Mother-daughter pair headline ‘A.ni.mál’ critique of power and moral collapse

Frances Makil-Ignacio and Maxine Ignacio bring real bond to screen in first film together, tackling power, family, and moral conflict.

Every year, the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival spotlights new voices in Philippine cinema.

For its 2026 edition, one story behind the scenes carries into the screen. In Dustin Celestino’s full-length feature “A.ni.mál,” theater actress Frances Makil-Ignacio and her daughter, Maxine Ignacio, star together as a mother-daughter pair.

The two have previously shared the stage in Dulaang UP productions of Shimizu Kunio’s “The Dressing Room” and Federico García Lorca’s “The House of Bernarda Alba.” “A.ni.mál” marks their first film collaboration.

“Since we’ve played mother and daughter already for Lorca, it was doubly exciting to dive into our roles for Celestino,” Frances tells radar Entertainment. 

Maxine echoes this sentiment, noting how their real-life closeness anchored the project’s heavy themes. “The transition felt very natural. Although I have to say, Lily and Ofel’s relationship is very different from ours in real life. My mom is my best friend, so we’re much closer than our characters.”

Navigating the ‘stage mom’ trap with professionalism

For Frances, working with her daughter meant striking a balance—giving space while staying supportive.

“The one thing I dread when it comes to Max is how I might be a ‘stage mom,'” Frances confesses with characteristic candor. “I trust her and believe in her too much to even want to become one. I definitely didn’t want to suffocate her with my thoughts, realizations, and understanding of her character. That was something she definitely needed to discover herself.”

Production came with a tight schedule, typical of independent films.

“We had 20 sequences scheduled on the very first shoot day, and Max was in every single one,” Frances recalls proudly.

“Not once did she whine or even give the slightest complaint. She did pass out on the couch when we got home, dead to the world. I have a very unflattering photo of her—but that picture holds so much beauty for me. It shows how my daughter has grown up and what a wonderful human she’s become.”

Writer-director Celestino said the pair’s real-life dynamic translated naturally on screen. “It’s very natural since they’re playing an exaggerated version of their own familiarity with each other. Their roles seem to have a larger history.”

A first film, a return to acting

Though “A.ni.mál” is an ensemble film, Celestino said Maxine serves as its central character. “If we had to declare a central character, it would be Maxine, because the movie starts and ends with her,” the director states.

Maxine stepped away from acting during the pandemic to pursue a corporate career. Landing a lead role in a Cinemalaya entry marks her return.

“It honestly still feels surreal,” Maxine shares. “I never really thought I’d be acting again. To have my first full-length film premiere at Cinemalaya is something I never imagined would happen. Playing Lily reminded me how much I genuinely love this craft. Looking back now, I really feel like this project came into my life at exactly the right time.”

Long takes, theater approach

True to Celestino’s theater background, “A.ni.mál” features a cast of stage actors. Joining the Ignacios are Jojit Lorenzo as the mayor, Anthony Falcon as a veterinarian, and real-life couple Reymund Domingo, who makes his film debut as the governor, and Bituin Escalante as his wife.

“Theater kasi ang approach namin—lots of rehearsals,” Celestino explains. “We rehearsed each scene extensively because the film utilizes a lot of demanding long takes.”

The story begins when the mayor’s daughter (Maxine) visits the governor to seek support for a stray animal spay-and-neuter program. She instead records him abusing his dog. When she brings the footage home, it triggers conflicting reactions within her family and exposes tensions in local leadership.

A critique of power

Celestino described the film as a critique of the country’s socio-political climate, pushing back against portrayals of larger-than-life villains.

“Evil is banal. It’s boring. It’s ordinary,” Celestino asserts. “Many stories we’ve been fed portray evil with a romanticized vision of formidable villainy, making it look like its own form of greatness. In our country, with corruption scandals and impunity in the Senate, some glorify these people as genius masterminds outsmarting the system.”

“However, history’s worst atrocities weren’t enabled by profound strategy. They were committed by perfectly mediocre people who just stopped asking questions, cowardly bent the knee to power, and turned a blind eye to the immorality next to them. ‘A.ni.mál’ is about that kind of evil. We want to remind Filipinos that regardless of how much wealth and power these people hoard, they will always be just mediocre folk who float to the top because they’re unencumbered by the weight of basic human decency.”

Where to catch Cinemalaya 2026

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. will hold the festival at the Red Carpet Cinemas in Shangri-La Plaza. The 2026 edition runs from August 6 to 18, extending its usual schedule and showcasing a lineup of independent films.

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