Canadian Premiere
Forced to return to the Philippines as the world abruptly closes, Maya recedes into a terrorizing solitude and a fever dream of mixed animation ensues.
Alyana Cabral
Philippines
2021
In Sambal with English subtitles
Featured in:
MODES 1
Visions of dark impulses are given the spotlight and invite an opportunity to reflect on the personal in relation to the political. From Congo to China, and the Philippines to Poland, the end is nigh.
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Clubfoot
An adopted teen and his friend coerce a younger adoptee to go for a drive out to the countryside — but things turn violent. With a fragmented structure and unresolved questions, Clubfoot reflects the uncertainty and isolation that often follow adoption.
Smudge the Blades
This rousing hockey drama centres on the Treaty 6 Blades, a team of Indigenous youth on a quest for redemption. Blessed with a terrific cast, this is a crowd-pleaser in which victory is about much more than winning the game.
Congo Boy
Congo Boy is a deeply moving coming-of-age drama about Robert, a 17-year-old Congolese refugee in the Central African Republic balancing school, odd jobs, and the care of his four younger siblings — while dreaming of success as a musician.
Image: © 2026 MAKONGO FILMS UNITÉ KIRIPIFILMS KARTA FILM CANAL
Family Fears Another Night of Terror
Night after night, a family of four is tormented by an unseen presence inside their home — or so it seems. Family Fears Another Night of Terror transforms the aesthetics of a late-night television special into an analogue nightmare.
Credits
Producer
Gale Osorio
Screenwriter
Maria Estela Paiso
Cinematography
Eric Bico
ANIM
Vladimer Castañeto
Editor
Maria Estela Paiso
Production Design
Kevin Paguntalan
Director
Maria Estela Paiso
Maria Estela Paiso was born in Quezon City, Philippines and studied Communication Arts in college. After several music videos and years of visual experiments, she forays into directing with her first short film, It’s Raining Frogs Outside.