By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
For those who don’t remember video stores—they once existed, and they once linked movie lovers to films not in first-run theatres, when that was otherwise almost impossible. And they incubated plenty of movie lovers, some of whom, like Seattle’s Adrian Alarilla, programmer for Seattle’s Diwa Filipino Film Festival, cherish their formative memories.
“I grew up in the urban jungle of metro Manila, Philippines,” said Alarilla, who’s helping bring the Diwa Festival to the Armory at Seattle Center, June 6-7.
“Since childhood, I have loved art and literature, and my parents have always been supportive of my artistic and literary endeavors. It wasn’t until high school that I was exposed to filmmaking, and I fell in love with it since. I went to film school in college, and was almost done with it when I received my immigrant visa during my last year of college and moved to the U.S.
“I love weird and introspective films from all over the world. Growing up, my family had a video rental store for a time, and we had the privilege of watching a great number of films, especially from the likes of [animators] Don Bluth and Hayao Miyazaki. In film school, I instantly gravitated to the works of Ingmar Bergman, Wong Kar-wai, Akira Kurosawa, and Filipino independent filmmakers, such as Kidlat Tahimik and Lav Diaz.”
He’s called Cebu City, Chicago, and Hawai’i home, but confesses that Seattle feels most like home.
“As a transplant who has lived here in Seattle for about 10 years, I have come to know many friends and collaborators from the Filipino community here. Filipinos in Seattle are so supportive of each other and love expressing themselves and collaborating with each other. We have so many awesome artists, small businesses, and community leaders here thanks to the long history of Filipinos in Seattle, and I am so humbled to have the opportunity to continue this legacy through the film festival.”
Diwa started out as an aspect of the local Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival. Alarilla joined, by invitation, back in 2014, to work on the film festival element.
“To this day, Diwa continues to be a part of Pagdiriwang, but we also realized that we were slowly growing, and also wanted to be able to apply for our own grants and deliver a more focused film experience for audiences, as well as participating filmmakers that may not necessarily be possible as just one component of Pagdiriwang. A couple of years ago, we applied for fiscal sponsorship through Shunpike. Since then, we have applied for (and been awarded) grants from 4Culture, as well as the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture.
“With these grants, it finally became possible for us to organize our own standalone film festival, while maintaining our relationship with Pagdiriwang. We actually did our first trial run of a standalone film fest last year. We learned a lot from that, and are determined to be more organized and well-prepared this year. In the meantime, through our Public Free Access grant from 4Culture, we continue to have programming as part of Pagdiriwang that is free and accessible to our community.”
The latest festival features films across several categories, including:
Generations and Aspirations: Different generations of Filipinos, both at home and in the diaspora, may have different expectations for themselves and their families. This program features short films about how we grapple with our individual aspirations and familial duties.
Filipinos in the Frontier: The short films in this program explore the stories and histories of Filipino communities across the West Coast, celebrating Filipino communities who embody the pioneer spirit in the frontiers of America.
Portraits of Us: Enjoy this program that features the dreams, profiles, and life stories of different Filipinos all over the world.
Sometimes You Just Gotta Laugh: Filipinos often respond to conflicts and social issues with humor, and even biting satire. Enjoy these films that muse on various circumstances that border on the absurd, so much that sometimes you just gotta laugh.
Speculations and Anxieties: Delve into the deep, dark anxieties and superstitions of different Filipino cultures in this haunting, introspective program.
“This year’s showcase also welcomes visiting filmmakers Matthew Abaya, Clifton Abuan, Mike Talplacido, and Maria Fe Picar,” added Alarilla. “The festival is also honored to welcome Alma Manabat Parker, protagonist of Rafael Bitanga’s documentary ‘Bridging Our Stories,’ and head coach of the Ketchikan High School Dance Team, who will also be performing at Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival.”
Asked about the hardest part of building up each festival, Alarilla answered, “The hardest part is rejecting films! Over the years, I have seen the massive growth of Filipino filmmakers and storytellers from all over the world who are excited to share their works with our community. Unfortunately, we only have so much time, and ultimately need to turn down some submissions.
But each year, I am so amazed and inspired by the growing output! I really love supporting filmmakers through Diwa Filipino Film Festival, and hope we are able to continue supporting them for years to come.”
The Diwa Filipino Film Festival runs June 6-7 at the Armory at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle. Admission is free.
For showtimes and more information, https://diwafilmfest.wordpress.com/diwa-at-pagdiriwang-2026.
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