Focus Philippines

Since its inception, the Carthage Film Festival has strived to serve as a platform for showcasing the cinema of the Global South, in line with the vision of its late founder, Tahar Cheriaa. While Arab and African cinema remain the festival’s cornerstone, openness to the cinemas of Asia and Latin America has always been one of its defining features, offering Tunisian audiences and international guests the opportunity to discover the film cultures of these regions. In this spirit, the 36th edition shines a spotlight on a national cinema that has achieved remarkable progress in recent years within both the Asian and global film landscape. It has emerged as a vibrant independent cinema, capturing social, political, and cultural transformations while drawing its strength from a profound ability to express the country’s national identity.We speak here of Philippine cinema, one of the most significant film industries in Southeast Asia, which has experienced notable growth since its beginnings, both in the subjects it tackles, rooted in local realities yet conveyed with universal artistic vision, and in the rise of filmmakers who have gained international recognition. Directors and actors from the Philippines have drawn global attention and earned accolades at prestigious festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival.