‘Iti Mapukpukaw’, ‘Gitling’ to compete at 2024 Osaka Asian Film Festival

‘Iti Mapukpukaw’, ‘Gitling’ to compete at 2024 Osaka Asian Film Festival | Images: Facebook/FDCP

Filipino films “Iti Mapukpukaw” and “Gitling” are set to compete at the 19th Osaka Asian Film Festival this coming March. 

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) announced on Facebook that “Iti Mapukpukaw” (“The Missing”) and “Gitling” (“Hyphen”) will participate in the international film competition that will be held in Tokyo, Japan. 

“Iti Mapukpukaw” emerged as Best Film at the 2023 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. It was also the Philippines’ entry to the 96th Oscars for the International Feature category. 

Directed by Carl Joseph Papa, “Iti Mapukpukaw” was Cinemalaya’s first ever animated full-length entry, and 90 animators worked to make it. Its narrative follows a Filipino animator, Eric, who does not have a mouth and whose memories get muddled upon the arrival of an alien.

The film features Carlo Aquino, Hollywood breakout star Dolly de Leon, and Gio Gahol. De Leon nabbed the Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film at the 2023 Cinemalaya’s awarding. 

“When I read the script, I knew early on that it would be a beautiful project. This was because the way the subject matter, which is a very sensitive topic, was tackled was so moving. It’s not a fun topic to talk about, but the way Carl [Joseph Papa] handled it, his treatment on how a child processes trauma, I thought that was painful and beautiful at the same time,” de Leon told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Meanwhile, “Gitling” was also an entry to 2023 Cinemalaya and took home the Best Screenplay at the time. The story centers on a young Filipina interpreter who, while making a movie, unexpectedly befriends a middle-aged Japanese filmmaker.

The film’s main cast includes Gabby Padilla, Ken Yamamura, Emmanuel de la Cruz, and Carlos Sison.

“I always think it’s interesting that we’re people with several languages in this one place that we call home, and the film just reaffirms my love for that. I always say that this film is a love letter to Bacolod and its food, but it’s also a love letter to its language and culture. We speak multiple languages every day, especially in Manila, with all these people coming together, and I think that’s what the film highlights well,” said Padilla to Wonder PH.