# Cinemalaya 2026 : Philippine Independent Film Festival

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## Quick facts

- **Date:** August 6 to 18, 2026 (full-length finalists screened Aug 7 to 16)
- **Time:** Multiple daily screenings; full schedule to be released closer to the dates
- **Venue:** Partner cinemas across Metro Manila
- **Address:** Partner cinemas across Metro Manila, including Ayala Malls Cinemas and Gateway Cineplex 18, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City
- **Area:** Quezon City
- **Category:** Art
- **Presented by:** Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya Foundation Inc.
- **Tickets:** https://www.cinemalaya.org/festival/
- **More info:** https://www.cinemalaya.org/cinemalaya-calls-for-entries-for-its-2026-edition/

## Why go

For people who follow new Filipino cinema and want to see the year's competition films; screenings are spread across partner cinemas including Gateway Cineplex 18 in Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, so plan around the venue you pick and the day, with the run covering weekday and weekend slots from August 6 to 18.

## Good to know

Ticketed through the partner cinemas; the detailed schedule lands closer to the dates, so check before booking a specific night. Full-length finalists screen August 7 to 16, and the awards night is at a CCP venue. Coming from the bay area or the south, leave early for Quezon City traffic.

## About this event

Cinemalaya is the country's foremost independent film festival, and the clearest single window onto new Filipino cinema. The 2026 edition brings full-length and short competition finalists together with retrospectives and special screenings, a fixture for anyone who follows the Southeast Asian festival circuit. With the CCP Main Building still under renovation, screenings run across partner cinemas including Ayala Malls Cinemas and Gateway Cineplex 18 in Araneta City, with the awards ceremony at a CCP venue. It runs August 6 to 18, with the full-length finalists shown August 7 to 16; the detailed schedule arrives closer to the dates, so check before you plan a specific evening.