical dramedy. The ensemble cast includes Roderick Paulate, Manilyn Reynes, Gina Alajar, Elizabeth Oropesa, Dick Israel, and BJ Forbes. The film was submitted to the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010.
You can watch a copy of Ded na si Lolo on YouTube.
Mang Rene (Eddie Garcia) and Bwakaw in Bwakaw. Photo from the film’s page on the Udine Far East Film Festival website.
Bwakaw (2012)
Dir. Jun Lana
The late Eddie Garcia stars as Rene who came out as gay in his twilight years, who finds companionship with a stray dog named “Bwakaw.” He lives alone in an empty household, with death lingering on now and then. Mang Rene spends too much time just waiting for the time he passes on, without really learning to appreciate what he has. But with the arrival of Bwakaw, he takes life for what it is and what it can be. Director Jun Lana knows how to capture drama and warmth, with characters we can grow to love. The film was submitted to the 85th Academy Awards in 2013.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, the film isn’t available on streaming platforms.
Choleng (Angel Aquino), Stella (Sharon Cuneta), and Rhoda (Hilda Koronel) wailing in Crying Ladies. Photo from Netflix.
Crying Ladies (2003)
Dir. Mark A. Melly
Director Mark A. Meily brings together Angel Aquino, Hilda Koronel, and Sharon Cuneta who attend funerals as professional mourners. The comedy-drama showcases these women's lives, who are far more than just their unusual jobs. Crying Ladies is based on Meily’s screenplay, “Bayad Luha,” which was his thesis for a screenwriting workshop under scriptwriter Armando Lao. It was also submitted as the Philippines’ official entry to the 77th Academy Awards in 2005.
You can watch Crying Ladies on Netflix.
Eugene Domingo in a septic tank in Ang Babae sa Septic Tank. Photo from Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ website.
Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (2011)
Dir. Marlon Rivera
Film school graduates Rainier (Kean Cipriano), Bingbong (JM De Guzman), and Jocelyn (Cai Javier) are set on making an Oscar-caliber film with Eugene Domingo, in a fictionalized version of herself, in the lead role. The film satirizes the local independent film industry, highlighting poverty porn, awards-bait filmmaking, and the push for cinematic shock value that counts as a film deemed to be recognized, such as Eugene Domingo’s character swimming in a sewer. At the 7th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, the film won Best Director for Marlon Rivera, Best Screenplay for Chris Martinez, Best Performance of an Actress for Domingo, and Best Picture. Subsequently, the film was the official entry to the 84th Academy Awards in 2011.
You can watch Ang Babae sa Septic Tank on iWantTFC.
