Student filmmaker tells a love story that began at the Philippines’ first Pride March

Aside from romance, the film centers on the role of archives in preserving stories that might otherwise disappear. 

At just 20 years old, filmmaker Ezaldea Carla Fernandez is bringing one of the country’s most important moments in LGBTQ+ history to the big screen through “Sa Mga Nagdaan at Lumipas,” an official student short film in this year’s Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival.

The 20-minute film follows Ella, a queer archivist who discovers an old videotape documenting the historic 1994 Pride March in Quezon City. As she painstakingly restores the deteriorating tape, she is reunited with memories of Maya, the woman she loved decades earlier, in a story that intertwines personal grief with the importance of preserving queer history.

For Fernandez, the film is deeply personal.

“I still remember the exact moment when I realized I was queer,” she said in her director’s statement. “I didn’t accept it right away. I cried so many times as I struggled to come to terms with the truth.”

She shared that films and television eventually helped her embrace her identity, inspiring her to create a work that could offer the same comfort to others.

“A big part of myself is being part of the LGBTQ+ community and an activist. These are the two things that inspired me to bring ‘Sa Mga Nagdaan at Lumipas to life,’” Fernandez said. “This film will serve as a love letter to the queer community who struggled for their rights in 1994, and to those who still continue to this day.”

Beyond its romance, the short film explores the role of archives in preserving stories that might otherwise disappear. Set against the backdrop of aging magnetic tapes that risk being lost forever, the film underscores how memory, documentation, and history shape identity across generations. Fernandez also intentionally uses the look of old camcorders and analog footage to evoke the era and reinforce the importance of remembering.

She said the project is ultimately dedicated to those still searching for acceptance.

“This film is also for my 15-year-old self and for every young queer who discovered their identity at an early age,” she said. “I want to embrace my younger self and tell her that it would be okay, and it’s all going to be okay.”

Darelle Tiu stars as present-day Ella, alongside Aly Torres as the young Ella and Karla Dipasupil as Maya. The film is directed by Ezaldea Carla Fernandez, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Khaira Valencia. It is produced by Hiedi Veronica Cortejo, with Ayesha Domingo serving as associate producer. Behind the camera, Dane Tapan serves as director of photography, with Lance Paolo Mejia as production designer, Lian Casimiro as editor, Lulla Bucud as composer, and Kevin Padilla handling sound.

“Sa Mga Nagdaan at Lumipas” will have its world premiere as part of the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, which runs from September 23 to October 4, where it joins this year’s lineup of student short films competing on the national stage.

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