MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Philippines recently held the 3rd Refugee Film Festival at San Beda University-Manila’s Abbot Lopez Hall. With the theme “Strengthening Spaces of Resilience and Hope,” the festival underscored the role of young Filipino filmmakers in amplifying the experiences of displaced communities through film.
Topping the competition was “Sa Simula ng Wala” by Daghili Pictures from the University of Makati. The film follows the journey of an adult foundling navigating the challenges of being undocumented in the Philippines. Co-directed by Edward John Louis Factes and Ysamae Yrrah Carelo, the film is a collaborative project with fellow 4th-year Bachelor of Multimedia Arts students Amariah Cajuday, Pauline Nicole Castillo, Maria Cris De Dios, Jefford Leigh Trajano, and Jaklyn Marie Segaya under the mentorship of Prof. Eduard Riparip.
Second place was awarded to “Wala’y Dagat Dinhi” by Pelikulang Daluyong from Laguna University. Directed by Ken Bryan Delizo, the film sensitively portrays the lived experiences of internally displaced persons, highlighting both their vulnerability and resilience in the face of instability.
Rounding out the top three was “Akong Paboritong Pastil” by Duwende Films from Davao. Directed by Ingrid Silfverberg and co-produced with filmmaker Franky Arrocena, the film is a poetic meditation on cultural identity, displacement and the symbolic weight of food as memory and heritage.
Beyond the competition, the festival featured global and local stories of forced migration and resilience. It opened with “We Dare to Dream”, a moving documentary by Waad Al-Kateab that chronicles refugee athletes training for the Olympics. The screening was followed by “Peace by Chocolate”, a Canadian film inspired by the true story of a Syrian family who rebuild their lives and a thriving business in Nova Scotia. Each screening was complemented by engaging talkback sessions featuring refugees, professors, and rights advocates.
The distinguished panel of judges included Atom Araullo, broadcast journalist and UNHCR Philippines Goodwill Ambassador; Ditsi Carolino, award-winning documentary filmmaker; Prof. Gregorio Borja III, Chairperson of San Beda University’s Department of Marketing Management; State Counsel Angelica Rose Dimalanta from the Department of Justice – Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit; and Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, Head of National Office, UNHCR Philippines.
The event was made possible through collaboration with the Department of Justice-RSPPU, Pathways Pilipinas, San Beda University-Manila, and Uniqlo Philippines.
