A new generation of filmmakers is making waves, bringing real and powerful stories to the screen. These young creators are bravely sharing the struggles and joys of queer life, challenging what’s considered “normal.”
LGBTQIA+ stories are no longer pushed aside. Instead, they’re being celebrated—showing love, joy, and the unique experiences of queer people. These filmmakers are moving beyond the typical stories of pain and trauma, inviting everyone to enjoy the vibrant and diverse world of the queer community.
We’re thankful for these filmmakers, who are making sure queer stories are finally being seen and heard. Watch for their films at local festivals—you won’t want to miss out on these important voices. This list doesn’t scratch the surface of all the creatives making efforts to elevate queer stories, but here’s a list for now.
Trishtan Perez
At the 2021 QCinema awarding ceremony, Trishtan Perez’s film "I Get So Sad Sometimes" was named Best Film in the QCShorts competition. The film, which centers on a gay teenager eagerly awaiting the identity reveal of a man he met online, was praised for its keen observation of a generation's ethos. The jury commended the film's intimate and contemporary visual language, its editing style that avoids melodrama, and its focus on the immediacy of online interaction. The film serves as a poignant warning about the dangers of the internet and social media as substitutes for real-life connections.
Trishtan Perez, who also directed "Tisay: Prinsesa ng Kagubatan" (2020) and "The Man Who Isn't There" and "Other Stories of Longing" (2019), continues to make a significant impact on the Filipino film industry with his thought-provoking and visually engaging storytelling.
Kukay Zinampan
Kukay Zinampan is making waves in Philippine cinema with their unique storytelling style. Their film Nang Maglublob Ako sa "Isang Mangkok ng Liwanag" earned an Honorable Mention in the Short Feature Category at the 35th Gawad CCP Para Sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video. The film, which explores the lives of two transgender people during the pandemic, stands out for its segmented, poetic narrative that delves deep into themes of grief, longing, and self-discovery.
Zinampan’s ability to turn the mundane into something profound is what sets them apart. Their approach challenges traditional storytelling, offering a fresh, introspective perspective in a landscape often dominated by commercial films. This recognition is just the beginning for Zinampan, whose work is not only emotionally resonant but also a significant contribution to the future of Philippine cinema. You can watch Nang Maglublob Ako sa Isang Mangkok ng Liwanag for here!
Joshua de Vera
Joshua de Vera gained popularity with his debut short film Please Remember This Night (2023), a queer story on two teenage men who were forced to walk the streets of Manila together after failing to catch the last metro train. Leading the production team that created Saan Ako Pinaglihi, the 21-year-old filmmaker from Polytechnic University of the Philippines has a passion for producing and pitching film projects, particularly focusing on queer narratives through SBSG Pictures. Directing Please Remember This Night, de Vera boasts his pride when the short film has screened in Sine Pop Quezon City, Samu’t Sari Film Festival, Santa Catarina’s Diversity Film Festival, and Edo State International Film Festival.
De Vera released the trailer for his up-and-coming film, At least We Had This Moment.
Stephen Dela Peña
Stephen dela Peña, although a philosophy-nerd and has a liking for gloomy, incandescent cinematic tones, is as queer as he can be. Hailing from Far Eastern University, the 21-year-old filmmaker breaks the ground for genre filmmaking in the local film scene that alluded more to avant-garde. He has a taste for framing narratives in the traditional French New Wave style, whose outlooks of his characters deem reflective than descriptive— in Alone Again, Naturally (2024) and his upcoming queer film Fall From Grace (2024). His film on meta-theater story on massacred farmers, Dumula ng Isa, Dalawa, Tatlo (2023) has garnered him the Best Director Award in the FEU Film Movements Festival 2023, formerly known as the annual Likhang Mulat Film Festival.
Sean Romero
Sean Romero is a pride of Mapua University. He has a vocation for delivering powerful queer narratives, such as Saan Ako Pinaglihi (where he was credited as the head writer), films portraying the gay experience in Cut/Off (2022) and The World We Left (2023). Crafting his passion for semi-erotic queer films on gay men puts perspective on the overlapping realm of masculinity and sexuality through melodramatic tones. His film Cut/Off has garnered him the Special Citation for LGBTQIA+ Narrative Film at Gawad Alternatibo, as well as Best Director and Best Narrative for the same film. His film on two gay partners debating on the ownership of their shared apartment, The World We Left has screened in both Yearnfest Film Night at Sine Pop Cubao and Alt-R Heroes Film Festival in UPFI Film Center.
Jermaine Tulbo
Jermaine Tulbo isn’t new to the filmmaking scene. Boasting 10 directing credits under his name, this Davaoeño filmmaker who graduated from Meridian International Business, Arts, and Technology (MINT) sets his sights in bringing stories of Filipino labor, poverty, and endurance through lighthearted narratives. Jermaine had stated that he loves casting “non-actors”, a cast composed of ordinary Filipinos from ages twelve to whatnot with little to no experience in acting.
With this, he transforms every story as an in-depth foresight to Filipino ways of living, particularly, queer-centered stories. Mga Kuan is a coming-of-age short film about a queer teenager figuring out how to act under the pressure of celebrating their 18th birthday. Other films under his belt are Sumasaiyo (2020), Ang Pamilya Maguol (2023), and lastly, his breakthrough film Pinakanakapagpapabagabag-damdamin (2020) that was selected in Cinemalaya Film Festival, Sine Siklab, and Bamasa Film Festival.
Lian Laya
Lian Laya Leonen-de Vela—being a political science student from Ateneo de Manila University doesn’t stop her for having a spice for sapphic narratives. Recently releasing her debut film, Katip! (2024), she dwells on writing the story about three female friends, Ara, Bea, and Kim exploring the bizarre life of being a sapphic woman in young Manila. Engaging in an almost 8-minute long short film, the girls intimately explore friendships, ex-girlfriends, religious beliefs, and vices— as if we’re watching a queer version of Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Moral. Lian is a rising filmmaker, and we’re about to see what success her debut film holds in the future. Her short film is available to watch for free on YouTube.
Myra Angeline Soriaso
Myra Angeline Soriaso, a 22-year-old student filmmaker from Iloilo, has quickly established herself as a promising talent in the Philippine film industry. Her journey began in August 2018 when she discovered Cinematheque Centre Iloilo, where she ignited her passion for storytelling.
Soriaso's first major project, Panambi, a short documentary co-created with her friends Jane and Katya, premiered internationally at the prestigious Ji.hlava International Film Festival in 2021. This early success paved the way for her to explore fiction filmmaking, which she showed with her entry at the 2023 QCinema International Film Festival.
A Catholic Schoolgirl, a coming-of-age drama film, is part of the QCShorts Program at the 2023 QCinema International Film Festival. The film, which Soriaso wrote and directed, tells the story of Kaya Fuentes, a brilliant and slightly tormented high school student who develops a crush on her nun teacher, Sister Agnes.
A Catholic Schoolgirl is not only Soriaso's first fiction film but also the recipient of Globe Prepaid’s GoWATCH Film Lab seed grant. This recognition further solidifies her position as a rising star in the Philippine film industry.
Rafaela Abucejo
Rafaela Abucejo is a 21-year old student filmmaker from Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Passionate as a digital photographer and filmmaker, She has directed and co-written Saan Ako Pinaglihi? (2024), a story about eight-year-old Chinky inquiring how she was conceived by her two female parents. Together with SBSG Pictures, the lighthearted-comedy short film won the Audience’s Choice Award in Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival in the short film category. She has collaborated with other queer filmmakers on the list for the film, including Stephen Dela Pena as her Assistant Director, Sean Romero as her co-writer, and Joshua de Vera as the film’s producer.
Saan Ako Pinaglihi? is now available to watch on YouTube.
What It Means to Create Queer Cinema
With local production teams swarming the short filmmaking scene, the discourse on queer entertainment might come to a halt in the future. The filmmaking youth are constantly empowered by the support of young audiences who begin to see themselves on screen. They can identify with certain characters, or see themselves as someone who can take hold of the narrative power in the language of film. Aspiring, bright filmmakers hailing from different universities are breaking the chains by popularizing and dramatizing queer narratives in order to normalize it within our patriarchal heteronormative society. As we dare say, the Future is Queer.
