Filipino Cinema Program
HP Mendoza and Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan curate special Filipino Cinema Program for OIFF 2025
Each year, OIFF highlights the cinematic tradition of a different region, culture, or community. This year, the festival is proud to offer two blocks of films devoted to Filipino Cinema as well as live dance and cuisine provided by the Filipino-American Community of Colorado, a Denver-based non-profit organization.
The first block, entitled KINONEKTA, showcases short films curated over the last year by Filipino filmmaker Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan. Eblahan’s short The Headhunter’s Daughter won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance before taking home the award for Editing at OIFF 2022 in the same year. Eblahan’s films explore diverse narratives that represent indigenous communities from across the Philippines, and his special program at OIFF offers a look at filmmakers who reflect that same diversity. Audiences can also see Elbahan’s latest film Vox Humana as part Short Films Block F of this year's larger OIFF program.
Saturday, June 21 @ 1:15pm — Wright Opera House
Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan
After a rapturous performance of his live album Attack, Decay, Release at OIFF 2024, San Francisco-based filmmaker and OIFF ‘24 Artist in Residence, HP Mendoza returns to present short films reflecting the Filipino-American diaspora. Entitled the daydream believers, Mendoza’s program brings together cinematic gems spanning genres and styles. Joining Mendoza in person will be director Kayla Abuda Galang whose film When You Left Me On That Boulevard previously played at both Sundance and SXSW.
Saturday, June 21 @ 4pm — Wright Opera House
H.P. Mendoza
Each program will include live dance from the Filipino-American Community of Colorado, a Colorado non-profit that works to “educate the members and the community with regards to the Filipino heritage and culture in order to maintain, preserve, and cultivate said heritage and culture.” Festival attendees will also be able to experience Filipino cuisine during the intermission between each film block.
This program is made possible by generous support from the Telluride Foundation, who previously sponsored OIFF’s Ukrainian Cinema Program (2024) and Native American Film Showcase (2023). The festival is deeply grateful to the Foundation for this grant, which supplements additional key support from the Ouray County Community Fund, Citizen’s State Bank, and Woman’s Club of Ouray. We are grateful to all of these organizations for making this program possible.
Program Supported by:
