Cinephilia is a full-time job; festival-going a year-round affair. For cinephiles, watching as many movies (you can only see in festivals) as you can is always a priority.

But not all film festivals get the same screen time as others. The staples—Cinemalaya, Cinema One Originals, QCinema, and others—aren’t easy to miss. If you are a serious moviegoer, however, you’ll find that smaller and lesser-known film fests are just as worthy to attend.

Which brings us here: our ultimate, definitive list of film festivals in the Philippines.

We’ve scoured the internet for information on each festival so you won’t miss one this year. Note that some information isn’t completely set in stone, including dates and locations. Some fests tend to try out different venues for their programs.

Down to the very end of the post is a form that festival organizers can use to add their film festival to the list (or update an existing listing).

Here’s the complete list of film festivals in the Philippines.

Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)

Jennylyn Mercado at the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival

Sadly the one festival that every Filipino knows about. Sad because of its current state, which is mostly made up of controversy, corruption, and not a whole lot of great movies.

Still, it’s hard to argue against the place MMFF has in Filipino culture; December is the one month where Filipinos all go to the movies.

UPDATE: There will be a “Metro Manila Summer Festival”, which serves as an annex of the regular MMFF programmed in December. The new fest is expected to launch the summer of this year.

Metro Manila Film Festival

Every December, in theaters nationwide

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Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival

Cinemalaya is the premier independent film festival in the country. Each year a number of feature films, short films, and documentaries receive grants and compete for awards.

It’s the most “festival-like” entry than any other film fest on this list. If you haven’t yet, get your taste of Cinemalaya at the CCP, where I would say it is first should be experienced.

Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival

Every August, in select theaters

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QCinema International Film Festival (QCIFF)

Taken from the 2018 QCinema International Film Festival awards night

Programmed by the local government of Quezon City, QCinema is fast becoming one of our favorite local film festivals. A huge part of it is owed to the gears that make its machinery move, which gives us cinephiles the opportunities to watch foreign gems you’d normally only be able to watch abroad.

Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention its original films. Its Circle Competition yields some of the best movies we seen on the yearly, including last year’s “Oda Sa Wala”.

QCinema International Film Festival

Every October, in Quezon City cinemas

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CinemaOne Originals Festival (C1 Originals)

Best Picture Award for “Paglisan” at the 2018 CinemaOne Originals Festival.

CinemaOne Originals is one of the more established film festivals in the country. A yearly tradition by its eponymous cable channel (owned by ABS-CBN), the fest like QCinema is known to bring many foreign titles for the local audiences to enjoy.

The local titles—which supplies the “Originals” part of its name—come from a typically diverse selection of filmmakers who aim to tell more unique stories.

CinemaOne Originals Festival

Every November, in select theaters

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Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP)

Press conference for the 2019 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino is an interesting festival. It’s owned and programmed by the FDCP (chaired as of this writing by Liza Diño-Seguerra) to provide Filipino moviegoers a nationwide film fest that offered more diversity in terms of the stories on offer.

The fest has been recently receiving flak for its questionable decisions when it comes to its selection of entries. I have my own qualms and frustrations about this fest, but I’m hopeful it will get its act straight. It has the power and the platform to shake things up.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino

Every September, in theaters nationwide

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More Filipino film festivals

There are more film festivals in the Philippines, many of which are themed (by concept, region, and language, among others).

I urge you to check these out when you can. You’d be surprised by the number of great movies you’ll discover if you just seek them out.

Cine Lokal Independent Film Festival

All-year fest

Independent films

Select SM Cinemas

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Piling Obrang Vidyo

Every January

Experimental film/video

UP Film Center – Cine Adarna

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Spring Film Festival

Every January

Chinese cinema

Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong

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Cine Kabalen

Every February

Kapampangan cinema

Holy Angel University, Angeles

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Cine Rehiyon

Every February

Regional feature and short films

Various universities and lcoations

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REELive the Classics

Every February

Filipino film restorations

Power Plant Cinema, Makati

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Pelikultura CALABARZON Film Festival

Every February

Films from the CALABARZON region

UP Los Baños

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Website

Sinag Maynila Film Festival

Every March

Filipino films

Select theaters

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Website

CineFilipino Film Festival

Every April

Filipino films

Select theaters

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Website

Cinemansanas Film Festival

Every May

Films shot on iPhone

Online film fest

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French Film Festival

Every June

French cinema

Greenbelt 3, Makati / Central Square, BGC

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World Premieres Film Festival

Every June to July

Independent films and international titles (premieres)

Select theaters

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Website

Indie Un-Film Festival

Every July

Intercollegiate short films

College of Saint Benilde – SDA Cinema

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Website

TOFram Film Festival

Every July

Filipino films related to farming

Select theaters

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Website

Ega Sai: Japanese Film Festival

Every July to August

Japanese cinema

Select theaters

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Website

CineSB Independent Film Festival

Every August

Short films

College of Saint Benilde – SDA Cinema

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International Silent Film Festival – Manila

Every August

Silent films from various countries

Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong

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Pandayang Lino Brocka Political Film and New Media Festival

Every September

Independent films

UP Film Center – Cine Adarna

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Website

Cine Europa Film Festival – Manila

Every September to November

Films from countries from the European Union

Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong

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Globe Independent Film Festival

Every October

Short films

Online film fest

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Website

Pelicula – Pelikula Spanish Film Festival

Every October to December

Films from Spain and Latin American countries

Greenbelt 3, Makati

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Website

Active Vista Film Festival

Every November to December

Filipino films about human rights

Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong / UP Film Center – Cine Adarna

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Website

Makata Indie Film Festival

Every December

Filipino films

Select theaters

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CineKasimanwa Western Visayas Film Festival

Every December

Films from Western Visayas

Iloilo

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Submit your film festival

If we missed your film fest, please key in your information below.

Please allow us at least twenty-four (24) hours to approve your listing.

If you wish to update information on the list, please email the editors and we’ll verify and run the changes.