Heads up, filmmakers! Cinemalaya is now accepting entries for 2026 edition

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The deadline for submissions is on June 6 at 6 pm

MANILA, Philippines – The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is now calling for full-length film entries for its 2026 edition, it announced on Thursday, May 8.

Cinemalaya will implement several rounds of evaluation to determine the final roster of films for Cinemalaya 2026.

On July 11, the Cinemalaya Competition Committee will select 30 submissions, whose creators will undergo a pitching session on July 26. Submissions will then be narrowed down to 20, and the proponents of the remaining films will join the Cinemalaya Institute’s Cinemalaya Film Lab, a film laboratory and mentorship program, which will be held from August to November.

From there, the Cinemalaya Competition Committee will then name the 10 final films that will premiere during the festival from August 7 to 16, 2026 at the Cinemalaya Main Competition.

Interested applicants may submit their entries through this Google Form. The requirements are as follows:

• A concept paper detailing the films premise, genre, tagline, key characters and their descriptions (Filipino or English); should not include applicant’s name
• A two-page synopsis of the film
• Proponents’ resume
• Two recent photos of proponent/s
• Sample work directed by proponent

Cinemalaya clarified that they will not be accepting full scripts. Applicants may submit up to three entries, but only one of them can be named a finalist. The organization will also not be accepting works that are already in principal photography or post-production phase before July 2025, unless they are documentaries.

While commissioned works from commercial platforms are ineligible for Cinemalaya, uncommissioned projects that originated from the filmmaker themself will be allowed, even if they’re tied to film and TV productions or local streaming platforms.

Cinemalaya 2025 will be held from August 1 to 10. Finalists include the films Warla, Republika ng Pipolipinas, Paglilitis, Padamlágan, Open Endings, Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan, Cinemartyrs, Child No. 82, Bloom Where You Are Planted, and Abanse.

In 2024, Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay’s Tumandok won the Best Film award in the full-length feature film category. – Rappler.com