The Philippines’ pioneering fantastic film festival launches its 13th edition in collaboration with the 9th ASEAN Film Festival.
Bakunawa Fest 13 opened Tuesday at SM Mall of Asia Cinema, marking the latest chapter of the Philippines’ first fantastic film festival and one of the region’s longest-running independent, volunteer- and artist-run film festivals.
This year, Bakunawa joins the 9th ASEAN Film Festival for Bakunawa Fest 13 x 9th ASEAN Film Festival | Fantastic Film Festival, bringing filmmakers and stories from across Southeast Asia into the festival’s distinctive cinematic universe. The collaboration expands Bakunawa’s platform for unconventional and genre-defying work while creating a space for cultural exchange among filmmakers and audiences across ASEAN.
At the center of the 2026 edition is Mata-ASEAN, the festival’s Focus Section dedicated to films from ASEAN countries. The section draws from the region’s rich traditions of mythology, folklore and speculative storytelling, while presenting filmmakers whose works approach the extraordinary from distinct cultural and contemporary perspectives.
For Bakunawa, this tradition of storytelling provides room to move beyond the conventions of mainstream cinema. Through Mata-ASEAN, Filipino audiences can encounter how filmmakers from neighboring countries transform local histories, beliefs and experiences into stories that cross cultural and geographic boundaries.
The September 29 launch at SM Mall of Asia Cinema marks the beginning of a festival that will extend well beyond Metro Manila. From October 26 to November 1, Bakunawa Fest 13 will bring its program to Iloilo City, Quezon City and Bacolod City, with activities spread across 16 venues.
The expanded program moves beyond traditional screenings, bringing together film, art, food, coffee, design and heritage spaces. It will include a film caravan and film camp, as well as a collaboration with the Tigkaralag Festival of the Municipality of Pavia in Iloilo. The partnership marks a first of its kind for a Philippine film festival, further extending Bakunawa’s community-based approach to cinema.
The festival will continue in Manila from November 2 to 15, giving audiences additional opportunities to encounter the films and filmmakers featured in this year’s edition.
Now in its lucky 13th year, Bakunawa remains grounded in the independent, artist-driven and volunteer-powered ethos that has defined the festival since its beginnings. Its collaboration with the 9th ASEAN Film Festival gives that tradition a broader regional dimension, connecting Bakunawa’s audience with the diverse filmmaking cultures and creative voices of Southeast Asia.
As Bakunawa Fest 13 moves from its launch into its wider festival run, its identity remains rooted in the freedom of independent cinema and the possibilities of the fantastic. This year, that spirit reaches across ASEAN, inviting audiences to discover the region through stories of wonder, unease, myth and possibility.
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