Far beyond the boundaries of regular class discussions, learning met the sharp realities of the film industry at “COMM•PASS 2026: From Classroom to Cinema” held at the Far Eastern University Manila Arts Building Theater Room.
The FEU alumni film exhibition served as a vibrant hub for screenings, industry panels, and conversations of students with their fellow Tamaraws now working in the industry. The event also offered film enthusiasts and other members of the audience a glimpse into the ideas, processes, and choices that shape contemporary Philippine cinema.
COMM•PASS 2026 kicked off with a screening of the short film “Bakit Ako Sinusundan ng Buwan?” written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Richard Soriano Legaspi. It was followed by an intimate talkback session with FEU alumnus and the film’s lead actor Jemuel Satumba and FEU film educator, production manager, and emerging producer Kristin Jor.
Event organizer Stephen Dela Peña moderated the discussion, as Satumba and Jor helped the audience unpack the thematic depth and grit of working behind the gripping narrative, providing a holistic view of what happens both in front of and behind the camera.
The film tells the story of Lino (Satumba), a man who returns to his small town with a red suitcase filled with misery after years of wrongful imprisonment abroad. Hoping to reclaim his stolen dreams, Lino discovers that life stubbornly moved on without him, forcing him to face the painful realization that he has become the very void he is trying to fill.
The event also showcased compelling short films by FEU Communication alumni from the Digital Cinema track: “All the Things Left Unsaid” by Josh Van Ulric Campo, “Bilanggo ng Kinahinatnan” by Euxim Valonzo Garcia, and “i am but a small boy” by Yuan Amandy.
“All the Things Left Unsaid” is a visually imaginative short where a gay son transforms the mundane task of sorting laundry with his mother into a colorful, vibrant world of adorable little fishes. “Bilanggo ng Kinahinatnan” is a wartime drama following a wounded Japanese soldier who is taken in by an old man, only to discover that the town he has been brought to is deeply peculiar, while “i am but a small boy” is a poignant tale of a nine-year-old gender-confused boy who uses a horrifying folktale about a tikbalang to process and reveal a tragic, imaginative reality to a friend.
COMM•PASS 2026 also unveiled a surprise screening of the student films “Kahel” by Garnet Llames and “Banggay” by LA Oraza and Hannah Bautista. “Kahel” recently won Best Film, Best Direction, Best Editing, and Best Music/Score in the All Tamaraws Division of Sinepiyu XVII “DIWA: Mula sa Lente ng Katauhan” as well as Best Film in the Tamaraw Media Awards 2026.
The Industry Talks highlighted the event, bringing FEU communication alumni back to their roots to share invaluable real-world insights. The segment featured screenwriter Crystal Hazel San Miguel and filmmaker Mikko Baldoza. Moderated by Jor’s fellow film educator Seymour Sanchez, the panel explored the transition of the speakers from students to film professionals.
By bridging the gap between the classroom and the professional track, COMM•PASS 2026 proved that the conversations surrounding cinema do not end when the credits roll. For the next generation of FEU creatives, the event provided a clear compass to navigate their own creative north, guided by the very alumni who are shaping the stories we see today.
