Manila, Philippines — Bakunawa Fest XI will conclude its eleventh edition this September with ‘Intimate Crossings’ a program with a compelling lineup of international and local films that explore themes of survival, personal longing, and quiet transformation. The Closing Film Program will be held at Cinematheque Centre Negros and The Negros Museum both in Bacolod City. This signals the return of the festival to its home city and will kick off the 12th edition to immediately run in December 2025.
 

Headlining the program is ‘Zaman Dark’, a Lebanese feature full-length film by Christophe Karabache, marking its Philippine Premiere. Set in a collapsing Lebanon, the film follows two unemployed chemists who turn to cannibalism to survive, only to become entangled in a brutal underworld trading human flesh for high-tech weaponry. The thriller pushes the boundaries between desperation, crime, and national disintegration while tackling pressing social issues.

Also screening is ‘I’ll Leave You Words’ by Malaysian filmmaker Anwar Johari Ho, making its World Premiere. The short drama centers on a Cambodian female escort in Kuala Lumpur who provides intimacy through storytelling. Her routine is disrupted when a lonely Korean client compels her to confront her own unresolved past.
 

From Spain, Pablo Pagán’s Voyager makes its Southeast Asian Premiere. In this sci-fi thriller, a party truck driver discovers a mysterious drug that enables her to leave her body and journey into an astral realm, offering a haunting reflection on alienation and the search for connection.
 

Rounding out the program is the Visayan Premiere of Ang Huling Liham (The Last Letter) by Miguel Reyes Potestades. The film tells the story of a veteran postman who, after the Manila Post Office fire, embarks on one final delivery that leads him on a deeply personal journey.

The Closing Film Program serves as the final highlight of Bakunawa Fest XI, which continues to champion emerging voices in genre cinema and bold fantastic narratives from across the globe.

Further screening dates and event details will be announced soon. Admission is free and open to the public.

CHECK OUT THE CLOSING FILMS