Pride takes center screen: ‘Macho Dancer’ leads Pelikulaya 2026 line up

FDCP’s Pride Month program spotlights Brocka’s iconic classic alongside new LGBTQIA+ films across generations of storytelling.

Pride Month is hitting the big screen as the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) unveils Pelikulaya 2026, a nationwide film program celebrating LGBTQIA+ stories from the Philippines and beyond.

Leading this year’s lineup is “Macho Dancer,” the landmark 1988 film by National Artist Lino Brocka. More than three decades after its release, the once-controversial queer classic remains one of the most influential LGBTQIA+ films in Philippine cinema, known for its raw portrayal of identity, survival, and life on the margins.

Joining the lineup are acclaimed queer titles such as “DreamBoi,” “Petrang Kabayo,” “Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy,” and “Some Nights I Feel Like Walking,” offering audiences a mix of comedy, drama, and coming-of-age stories across generations.

FDCP will also screen a diverse slate of short films through its Pelikulaya Shorts program, including “Kara: The Burning Woman,” “Somewhere All the Boys Are Birds,” “Honey, My Love, So Sweet,” “Mom, If I Were a Vampire,” “Yelo,” “At Least We Had This Moment,” and “Perslab.”