World Premiere
With moments of levity and plenty of heart, this vibrant hybrid documentary follows women in the Filipino diaspora as they search for the language to discuss race with their white romantic partners. In Montreal, Veronica and Mathilde resolve their differences of opinion about ADHD lifestyle habits and Duterte’s war on drugs. In Vancouver, Rhea encourages her partner Eric to speak with their mixed-race children about embracing their culture and natural beauty. And in Toronto, Justine talks with her British partner Dominic about recognizing white privilege and racist encounters.
Couched in a rom-com-inspired narrative framing, filmmaker Joella Cabalu (It Runs in the Family) complements intimate interviews with reenactments of scenes from her own love life: her “meet cute” with her partner Luka and a poignant moment of disconnect in the early pandemic, among others. Full of engaging insights into social difference and love, First Comes Love: Nakabingwit is a must-watch for anyone seeking to hone their communication skills in relationships.
Oct 3, 7 & 10: Filmmaker Q&A
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Veronica Bertiz, Mathilde Saint-Marie, Rhea Paez, Eric Lotto, Justine Abigail Yu, Dominic Pollard
Canada
2026
English
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Shirley Vercruysse, Tina Ouellette
Producer
Teri Snelgrove
Screenwriter
Joella Cabalu
Cinematography
Peter Planta
Editor
Sarah Hedar
Production Design
Rosaura Lezama
Original Music
Mary Ancheta
Joella Cabalu
Joella Cabalu is a Filipino Canadian filmmaker whose documentaries examine intimacies, identities, and relationships with wit, care, and emotional precision. Her award-winning work brings playfulness and nuance to complex social dynamics. In First Comes Love: Nakabingwit (2026), her first feature as writer-director, Cabalu reshapes the rom-com into a contemporary documentary about interracial relationships, communication, and the courage it takes to truly see one another.
Filmography: It Runs in the Family (2016)
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
The Secret in Their Eyes
This month's Talking Pictures screening is a multi-layered, poignant thriller interweaving the personal lives of a prosecution investigator (Ricardo Darin) and a judge, with a manhunt spanning twenty-five years. Stay for cookies, coffee and a chat after!
The Haunting
Directed by Robert Wise in 1963, The Haunting is a classic exercise in the suggestive power of cinema, adapted from Shirley Jackson's 1959 best-seller, The Haunting of Hill House, a provocative blend of supernatural and psychological horror.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem splices together footage shot by William Greaves in 1972 of a group of Harlem Renaissance luminaries in conversation at Duke Ellington’s townhouse. The film is a living archive of memory, disagreement, style, and Black genius.
Possible Love
Lee Chang-dong’s first film since Burning (2018) is a sardonic, slow-burning satire about two couples: a documentary filmmaker married to a wealthy businessman, and a working-class family struggling to make ends meet after the husband has been laid off.
