Philippines Picks 'Filipiñana' as Oscar International Entry

The Philippines will send Rafael Manuel's Filipiñana to the 99th Academy Awards as its official entry for international feature, Variety reported on 13 September 2026.

International feature — the Oscar category in which each country puts forward one film made largely outside the United States — is decided by national selection committees before Academy voters take over. The Philippines picked Filipiñana from a shortlist of eight films, according to the same report.

The film was written and directed by Manuel. It follows Isabel, a 17-year-old from the provinces who takes a job at a prestigious golf resort. The story unfolds during a punishing stretch of heat and drought.

Eight films made the shortlist. That cut matters. It is where most national races are won or lost, long before Hollywood gets involved.

Jorrybell Agoto stars as Isabel, a 17-year-old Ilokana from the rural north, alongside Carmen Castellanos, according to Kino Lorber. Manuel also produced and edited the film, Kino Lorber said. The company acquired North American distribution rights and is listed as the film's distributor.

What makes this stand out for audiences is the route to the screen. A small, locally rooted production now carries a country's awards campaign, with a US distributor already in place to handle cinemas and bookings in North America.