In a Manila where people have lost the ability to dream, three women confront their deepest wishes, regrets, and unspoken emotions in Elenita Elena Elaine, Gabriela Serrano’s short film finalist at the 2026 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Set during one long night, Elenita Elena Elaine follows three women whose lives intersect through a world where dreams have disappeared. A pop idol prepares for what could be her final television performance. A young graduate packs her belongings before leaving the country for work abroad. Meanwhile, a call center agent struggles to make her voice heard amid the constant noise around her.
As their ordinary routines collide with their subconscious worlds, the women discover hidden versions of themselves, revealing the hopes, fears, and memories they have kept from one another. As dawn approaches, they are left with a question: will the new day bring more silence, or a song that restores what was lost?
Directed, written, and edited by Gabriela Serrano, Elenita Elena Elaine explores themes of longing, identity, dreams, and the quiet struggles of Filipina experiences. The film stars Agot Isidro, Gabby Padilla, and Mariana Serrano.
Serrano is a filmmaker raised between Las Piñas City, Laguna, and rural Texas, whose works often draw from language, mythology, and dreams to examine longing in Filipina spaces. Her debut short film Dikit, a silent folk-horror, won Best Director and the Special Jury Prize at Cinemalaya 2021 and was later acquired by the Criterion Channel after international screenings.
Her surreal drama Surface Tension, co-directed with her sister Mariana Serrano, won Best Short at QCShorts Lokal of QCinema in 2025. Elenita Elena Elaine, supported by the Momo Film Co Distribution Grant, serves as a companion piece to Please Bear With Me, her call center-set sci-fi feature-in-development that has been recognized at BIFAN, FNC Montréal, and the Southeast Asian Film Lab.
Joining Elenita Elena Elaine in the Cinemalaya 2026 Short Film Category are Honey, My Love, So Sweet, Hoy, Hoy, Ingat!, Kung Paano Kakalas, Para-Paraan, Runo!, Silkscreen, Sorbetes, The Keeper, and The River Flows in Different Places.
The Cinemalaya 2026 Full-Length Category finalists are A.ni.mál, 2 Valid IDs, Ganggang, Hand of God, Mag-iina, Kaka Sa Yawan, Status: Rejected, Tayo Lang Ang Nakakaalam, and Tirik.
The 2026 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival will run from August 6 to 18 at Red Carpet Cinemas in Shangri-La Plaza, selected Ayala Malls cinemas, and Gateway Cineplex, showcasing the latest works from Filipino independent filmmakers.
