DARK MATTER
Vogue Philippines|August 2024
These 13 contemporary Filipino films show new ways of being and seeing.
KIANA KIMBERLY FLORES
DARK MATTER

ASK FILIPINO MOVIE BUFFS ABOUT THE CRITERION CHANNEL AND THEY’LL TELL YOU HOW ESTEEMED THE STREAMING SERVICE IS. So it’s a major coup for the nation’s cinema when some of the most influential contemporary Filipino films are showcased on the platform.

Brooklyn-based programmer Aaron Hunt takes pride in Philippine representation with his current programming of “When The Apocalypse Is Over: New Independent Philippine Cinema,” now streaming on The Criterion Channel.

The program features three feature films and 10 short films made between 2018 to 2023 and is one of the most representative programming of the new wave of Philippine independent cinema to date.

The first pitch for the program happened two years ago when Hunt pitched it to The Criterion Channel’s curatorial director, Ashley Clark. “It was always inspired by how independent filmmakers in the Philippines, especially Zoomers and Millennials, have been manipulating the medium in new ways, often in post-production,” he says. “A lot of the films on that initial list are part of the current program.”

Even before these films made it to The Criterion, Hunt was already booking various iterations of it in theaters and venues like the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where Shireen Seno’s Nervous Translation and Dwein Baltazar’s macabre Oda Sa Wala were also programmed, among others. “The theatrical version of the program has more titles than could fit into the streaming version,” Hunt says. “I especially wish we could have fit Nervous Translation into the Criterion program, for instance. But there was a limit and a budget.”

The program name “When The Apocalypse Is Over: New Independent Philippine Cinema” was born out of Hunt watching a lot of these films during the pandemic. It made sense; some films in the roster tackle themes of apocalypses and dystopia.

Bu hikaye Vogue Philippines dergisinin August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Vogue Philippines dergisinin August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

VOGUE PHILIPPINES DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
eternal poetry
Vogue Philippines

eternal poetry

In an exclusive interview with Vogue Philippines, BULGARI's FABRIZIO BUONAMASSA STIGLIANI and MAURO DI ROBERTO talk about how an appreciation for craftsmanship and technique makes it possible to realize poetry in precious stones.

time-read
8 dak  |
August 2024
evan ever evolving
Vogue Philippines

evan ever evolving

Unpindownable and unputdownable, model, actor, and all-in-one wunderkind Evan Mock makes magic in perpetual motion.

time-read
6 dak  |
August 2024
SCENE STEALERS
Vogue Philippines

SCENE STEALERS

In recent years, the landscape of local cinema has changed dramatically with an influx of new and talented actors. Meet three Filipino leads rewriting the script, ushering in a new era across all facets of filmmaking.

time-read
6 dak  |
August 2024
FORCE sensitive
Vogue Philippines

FORCE sensitive

Designer Kelvin Morales premieres his latest collection, translating resonance in barongs, structured pieces, and a neutral palette spliced with ultramarine.

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2024
twm FLAMES
Vogue Philippines

twm FLAMES

SASSA JIMENEZ and VESTIDO are a match made in circular fashion heaven. By MARBBIE TAGABUCBA.

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2024
INSIDE OUT
Vogue Philippines

INSIDE OUT

It’s all overcast skies and solitary roads. Something in the air shifts when ANNE CURTIS explores Tokyo.

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2024
reel.and REAL
Vogue Philippines

reel.and REAL

NICO SANTOS is intent on breaking boundaries and becoming a beacon of pride. By VICTORIA GOLDIEE

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
tracing LIGHT
Vogue Philippines

tracing LIGHT

Behind the firsts in the history of Philippine cinema is a family who draws with light.

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
shadow PLAY
Vogue Philippines

shadow PLAY

ZELDA WILLIAMS wants to make friends with her monsters

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS
Vogue Philippines

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS

How a series of serendipities helped a women-led artistic team bring Gabriela Serrano’s sophomore short dream-time

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2024