MANILA, Philippines — Rafael Manuel’s “Filipiñana” has been selected as the Philippines’ official entry for the Best International Feature Film category of the 99th Academy Awards, the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) announced Sunday.
The film was chosen from eight entries by a selection committee composed of Filipino film industry experts approved by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and convened by the FAP.
The committee evaluated the submitted films based on artistic merit, cultural relevance and their potential for an international awards campaign. It also considered the filmmakers’ commitment and capacity to mount an Oscars campaign and the film’s ability to represent Philippine cinema.
It cited “Filipiñana” for its visual style and its examination of class, power, labor and social realities, as well as its growing recognition overseas.
Set in an elite country club outside Manila, the film follows 17-year-old Isabel, a young woman from rural Ilocos who works as a “tee girl” lining up golf balls for wealthy club members.
Her fascination with the club’s president, Dr. Palanca, leads her to uncover the violence and darker history beneath the institution’s polished exterior.
Through the confined world of the country club, Manuel explores the divide between privilege and labor, wealth and inequality, and the social structures that allow entrenched hierarchies to persist.
FAP Director-General Paolo Villaluna said the film offers a distinct look at the Filipino experience.
“The film offers a visually distinct and controversial portrait of the Filipino experience,” Villaluna said in a statement.
“Its growing international critical recognition affirms both its artistic merit and its capacity to carry a Filipino story rooted in universal questions of power, identity, and survival to a global audience. The Film Academy will work closely with the Filipiñana team throughout the Oscars campaign, providing the support they need and make the most of this opportunity for Philippine cinema,” Villaluna added.
“Filipiñana” premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision.
It later screened at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival and went on to receive recognition at other international festivals, including the San Francisco International Film Festival, where it won the New Directors Award; the Independent Film Festival of Boston, where it received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature; and Cinema Jove International Film Festival, where it won the Luna de València for Best Feature Film.
The film stars Jorrybell Agoto, Carmen Castellanos, Teroy Guzman, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Isabel Sicat and Nour Houshmand.
FAP also announced that it will extend campaign support to two other Philippine films seeking consideration in their respective categories.
Carl Joseph Papa’s “58th” will be supported for consideration in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, while Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero’s “Agapito” will be supported for consideration in the Best Live Action Short Film category.
“Filipiñana” now begins its campaign for a place on the Oscars shortlist in the Best International Feature Film category.
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles.
