Far Eastern University (FEU) Department of Communication’s short film Ang Embalsamador, Baliw, at Bangkay (The Embalmer, the Madman, and the Corpse) has been selected to compete in the 10th Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival, bringing a student-produced work to the regional showcase of Asian genre cinema.
Directed by Jasper Tan, the film is among 10 Philippine entries in the festival’s Third Eye competition, which features short films vying for recognition. The festival will run from October 24 to 28 at the Cinematheque Centre Davao and The Green House Cinema in Davao City.
Produced as a final project for FEU’s Directing and Film Production class, the short film previously competed at Sinepiyu. It explores identity, conformity, and the struggle to preserve one’s sense of self amid rigid social expectations, using the macabre intersection of death, obsession, and self-discovery to examine what it means to truly exist.
For Tan, the story serves as a personal exploration of the pressures that shape how people see themselves and how they are expected to live.
“The embalmer’s journey is one of obsession, denial, and ultimately, rebirth – not in the traditional sense, but through the dissolution of self,” Tan explained.
“This story is my own dark take of struggles with identity where the dead hold the truth while the living exist in a hollow state,” the director added.
Through the embalmer’s work, the film turns death into a lens for examining suppressed truths and the loss of personal agency. It challenges viewers to consider whether their daily routines reflect who they truly are or whether they are simply performing roles shaped by external expectations.
The film joins a lineup of 50 short films from across Asia in this year’s Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival, which marks its 10th anniversary with works exploring strange encounters, shifting realities, and unconventional genre storytelling. The festival divides its selections into three categories: Third Eye for shorts in competition, Visions for special showcases, and Dimension for exhibition titles.
Other Philippine films selected for the Third Eye competition include Bandage Poetry by Ian Alfaras, Yelo by Gab Rosique, Manami guid man mag ** sa Mansion by Seb Valdez and Trini Garcia, Memorare by Pia Velonza, Ako Ay May Lobo by Siege Ledesma, Pretend You’re My Girlfriend by Ylac Provido, Lumuluha ang Langit by Jean Louise Javier, The Vanishing Fireflies by JP Corton, and Nagmanto by Melver Ritz L. Gomez.
The selection places Tan’s work alongside films by regional filmmakers exploring different perspectives through fantastic and genre-driven narratives.
As the festival celebrates a decade of championing Asian fantastic cinema, Ang Embalsamador, Baliw, at Bangkay brings its dark, introspective take on identity and conformity to audiences in Davao, highlighting the creative work emerging from FEU’s film program.
