"Six individuals, one shared dream."
Six individuals from different generations recall the golden age of Cebuano cinema, modern Cebuano cinema, their experiences, and discuss their aspirations about the future of Cebu’s film scene.
Social & External
The people behind it
Chai Fonacier
Suzette Ranillo
Keith Deligero
Victor Villanueva
Carl Joseph Lara
Grace Marie Lopez
A one-of-a-kind legacy project produced by TBA Studios, Habambuhay is a homage to the centennial anniversary of Philippine cinema–an insightfully entertaining documentary series, revisiting the personal experiences of those who work in front of or behind the cameras, those who have shaped the film industry of the Philippines for the longest time.
An unseen narrator travels down the “river” of Cebu City in search of a cheesecake. Accompanied by brief meditations on time, memory, and society, the film shows a raw portrait of a city moving too fast to hold onto itself.
Suffering from blindness since childhood, Tatay Ening continues his life pursuits from climbing bamboo shoots to selling bamboo coin banks alone in a city, kilometers away from his home. His light to the darkness keeps him safe during unimaginable times.
Built in the 1930s and after surviving World War II, Vision Theater was once Colon Street’s cinema hub in Cebu City. Now a shadow of its past, it has found a new purpose in the 21st century. But what lurks in the new vision of this historic neoclassical landmark today?
Film: American Beginnings of Philippine Cinema is the second episode in Deocampo's evolving saga of the country's history of Philippine cinema. Based on his recent book, Film: American Influences on Philippine Cinema, this 3D-animated documentary ventures from Escolta through Avenida as we discover how film came to be in the Philippines.
Despite being only a five-minute boat ride away from Cebu City, at the foot of the country’s record-breaking new expressway, Shell Island is an unfamiliar name to many Cebuanos today. “Dalangpanan” sheds light on the island, following a day in the life of one of its residents to uncover the stories and struggles of living on a forgotten, desolate land amidst progressive, bustling cities. Through the voices of the Shell locals, audiences learn why and how they ended up settling there, and what their future could possibly be. The documentary’s title, which literally translates to “refuge” in Cebuano, is a nod to what the island might mean to those living on it—a home, a source of hope, or even more.
Carbon vendors fight for their rights to protect their stalls from oppressors.
Jacob, a breadwinner call center agent crosses paths with a nurse every night in the most unexpected location — the terminal.
A girl named Merry Pascual, a typical college girl, who wants to finish her academic studies in the toughest and most respected institutions in the country, Super Hard University. Her life turned when she transferred to a boarding house owned by Miss Edwina. Little did Merry know that Miss Edwina has the power to see spirits from another reality. Until Miss Edwina got caught in an accident, Merry was the successor of Miss Edwina of owning the third eye. Having a third eye wasn’t part of Merry’s plans in life. So she seeks for a paranormal expert who can remove the third eye from her.
As her childhood best friend prepares to depart for the US, a college student navigates her academic pursuits, strained family relationships, and a growing dread of the inevitable goodbye. ‘Sandy’ is a film about grief, memory, and how sometimes life forces you to bend into uncomfortable shapes as you go through it. Entirely self-funded and shot over two years in Davao City and Panabo City, it’s a love letter to the places and people we lose...or that lose us.
Employees and customers are trapped in a supermarket while, outside, a typhoon ravages the country. It's time for confidences and revelations. Zombies, they say, in a society that is not easy for any of them. In a limited space, they try to discover their stories. And that could be their last day.
Inspired by true events, a gifted yet rebellious high school student transfers from a prestigious academy to a notorious "cursed section" in a public school. There, he befriends a group of misfits known as "The Boys at the Back" and embarks on a mission to help them graduate, showcasing the transformative power of unity and friendship.
A self-centered influencer on his way to a gig finds himself babysitting a lost, loud-mouthed, 9-year-old girl who snuck into his van to find her way back home.
In this heartwarming ensemble comedy, Mary’s adoptive gay mother’s last dying wish was to reunite their all-queer volleyball team. Even with the challenges that she is faced with, including her own personal affairs, and financial troubles, Mary tries to fulfil the wish. She must convince her disjointed chosen family to join the one day volleyball league, with hopes of winning the cash grand prize to pay for a proper funeral for Mary’s mother.
Two elderly women bear the consequences of a crime involving their respective grandsons. One is the victim, the other is the suspect. Both weak and poor, they laboriously solicit money in the midst of a storm, one for the victim's burial, the other for the suspect's bail bond.
A romantic comedy detailing the funny and quirky last 30 days of a relationship between two college sweethearts who attempt to break up without the drama.
Teenager, Koy, is desperate to rebuild his family’s life after a fire. His friend, Chito, offers him a dangerous job that forces him to set another slum ablaze.
David asks help from Elise for a special occasion during the pandemic in which everyone is required to stay at home. Will things be successful when unspoken feelings become more visible in one of them?
Berting and Cosme fake their social status to make the ladies they dreamed of fall in love with them.
In the midst of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, a group of five disgraced and imprisoned Filipino soldiers, led by Sergeant Sanchez, are offered a pardon in exchange for a near-suicidal mission. They must intentionally get captured and sent to a brutal Japanese prison camp to rescue two American officers who hold a vital, secret message from General MacArthur. Once inside, they discover the camp is run by the cunning Major Hayashi and that a traitor among the Filipino prisoners is feeding him information, foiling all escape attempts. Realizing their own plan to tunnel out is compromised, Sanchez and his allies devise a new, more audacious strategy: to tunnel directly into the commander's office. The mission culminates in a violent and desperate breakout, where they must secure the message, capture the enemy commander, and fight for their freedom and honor.
In the final decades of the 20th century, the Philippines was a country where low-budget exploitation-film producers were free to make nearly any kind of movie they wanted, any way they pleased. It was a country with extremely lax labor regulations and a very permissive attitude towards cultural expression. As a result, it became a hotbed for the production of cheapie movies. Their history and the genre itself are detailed in this breezy, nostalgic documentary.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.
An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe.
As a visually radical memoir, CAMERAPERSON draws on the remarkable footage that filmmaker Kirsten Johnson has shot and reframes it in ways that illuminate moments and situations that have personally affected her. What emerges is an elegant meditation on the relationship between truth and the camera frame, as Johnson transforms scenes that have been presented on Festival screens as one kind of truth into another kind of story—one about personal journey, craft, and direct human connection.
A deep dive into the making of the Paranormal Activity films with first time ever interviews with cast and crew, never-before-seen footage from the movies, and a preview of the seventh installment in the franchise.
This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.
A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
Documentary about the art of film editing. Clips are shown from many groundbreaking films with innovative editing styles.
Fulton and Pepe's 2000 documentary captures Terry Gilliam's attempt to get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote off the ground. Back injuries, freakish storms, and more zoom in to sabotage the project.
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
Life Is But a Dream is a HBO documentary about the life of US singer Beyoncé Knowles during the years 2011 and 2012 and on the recording of her fifth album. The film was directed by Beyoncé herself. The film shows Beyoncé from intimate moments of her pregnancy to behind the scenes and rehearsals of the main concerts of that time.
An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.