CinemaBravo

The International Silent Film Festival Manila (ISFFM) is back with a powerful celebration of global cinema—and all screenings are free to attend. The 2025 edition runs from July 11 to 13 at Red Carpet Cinemas, Shangri-La Plaza, with a pocket screening on July 14 at Cine Adarna, UP Film Center.

This year’s festival features seven international silent films scored live by acclaimed Filipino musicians, as well as a rare live performance from a Japanese benshi narrator. Here’s everything you need to know:

Film lineup

Presented in partnership with Instituto Cervantes, the Philippine Italian Association, Japan Foundation Manila, the Austrian Embassy, and the Goethe-Institut Philippinen, the 2025 official entries are:

• Gigantes y Cabezudos (Spain)
• The Scent of Pheasant’s Eye (Japan)
• Wie Sich Der Kientopp Rächt (Germany)
• Aschenputtel (Germany)
• Geschichten von Freiheit und Freundschaft (Germany)
• Beethoven (Austria)
• Fra Diavolo (Italy)

These will be accompanied by live musical scores from a diverse set of Filipino artists: Psychic Surgeon, Pepe Manikan’s Progharmonic Orchestra, Hearlife Verein, experimental duo Ma.Ma, and the all-female trio of Teresa Barrozo, Pat Sarabia, and Mariah Reodica.

Screening + performance schedules

The festival opens on July 11 with Japan’s featured film, brought to life by Nanako Yamauchi, a traditional benshi or silent film narrator. Yamauchi will perform a live interpretation of the film, reviving the rarely seen art of Japanese benshi storytelling.

How to get tickets

To help create a safe and respectful cinema experience, the following guidelines apply to all Red Carpet Cinemas screenings:

• Distribution for pre-registered tickets begins 1 hour and 30 minutes before each screening.
• Registered attendees must present a valid ID for verification.
• Walk-ins will be allowed 10 minutes before showtime, subject to seat availability.
• No photography, video recording, or phone use is allowed inside the theater.
• Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
• Reserved seats must remain unoccupied.
• All screenings are free and open to the public.

Press launch highlights

ISFFM 2025 was officially launched on June 17, 2025, at Shangri-La Plaza, in an event attended by media and cultural partners. After a multi-year pause, the festival returns reenergized, emphasizing creative collaboration between international institutions and local artists.

Johnny Rios, Retail Operations Head of Shangri-La Plaza Corporation, welcomed attendees and highlighted the mall’s continued commitment to hosting cultural programming like ISFFM, offering a space where world cinema can be experienced by a wider Filipino audience.

This year’s edition embraces the exclamation point as its symbol—representing excitement, urgency, and joyful noise. In the expressive world of silent film, it serves as a fitting icon for a festival that returns louder than ever.

ISFFM 2025 promises not only a revival of a beloved cinematic 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.