‘Filipiñana’ wins New Directors Award at San Francisco filmfest

Director Rafael Manuel wins the New Directors Award at the Golden Gate Awards for his coming-of-age drama.

The feature film “Filipiñana” has earned director Rafael Manuel the New Directors Award at the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival’s Golden Gate Awards. The announcement was made by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) on its official social media pages.

“Filipiñana” is a 2026 coming-of-age drama that expands on Manuel’s 2020 thesis short of the same name. It follows 17-year-old Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a “tee girl” navigating a sweltering day at a golf course, as the film unpacks postcolonial class divides through her experience.

After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, “Filipiñana” continues its strong international festival run.

The film is a grantee of FDCP’s CreatePHFilms and Film Philippines Incentives.

Another proud moment for Philippine cinema.