“Asa Mutugpa ang Pag Lupad-Lupad” or “Where the drifting flight comes to rest,” is the lone Mindanaoan entry for this year’s Sine Kabataan 2026, an annual short film festival organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for young Filipino filmmakers.
The film is a coming-of-age story where we follow the story of Miguel, a young adult, who is returning to his storm-ravaged hometown, where new structures stand beside the ruins of familiar places. Here, he encounters fragmented memories of his childhood and past experiences.
This Sine Kabataan entry was written and directed by Emmanuel Pamaylaon, a Mindanaoan filmmaker, who explores themes of queerness, memory, and resistance that are rooted in his personal experiences and the political and cultural landscape of the region.
Furthermore, the production crew is also a collective of Mindanaoan filmmakers who aim to decentralize Philippine Cinema— highlighting that stories from the regions should be seen and heard.
Why is this flight important?
According to the director, “Asa Mutugpa ang Pag Lupad-Lupad” was drawn from the accounts of events during Typhoon Pablo, where many residents of New Bataan were affected, and many lives were lost.
“I was in New Bataan during Typhoon Pablo. Miguel’s story speaks to the lives lost in Typhoon Pablo, but it also reflects the experience of those who survived: displaced, relocated, and asked to continue living in spaces that do not fully account for what was lost,” the director said.
He emphasized that the film insists on remembering those who went missing during the disaster because these narratives become forgotten when the headlines stop talking about them.
“Too often, regional narratives are only acknowledged during moments of tragedy. Bagyong Pablo is an example. After that, they fade from public consciousness. Stories from Mindanao deserve the same scale, care, and preservation given to stories from the center,” Emmanuel Pamaylaon stated.
Lastly, the director explained what flight represents in this film.
“Dahil minsan, ang mga kaluluwang hindi nakauwi ay patuloy na lilipad sa ating mga alaala. Let’s ground this flight together,” he elaborated.
Where is the film’s first flight?
The director and crew also extended their invitations to the audiences, in hopes of sharing these regional narratives and preserving the memories of those who are beginning to be forgotten.
“Asa Mutugpa ang Pag Lupad-Lupad“ will premiere first at Shangri-La Plaza’s Red Carpet Cinema 1, from Sept. 18 to 20, 2026
The film will also be screened at Cinemathèque Centres, specifically: Manila, Davao, Iloilo, and Negros, from Sept. 18 to 26, 2026.
