Cinemalaya 22 opens with a free screening of Enjoy Your Stay, the Berlinale-selected drama starring Mercedes Cabral, on August 6, 2026.
Fresh from its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, Enjoy Your Stay will open the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival with a free public screening on August 6, 2026. Presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya Foundation, Cinemalaya is the country’s premier independent film festival, championing bold Filipino storytelling and emerging filmmakers for more than two decades. This year’s edition, themed Cinemalaya 22: Reel Reflections, explores cinema as a reflection of lived experiences and the human condition.
The opening film will screen at 730 PM at Red Carpet Cinemas 1 and 2, Shangri-La Plaza, with admission free to the public. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning two hours before the screening.
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About Enjoy Your Stay
Directed by Dominik Locher and Honee Alipio, and co-produced by Close Up Films and JBA Production, Enjoy Your Stay follows Luz, a Filipina undocumented cleaner living in Switzerland who has spent years separated from her young daughter while working abroad. When she unexpectedly sees her ex-husband and six-year-old daughter appear on a Filipino reality television show, Luz promises to return home in time for her daughter’s birthday. Faced with mounting debt and limited opportunities, she races to earn enough money to keep her promise, forcing her to make increasingly difficult decisions that test both her loyalties and her sense of right and wrong.
Mercedes Cabral leads the cast alongside Anna Luna, Hasmine Killip, Irma Adlawan, Donna Cariaga, and Madeleine Nicolas. Since premiering at the Berlinale earlier this year, the film has earned praise for its portrayal of migrant labor and economic inequality, as well as Cabral’s lead performance.
Cinemalaya 22 opening film “Enjoy Your Stay” will be screened free to the public on August 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Red Carpet Cinemas 1 and 2, Shangri-La Plaza, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong. Tickets will be given on a first-come, first-served basis two hours before the screening schedule. For more information, visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph or www.cinemalaya.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
The opening film of the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is Enjoy Your Stay, directed by Dominik Locher and Honee Alipio. The drama follows Luz, a Filipina undocumented cleaner in Switzerland who races against time to reunite with her daughter.
Yes. The opening screening of Enjoy Your Stay is free to the public. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning two hours before the screening.
Enjoy Your Stay will screen on August 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Red Carpet Cinemas 1 and 2, Shangri-La Plaza as the opening film of Cinemalaya 22.
The film stars Mercedes Cabral, alongside Anna Luna, Hasmine Killip, Irma Adlawan, Donna Cariaga, and Madeleine Nicolas.
Cinemalaya is the Philippines’ premier independent film festival, presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation. Now on its 22nd edition, the festival champions Filipino independent filmmakers and storytelling, with this year’s theme, Cinemalaya 22: Reel Reflections, highlighting stories that reflect diverse Filipino experiences.
