Jenn Romano’s Padamlágan (Night Light) is set to premiere at Cinemalaya 2025, immersing audiences in a gripping tale of faith, loss, and the search for truth in the shadow of Martial Law.
The film follows Doring, a devoted voyador from Naga City, as the community prepares for the annual fluvial procession of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in 1972. His estranged son, Ivan, has just returned from Manila, bringing with him questions and tension that weigh heavily on the family.
On the day of the procession, tragedy strikes. The Colgante Bridge collapses under the weight of the crowd, sending people into the river below. From the water, Doring watches in horror as chaos erupts, and Ivan, who was on the bridge, goes missing.
In the days that follow, Doring searches relentlessly through wreckage, hospitals, and indifferent government offices, clinging to hope even as rumors spread that not all who vanished were victims of the river and some were taken. Just five days later, Martial Law is declared, silencing grief and leaving many questions unanswered. Doring’s desperate quest becomes a mirror for a nation struggling to hold on to memory amid erasure and fear.
Romano, a regional filmmaker from Canaman, Camarines Sur, has had her short films screened at festivals around the world, including the Furora Film Festival in Berlin and Tropfest in Malaysia. She is currently a faculty member at the Ateneo de Naga University’s Department of Media Studies and is completing her MA in Media Studies (Film) at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
The film stars Ely Buendia, Esteban Mara, Sue Prado, Floyd Tena, Mildren Anne Estela, and Frank Peñones. Padamlágan is written by Jenn Romano and Ivan Villacorta Gentolizo, with cinematography by Steven Paul Evangelio.
Padamlágan screens as part of Cinemalaya 2025, running from October 3 to 12, 2025. Screenings will be held at Red Carpet Cinemas in Shangri-La Plaza, Ayala Malls Cinemas, and Gateway Cineplex.
Other full length entries include Bloom Where You Are Planted by Noni Abao, Cinemartyrs by Sari Dalena, Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan by Dustin Celestino, Child No. 82 by Tim Rone Villanueva, Paglilitis by Cheska Marfori and Raymund Barcelon, Open Endings by Nigel Santos and Keavy Vicente, Republika ng Pipolipinas by Renei Dimla, Raging by Ryan Machado, and Warla by Kevin Alambra.
Meanwhile, the short film competition features entries such as Ascension from the Office Cubicle by Hannah Silvestre, Figat by Handiong Kapuno, Hasang by Daniel de la Cruz, I’m Best Left Inside My Head by Elian Idioma, Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat ha Langit by Marie Estela Paiso, Kung Tugnaw ang Kaidalman sang Lawod by Seth Andrew Blanca, Please Keep This Copy by Miguel Lorenzo Peralta, Radikals by Arvin Belarmino, The Next 24 Hours by Carl Joseph Papa, and Water Sports by Whammy Alcazaren.
