54 finalist films will screen for free as the CCP Gawad Alternatibo returns alongside Cinemalaya 2026 this August.
The CCP Gawad Alternatibo turns 38 this year, and it’s arriving with the theme and mission statement: pag-aninag, or “reflecting the light.” The festival, which has run since 1987, holds the title of the longest continuously running film competition in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It built that reputation by giving Filipino filmmakers room to break format and tell stories you may not find anywhere else.
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Fifty-four finalist films have made the cut across four categories: Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Narrative. The festival organizes them into nine curated anthologies: Pagkamangha at Pag-unawa, Tahanan ay Kanlungan, Kartograpiya ng Sarili, Hamon ng Panahon, Mga Hibla ng Pagsubok, Mga Gunita ng Pagmamahal, Ligaw sa Siyudad, Lampas sa Abot-tanaw, and Musikal.
The Animation category brings 15 entries, including Ako Ay May Lobo from Siege Ledesma, Bangungot from Jam Lising, and Wetsitales: Agyu from Ayuman from Jade Dandan Evangelista. Documentary filmmakers turn their cameras on everyday and overlooked lives, with titles like Get Ready With Me from Elvin Jay Macanlalay and Swipe Right at 78 from Geomel Montalban showcasing how the ordinary deserves just as much attention as the extraordinary.
The Experimental slate pushes from convention, with films like Ang Nanlalamong Siyudad from Lorence Lazano and Walang Maniniwala from Mira May Cedo testing what a short film can even look like. Narrative rounds out the competition with eighteen films, spanning everything from the tech-inflected humor of I Think God Is a Backend Programmer by Sami Salazar to the musical short Sa’n Elmo by Jerusjacob Velasquez Ariola.
Beyond the main competition, six additional screening sets fill out the program. A Gawad Specials block and a Children’s Section join a “Best of the 37th Gawad Alternatibo” showcase, which brings back standout films from last year’s Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Narrative winners.
When And Where To Watch
The festival runs alongside Cinemalaya 2026, screening from August 7 to 16, 2026 at Red Carpet Cinema in Shangri-La Plaza and at Gateway Cineplex 18. The awards ceremony lands on August 13. Every screening is free and open to the public.
More details are available at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and gawadalt.com, and updates roll out across CCP, Cinemalaya, and Gawad Alternatibo’s social channels on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Photos courtesy of The Cultural Center of the Philippines
Frequently Asked Questions
The CCP Gawad Alternatibo is the longest continuously running film competition in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, it showcases independent Filipino short films in the Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Narrative categories.
The festival features Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Narrative short films. The 2026 edition includes 54 finalist films organized into nine curated anthologies, alongside special screening programs.
Alongside the competition, the festival features Gawad Specials, a Children’s Section, and a Best of the 37th Gawad Alternatibo program that revisits previous winners in Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Narrative.
The festival runs from August 7 to 16, 2026 alongside Cinemalaya. Screenings will be held at Red Carpet Cinema in Shangri-La Plaza and Gateway Cineplex 18, with the awards ceremony taking place on August 13.
Yes. All festival screenings are free and open to the public.
