Cinephiles are in for a treat this October as the much-awaited Spanish-language film festival PELÍCULA>PELIKULA returns for its 25th edition.
Included in the lineup of 23 movies is Agapito, the Philippine entry to the 2027 Academy Awards for the Best Live Action Short Film category.
Directed by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero, Agapito tells the story of a group of young men and women who find family inside the bowling community.
“Agapito is a very personal film for me and Kyla Romero,” stated Arvin during the press conference for PELÍCULA>PELIKULA in Makati City on September 22, 2026.
Agapito, he added, is the name of his brother.
“I don't want to spoil about the film, but yeah, it's quite a journey for Agapito,” he said.
Arvin also shared that showing his award-winning movie in PELÍCULA>PELIKULA is an honor, because the film festival had screened his short film Radikals last year.
“I'm happy that it's now really being shown in different countries and now in Pelicula. "So yeah, thank you,” he said.
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SHORT FILMS
Aside from Agapito, there’s another award-winning Filipino short film that will be screened in PELÍCULA>PELIKULA.
It’s Elenita, Elena, Elaine, the dystopian sci-fi drama that won Best Director for Gabriela Serrano in this year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival. The director, Gabriela Serrano.
Agapito and Elenita, Elena, Elaine are a part of the Encuentros en el cine: En corto program, that features short films.
Also included are Trumpet Voice from Chile, Gilbert from Spain, and Spread Your Legs from Mexico.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Meanwhile, there are seven full-length Spanish feature films on the Official Selection program. They include:
- Los Domingos Mueren Mas Personas (Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, 2025): The plot follows David, a 30-year-old gay man from Argentina living in Italy, who returns home for his uncle's funeral. He is plunged into an existential crisis when his mother announces her decision to unplug his comatose father's life support.
- We the Hispanos (José Luis López-Linares, 2026): This documentary traces the shared history between Spain and the Americas.
- El Desencanto/Disenchantment (Jaime Chávarri, 1976) - Fourteen years after the death of poet Leopoldo Panero, his widow and three sons gather to explore their family experiences.
- Laponia (David Serrano, 2026) - After spending several years with her husband and daughter in Lapland, Nuria invites her sister Monica to celebrate a dream Christmas in Rovaniemi.
- Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake (Irene Iborra, 2025) - Follows 12-year-old Olivia, whose life is upended when her family is evicted and forced to occupy an empty apartment.
- Rondallas (Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, 2025) - After a tragedy in the sea, inhabitants of a Galician fishing village rehearse a rondalla performance to compete against other neighbouring villages and heal themselves
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PREMIO GOYA ON TOUR
The movies in the Premio Gaya on Tour program feature movies that have been recognized by the Goya Awards, which recognizes excellent works in Spanish cinema.
- La Cena/The Dinner (Manuel Gómez Pereira, 2025) - Two weeks after the end of the Spanish Civil War, General Franco orders a celebratory dinner at the Hotel Palace. But the hotel, reconverted as a field hospital, isn’t ready for that.
- El Cautivo/The Captive (Alejandro Amenábar, 2025) - Chronicles the true story of a young Miguel de Cervantes. In 1575, the 28-year-old wounded Spanish naval soldier is captured by Barbary corsairs and imprisoned in Algiers.
- La Habitación de al Lado/The Room Next Door (Pedro Almodóvar, 2024) - Follows the rekindled friendship between Ingrid, a successful author, and Martha, a former war correspondent battling terminal cancer.
- Los Tigres (Alberto Rodríguez, 2025) - Follows two brothers who work as industrial divers in a sprawling, heavily polluted port in Andalusia.
- Mariposas Negras/Black Butterflies (David Baute, 2024) - Explores the urgent crisis of global warming through the interconnected stories of three women who are forced to become climate refugees.
- Maspalomas (Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi, 2025) - Vicente, a gay man, enjoys a carefree retirement in Maspalomas. When he has to move into a nursing home after a stroke, he decides to hide his sexual orientation.
- Sirat (Oliver Laxe, 2025) - A man and his son arrive at a rave in the mountains of Morocco to search for Marina, their daughter and sister, who disappeared months ago at another rave.
LATIN AMERICAN ENTRIES
This program features movies from Latin American countries.
- Cyclone (Flavia Castro, 2025 - Brazil) - In 1918 São Paulo, a working-class playwright's dream of studying in Paris is threatened when she becomes pregnant by her controlling director, forcing her to seek an illegal abortion to secure her independence and artistic freedom.
- Gigantes, Una Aventura Extraordinaria/Giants of La Mancha (Gonzalo Gutiérrez, 2024 - Argentina) - Accompanied by his three imaginary musical rabbits and his friends Pancho and Victoria, the 11-year-old Alfonso embarks on a daring quest to save their beloved hometown in La Mancha.
- Message in a Bottle (Gabriel Nesci, 2025 - Argentina) - A sommelier discovers a way to send messages back in time and uses it to correct a bad decision.
- Tengo sueños eléctricos/I Have Electric Dreams (Valentina Maurel, 2022 - Costa Rica) - Follows 16-year-old Eva as she navigates her parents' recent divorce.
- Vino la Noche / Night Has Come (Paolo Tizón, 2024 - Peru) - Follows a group of young men who enlist in the Peruvian Air Force to undergo a grueling military training program.
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OTHER EVENTS
Aside from the free screenings, the 25th PELÍCULA>PELIKULA Film Festival will also feature special events like a jazz concert, art workshops and a talk from Filipino film expert Nick Deocampo.
The film festival has also awarded the Galardón de Honor to Ronnie Lazaro for his contribution and effort in bridging the gap between the Philippines and Spanish-speaking communities.
The 25th PELÍCULA>PELIKULA Film Festival will run from October 4 to 11, 2026, in Power Plant Cinema in Makati and Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros. Screening is free.
For programming and screening schedules, visit the website and social media pages of the festival’s organizer, Instituto Cervantes de Manila.