Award-winning actress Janine Gutierrez headlines “Mag-iina (The Mothering),” one of the official finalists in the Full-Length Category of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2026.
Directed by acclaimed filmmakers Giancarlo Abrahan and Guelan Varela-Luarca, the psychological drama explores the haunting ties that bind family, grief, and generational trauma.
Set against the backdrop of the traditional 40th day after a loved one’s passing, Mag-iina (The Mothering) follows Anj, a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral home as the soul of her estranged father is believed to prepare for its final departure from the earthly realm. What should have been a brief visit soon becomes a terrifying confrontation with the grief, madness, and long-buried darkness that have consumed three generations of women in her family.
As Anj spends three days inside the ancestral home, painful memories resurface, forcing her to remember why she left and why escaping her family’s past may no longer be possible. The film unravels a chilling story where love, loss, and evil become inseparable, revealing a bond that has always existed closer to darkness than anyone dared admit.
Joining Janine Gutierrez in the ensemble cast are Lucas Andalio, Cherry Pie Picache, Agot Isidro, Ness Roque, Jackie Lou Blanco, Bart Guingona, and Alejandra Cortez.
The film marks another notable Cinemalaya project for Giancarlo Abrahan, whose impressive body of work includes Dagitab, which earned Best Director and Best Screenplay at Cinemalaya 2014, as well as his work as co-writer of the 2013 Best Film winner Transit. As a producer, he also backed acclaimed festival entries such as Hilom and Abogbaybay. Most recently, he co-wrote and produced i grew an inch when my father died, which received the NETPAC Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival 2026.
Co-director Guelan Varela-Luarca is an acclaimed playwright, stage director, translator, and educator. His recent theater works include adaptations of Kisapmata and Dagitab, as well as original productions exploring themes of grief and memory. A Palanca Hall of Fame inductee, he also teaches at the Ateneo de Manila University and is a founding member of the theater company Scene Change.
Mag-iina (The Mothering) is among the ten finalists competing in the Cinemalaya 2026 Full-Length Category, alongside A.ni.mál, 2 Valid IDs, Ganggang, Hand of God, Kaka sa Yawan, Status: Rejected, Tayo Lang ang Nakakaalam, and Tirik.
Meanwhile, the finalists in the Short Film Category are Elenita Elena Elaine, Honey, My Love, So Sweet, Hoy, Hoy, Ingat!, kung paano kakalas., Para-Para-an, Runo!, Silkscreen, Sorbetes, The Keeper, and The River Flows in Different Places.
The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2026 will run from August 6 to 18, with screenings at Red Carpet Cinemas at Shangri-La Plaza, selected Ayala Malls, and Gateway Cineplex, showcasing the latest and most compelling works from Filipino independent filmmakers.
