The International Silent Film Festival Manila (ISFFM) 2025 officially kicked off on June 17, 2025,
at Shangri-La Plaza, warmly welcomed by members of the press and media. After years of
pause and reflection, the festival returns with renewed energy and purpose, bringing together
cultural institutions, musicians, and film lovers in a celebration of cinema, music, and
international collaboration.
Mr. Johnny Rios, Retail Operations Head of Shangri-La Plaza Corporation, also graced the
event and offered his warm welcome to the partners and media in attendance. He expressed
the mall’s excitement in supporting ISFFM as one of their special cultural collaborations with
participating countries, envisioning Shangri-La Plaza as a space for world cinema to thrive and
be experienced by wider audiences.
This year’s festival embraces the exclamation point as its central symbol—a mark of excitement,
urgency, and joyful noise. In the spirit of silent film, where expression is everything and every
gesture is heightened, the exclamation point becomes a fitting emblem for a festival that seeks
to amplify its voice in silence. It signals a bold return, a shared declaration: we're back.
The 2025 edition reassembles its international community, reconnecting participating countries
and introducing new voices, with an eye toward growth and reinvention. This is not just a return,
but a reimagining of what the festival can be. Once again, ISFFM affirms its role as a platform
for cultural dialogue, artistic experimentation, and cinematic exploration.
This year’s edition features new partnerships with Instituto Cervantes, the Philippine Italian
Association, Japan Foundation Manila, the Austrian Embassy, and the Goethe-Institut
Philippinen. Their curated films include Gigantes y Cabezudos (Spain), The Scent of Pheasant’s
Eye (Japan), Wie Sich Der Kientopp Rächt, Aschenputtel, and Geschichten von Freiheit und
Freundschaft (Germany), Beethoven (Austria), and Fra Diavolo (Italy)—a rich tapestry of stories
from across cultures and eras.
These films will be accompanied by live musical scores from a compelling lineup of Filipino
musicians. Featured performers include the genre-bending Psychic Surgeon, Pepe Manikan’s
Progharmonic Orchestra, Hearlife Verein, the experimental duo Ma.Ma, and the all-female trio of
Teresa Barrozo, Pat Sarabia, and Mariah Reodica — each bringing their distinct sound to this
celebration of silent cinema.
Opening the festival on July 11 is Japan’s featured film, accompanied by a special performance
from Nanako Yamauchi, a benshi or silent film narrator. Yamauchi will provide a live
interpretation of the Japanese silent film, reviving the traditional art of benshi narration and
offering audiences a rare and immersive cultural experience.
The festival runs from July 11 to 13 at Red Carpet Cinemas, Shangri-La Plaza, with a pocket
screening event taking place on July 14 at Cine Adarna, UP Film Center.
ISFFM 2025 promises not only a revival of the beloved silent film tradition but a fresh encounter
with its enduring power. The excitement is palpable—and this year, it ends not with a period, but
with an exclamation point.
For more details kindly visit International Silent Film Festival in Manila on Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/InternationalSilentFilmFestivalManila) and @ISFFM on Instagram.
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