BAKIT MAGELLAN? Film Academy of The Philippines on Oscars pick | Interview - Video

Academy Awards season is here! The Film Academy of the Philippines has fulfilled its annual mandate by selecting Lav Diaz' Magellan, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, as the country's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. F.A.P. Director-General Paolo Villaluna shares insights on the selection process and the significance of this choice.

Filmed: September 1st, 2025

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Paolo Villaluna - https://www.instagram.com/pvillaluna/
Paolo Villaluna is an acclaimed Filipino filmmaker and a prominent voice in the Philippine New Wave. Appointed in 2024 as the head of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), he has long championed alternative and independent cinema. His directorial work includes Palugid (2001), Ilusyon (2005), Selda (2007), Walang Hanggang Paalam (2009), and Pauwi Na [Pedicab] (2016). As FAP's current leader, Villaluna continues to advocate for the development and sustainability of Philippine cinema.

About Magellan (2025)
A portrayal of Ferdinand Magellan and Beatriz Barbosa's 1517 marriage in Seville, focusing on their brief time together before his departure on the Spanish crown's expedition. [IMDB].

Directed by Lav Diaz, Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Amado Babon, Angela Ramos, Hazel Orencio, and Ronnie Lazaro. The film made its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and now represents the Philippines in the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.

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