4TH ANNUAL FILAM CREATIVE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2026 LINEUP, CELEBRATING A NEW WAVE OF FILIPINO-AMERICAN FILMMAKERS
Three-day film festival returns to CalState LA with Los Angeles feature film premieres, Treasure of the Rice Terraces and Mabuhay and an exciting new batch of short films by emerging Filipino-American filmmakers. The festival also features industry panels, and an awards night gala heralding in Filipino American History Month.
LOS ANGELES, CA — September 23, 2026 — FilAm Creative, a nonprofit dedicated to educating, advocating for, and advancing the Filipino-American entertainment community, today announced the 4th Annual FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF), taking place October 2–4, 2026, at California State University, Los Angeles.
“Filipino Cinema is exploding right now in 2026 and our diaspora is in need of connection and escape. The FilAm Creative Film Festival is burning bright with original stories and magic as we enter into this exciting new wave,” said Festival Director Charles Jon Gray.
The U.S. Premiere of documentary feature Treasure of the Rice Terraces, directed by Kent Donguines, following screenings at the Vancouver International Film Festival explores the history and symbolism of Kalinga tattoos through the work of legendary tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od and her apprentices.The film also examines the preservation of Kalinga tattoo culture and its significance to Filipinos in the Philippines and throughout the diaspora.
“This festival is where community meets creativity, and where Filipino stories are honored with the spotlight they deserve,” said Angel Quinsay, COO of FilAm Creative. The leadership team includes Festival Producers, Rommel Rojas and Christianne Sykes; Program Directors Ashleigh Coffelt and Randal Kamradt, Head of Media Juan Raymundo Ramos, and Head of Jury Gino Villanueva. Jury members include Jon Jon Agustavo, Brad Baldia, Kayla Galang and more.
The festival includes Industry panels including Chris Quintos Cathcart and Reuben Domingo and an Awards Night Gala, presented by Give Hope Studios, celebrating the filmmakers, artists, and creative voices contributing to the continued growth of Filipino and Filipino-American cinema. Check out the official 2026 trailer edited by Juan Raymundo Ramos.
https://youtu.be/bz2SxSEer74?si=ZaZxPYfWQmIbnAk3
DAY ONE — FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2026
The opening day will also feature two curated short-film blocks.
BLOCK A: BECOMING
● Alpha, Bravo, Charlie — Matthew Richards
● Hugs & Kisses — Alexandra “Lexie” Orr
● Bridging Our Stories — Rafael Bitanga
● Dyahe Piece — Coco Tolentino
● Manongs — Colin Gong Galeste
BLOCK B: CENTER STAGE
● One of a Kind — Jordan DeOcampo
● Right Back! — Madeline Abiera
● Singkil — S. Roy Saringo
● Easy Peasy — Monica Silverio
● Dreamz — Willa Marj & Leah Lombos
● Model M!nority The Musical — Katja Custodio
● Soliloquy — Naomi Amante
● Party on its way — Tsunami Bros & Edson Choi
● ICKY LURKERS — Jasper Capalad
● Where Do We Go — Chloe Antoinette
FEATURE FILM - TREASURE OF THE RICE TERRACES
By Kent Donguines, Khryz Donguines, Nicolle Rufino
● Opening short film: Fil-Am — Ralph Torrefranca
The day will also feature Panel #1 - Creativity and Responsibilities in Filipino American Storytelling.
• Ara Chawdhury - a Bisaya Bengali immigrant translator, filmmaker, and theater maker • Roger Q. Mason - playwright and screenwriter
• Leo Partible - is a filmmaker, a comic book creator and Singer-songwriter • Reuben Domingo - produced more than a dozen of documentaries on Filipino arts and culture
Moderator: Amanda L. Andrei - a playwright, arts journalist, cultural critic, literary co-translator, and experimental filmmaker
As filmmakers with Filipino roots and identities, we draw on the vast and various cultural traditions, folklore, mythology, and languages of the Philippines to enrich our stories. How are we inspired by our various cultures? What responsibilities, obligations, and solidarities do we share within the diaspora and with the homeland, and how do we infuse them into our work?
DAY TWO — SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
Saturday's programming will feature the feature film Mabuhay, directed by Arjonel Villaflor, alongside two curated short-film blocks.
BLOCK C: A VISION
● All I Have — Olivia Tan
● Puberty for Humans — Wester Demandante
● LOLOBATMAN — Madonna Diaz-Refugia
● Breeder — Sapphire Sandalo
● Daylight — Andrea Walter
● Roommates — Jonathan De Guzman II
● The Unfortunate Side Effects of Drinking with Crippling Want — Steven Soria BLOCK D: KAPWA
● The Call For Art — Christian Villavicencio
● $Wagapino — Ladie Beezus
● EKG — Allan Brocka
● The Sharp Point of Time — Andrew Acedo
● Sundown — Tony Marquez
● USA (Deer) — Matt Oflas
● Kaya — Isabel Lamers
FEATURE FILM - MABUHAY
By Arjonel Villaflor
● Opening short film: Mimic — Kiersten Villanueva
● Opening short film: Dyingmoon — Irene and Lisa Yadao
Saturday will also feature Panel #2 - Inside the Industry: From vision to screen
• Chris Quintos Cathcart - Producer: Bitch Ass (2022), Didí (2024)
• Walter Bolholst - Filmmaker, film distribution attorney, president of consulting company Showbiz Consultants, co-founder of FilAm Creative and founder of the brand new filmmaker legal education app ShowbizWise.com
• Tim Cruz - Filmmaker, producer, writer: What Happens in Miami (2024), The Final Rose (2022), Ladybug (2024)
• Andrea Chung - Producer, manager, writer: Seoul Searching (2015), Heartbeats (2017), The Card Counter (2021), Oh, Canada (2024)
Moderator: Manny Streetz Guevara - actor, producer, writer, host
This panel will tackle the current landscape of the entertainment industry and all the different ways to navigate through it as a creative. We will discuss the creative journey from ideation, to finance and distribution from professionals in film and television.
DAY THREE — SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
The festival will conclude with the FAC Block, highlighting work from Filipino-American filmmakers and members of the FilAm Creative community.
FAC BLOCK
● Beast of the Pacific — Mikkel Aranas, Director
● Likes of You — Juan Raymundo Ramos, Editor
● Naughty Maids — Rommel Rojas, Writer
● Clarity — Ashleigh Coffelt, Director
● Busaw — Randal & Malou Kamradt, Directors
● We All Rise Trailer / The Trouble with Love (Opening Scene) — Leo Partible, Director ● Spellbound — Nilo Sembrano, Director
● The Making of Nurse The Dead — Emmanuel Munda, Director
ABOUT CHARLES JON GRAY
Charles Jon Gray is a Filipino-American award-winning writer, director, and editor from West Covina, California.
Through his production company, Weird Creatures, Gray has created video content for ABS-CBN, Myx Global, Goldilocks, WAV Media, Character Media, and others.
Most recently, Gray served as Head of Original Programming and Production for GoldenTV, a streaming platform dedicated to celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander culture and entertainment.
As Festival Director, Gray will lead FACFF's 2026 programming and festival vision, building on FilAm Creative's longstanding commitment to Filipino-American representation and community.
ABOUT FILAM CREATIVE
FilAm Creative, Inc. (FAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that educates and advocates for the Filipino-American entertainment community and all people, regardless of ethnicity, seeking a collaborative environment to achieve greater representation and career advancement.
Since 2010, FAC has championed inclusivity and representation through educational programs, networking events, and collaborative opportunities designed to advance careers within the entertainment industry.
The FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF) is the organization's flagship event, celebrating authentic storytelling and expanding representation in cinema.
The 2026 FACFF leadership team includes Charles Jon Gray (Festival Director); Angel Quinsay (COO, FACFF & Gala Producer); Rommel Rojas and Christianne Sykes (FACFF Producers); Grace Santos (Grants/Sponsorship, TV Labs); Ashleigh Coffelt and Randal Kamradt (Programming Directors); Juan Raymundo Ramos (Head of Media); Gino Villanueva (Head of Jury); Andrew Bushwitz; Emmanuel Munda; MJ Racadio; and Soup Pha.
For more information about FilAm Creative and the FilAm Creative Film Festival, please visit https://www.filamcreative.org .
REGARDING TICKETING INFO please visit www.filamcreative.org
FOR PRESS & MEDIA INQUIRIES, ETC please email angel.coo@filamcreative.org
Media Contact:
Joseph Garalde