Cinema Sala

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Cinema Sala Cinema Sala is a screening & workshop series that showcases Filipinx work from the film & performing arts industries.

Today is opening night for the Fil-Am Film Festival FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF) Official Page 🇵🇭🇺🇸! Have you fi...
10/02/2026

Today is opening night for the Fil-Am Film Festival FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF) Official Page 🇵🇭🇺🇸! Have you figured out which films to watch? Cinema Sala recommends watching these shorts 🇵🇭

09/28/2026

Forgotten Island: Storm The Box Office!

We laughed. We cried. We loved forgotten island! What a way to experience and celebrate our culture loud and proud on display on the big screen, in DreamWorks’ newest animation film, voiced by some of the biggest Filipino stars in the diaspora.

Opening weekend is so important for Hollywood box office metrics, so let's keep spreading the word! This is a film centering us, something so many of us have waited our whole lives to see. Let's get more folks out to the theater and show up for Filipino stories!
Please don't wait. Please don't take this moment for granted.
Buy your tickets to support this wildly fun, Pinoy-proud film with your family and friends. Let's keep showing up, keep filling seats and make it clear that there is an audience for our stories!
TAYO NA!
Maraming salamat to FXE for partnering with us to , and a special shoutout to Filipina on the Rise and Filipinx Actors Barkada for joining us!

🗣️CS Community Engagement Liaison Cynthia San Luis
🎥🎞️: CS Volunteer Liz Jamora


Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado

Starring: H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, Kevin McCann, Lea Salonga

We're still reminiscing ✨ We had such an incredible time celebrating 10 years of Cinema Sala with The Ladies of Wong Fu,...
09/22/2026

We're still reminiscing ✨ We had such an incredible time celebrating 10 years of Cinema Sala with The Ladies of Wong Fu, Filipinos and Asians at Amazon in mounting NEED NO PERMISSION: Women Executives on Making a Seat at the Table!

Our five phenomenal panelists joined us for a candid and inspiring conversation about navigating an ever-changing industry, creating opportunities, taking chances on yourself, and knowing when to stop waiting for permission to take your next step.

A huge thank you to our panelists for sharing their stories, experiences, and wisdom so generously, and to everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone. We couldn’t have imagined a better way to mark 10 years of Cinema Sala and the community that has grown alongside us. 🇵🇭✨

Here’s to the next 10 years — and to making our own seats at the table. 💥



Event Producers: Mallorie Ortega (Cinema Sala VP)

Lead Volunteer: Sharmilla Ray
Volunteers: Ralph Torrefranca, Monique Burias Shi, Brittney Lee, Alyssa So, Hanna Lorica, Jandiz Cardoso, Ella Rae Canonizado, Katrina Vergara, Jon Demegillo, Mikee Loria, Reese Fernandez

Photo: Isaac Innocentes
Video: Andrés Vázquez & Frankie Tejeda
Edit: Andrés Vázquez
Cinema Sala Team - Marie, Mallorie, Louie, Cynthia and Jason

Panelists:
Jennielyn Abrot
Jamie Kapili
Fawzia Mirza
Peachy Pascual
Ceda Xiong

Moderator:
Mallorie Ortega

📍: The Culver Theater
Maraming Salamat Thank you to our in-kind donors: Asian American Girl Club, Bahala Na, Home Studio Hot Yoga, Honor Yourself by Patrick Santa Ana, IRVIN'S, Manila Inasal, Panda Express, Yama Sushi

09/12/2026

Let's get bolder. Let's take chances. Let's make space for ourselves — and for each other.

NEED NO PERMISSION: Women Executives on Making a Seat at the Table was more than a conversation about navigating our careers. It was a reminder of why spaces like Cinema Sala matter - places where we can gather, connect, share what we’ve learned, and leave a little more inspired to take our next step.

Thank you to our incredible panelists for sharing their wisdom, to everyone who showed up ready to connect, and to this community for continuing to believe in the importance of creating spaces where we can find one another.

After 10 years, we’re still here. Still gathering. Still making space. And still reminding each other to create Cinema Without Permission. 🇵🇭✨



Event Producers: Mallorie Ortega (Cinema Sala VP)

Lead Volunteer: Sharmilla Ray
Volunteers: Ralph Torrefranca, Monique Burias Shi, Brittney Lee, , Hanna Lorica, Jandiz Cardoso, Ella Rae Canonizado, Chris Labadie, Katrina Vergara, Jon Demegillo, Mikee Loria , Reese Fernandez

Photo: Isaac Innocentes
Video: Andrés Vázquez & Frankie Tejeda
Edit: Andrés Vázquez
Cinema Sala Team - Marie, Mallorie, Louie, Cynthia and Jason

Panelists:
Jennielyn Abrot
Jamie Kapili
Fawzia Mirza
Peachy Pascual
Ceda Xiong

Moderator:
Mallorie Ortega

📍: The Culver Theater

Maraming Salamat Thank you to our in-kind donors: Asian American Girl Club, Bahala Na, Home Studio Hot Yoga, Honor Yourself by Patrick Santa Ana, IRVIN'S, Manila Inasal, Panda Express, Yama Sushi

Psst! Want to come to the Los Angeles Premiere of DIAMONDS IN THE SAND, directed by Pinay filmmaker ?***Send us a DM for...
05/01/2026

Psst! Want to come to the Los Angeles Premiere of DIAMONDS IN THE SAND, directed by Pinay filmmaker ?
***Send us a DM for a pair of tickets! First come, first served.***

White Mulberry Award for Best Debut Film, 2025 Udine Far East Film Festival First Feature Competition, 2025 BFl London Film Festival Best Screenplay Award, 2025 QCinema International Film Festival
Starring Kazuko Yoshiyuki and Maria Isabel Lopez

Director Janus Victoria will be in attendance! Film program will be followed by Q&A.

SATURDAY, May 2, 2026 - 6 PM
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
AMC Atlantic Times Square
450 N Atlantic Blvd.
Monterey Park, CA 91754

In the CINEMA SALA SPOTLIGHT is Lailanie Gadia!“I choose to produce because there are so many of our stories that need t...
05/01/2026

In the CINEMA SALA SPOTLIGHT is Lailanie Gadia!

“I choose to produce because there are so many of our stories that need to be heard from our AAPI communities. Stories have the power to change hearts and minds, to impact communities, to help people feel seen, heard, and valued. We are influenced by film and media and being able to tell diverse, nuanced stories is a joy. I’m grateful to work with filmmakers who share this vision but also to be the support they need to bring their vision to life.” -

Raised in Guam, Lailanie is a Filipina American community builder, producer and financial professional based in Los Angeles. She founded .co where she is developing and producing projects rooted in community and impact. She serves as Operations Director at the Asian American Documentary Network supporting 2,000+ film workers and notably helped series produce Emmy-nominated & Silver Anthem award-winning 2022 Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond shorts. Named a 2023 Documentary New Leader, she’s been on panels related to filmmaker sustainability, representation and funding. Her producing credits include CAAM-supported BRIDGING OUR STORIES (2026), CAPE-funded MILK & HONEY (2026), THIRD ACT (Sundance 2025) & DIVE BAR (Alaska Airlines).

She’s a member of Futures, and Global Impact Producers Alliance. She’s held various roles in marketing, sponsorships, and event operations working with organizations and companies such as .

She graduated from and serves on the API Alumni Association Board. She formally had a 6-year career in mortgage banking and remains passionate about financial wellbeing.

🚨 Lailanie has FIVE films screening at this year’s ! Swipe to see which ones and check our previous posts for more info.

FUN FACT: You’ve most likely seen and/or have been greeted by Lailanie at our CS events, where she is a beloved volunteer. ❤️

Sit back, relax and immerse yourself into these Filipino Features at the 2026 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival!1...
04/30/2026

Sit back, relax and immerse yourself into these Filipino Features at the 2026 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival!

10S ACROSS THE BORDERS (dir. Sze-Wei Chan, featuring Xyza Pinklady Mizrahi)
Set in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia. New York and elsewhere, 10S ACROSS THE BORDERS is a pan-Asian q***r film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating the region’s underground ballroom culture. As the title suggests, Sze-Wei Chan envisions a world where members of Ballroom communities far from New York can also score a perfect 10.

DIAMONDS IN THE SAND (dir. Janus Victoria)
Yoji is a divorced Japanese salaryman living alone in Tokyo. After the loss of his caring mother, he faces an empty life without any meaningful relationship. A chance encounter with Minerva, a Filipina who works as a caregiver in Japan to support her daughter, prompts Yoji to look at his situation in a new light.

kicks off TONIGHT April 29, and concludes Monday, May 4th!

Be sure to check out these captivating documentary shorts from our community at this year’s :1970s – THE EMERGENCE OF...
04/29/2026

Be sure to check out these captivating documentary shorts from our community at this year’s :

1970s – THE EMERGENCE OF FILIPINO AMERICAN STUDENT ACTIVISM (dir. by Roselyn Ibanez)
1970s – over 50 years ago, Filipino American student organizing and my participation in the establishment of the Filipino American clubs at two colleges in Southern California.

BECAUSE OF YOU: A HISTORY OF KILAWIN KOLEKTIBO (dir. Barbara Malaran and Desireena Almoradie)
This archival documentary traces the history of Kilawin Kolektibo, a pioneering collective of Filipinx who came together in NYC in the mid-nineties. Having experienced marginalization in Filipino culture because of their q***rness and in mainstream gay culture because of their race, language, and gender, the members of the group sought political empowerment and increased visibility.

BRIDGING OUR STORIES (dir. Rafael Bitanga)
When the last Filipino community center in Ketchikan Alaska, becomes just a memory, a 50-year-old Filipina who spent her life resisting her heritage travels to the Philippines to re discover her roots, preserving her community’ s disappearing culture, and teaching indigenous Filipino dances.

FWC LEGACY (dir. Florante Ibañez)
Much of the early FilAm Identity movement progressed thru the P/Filipino People’s Far West Conventions that flowed from Seattle and ebbed in LA (1971-1985).

JOURNEYS FOR A DREAM: PHILIPPINES TO AMERICA (dir. Grace Nall)
Journeys for a Dream: Philippines to America by filmmaker Grace Aguinaldo-Limbag Nall takes viewers behind the scenes of the Filipinos of South Bay Exhibit (FoSBE) after delays from the COVID pandemic. Narrative interviews explore immigration American dreams. Museum showcases a tapestry of Filipino heritage and its impact on American culture.

LIGHT ON A HILL (dir. Myles Matsuno, produced by Lailanie Gadia)
After the Eaton Fire, a Korean family’ s restaurant becomes a hub for aid. As the community rebuilds, a mural by Robert Vargas shows how art heals. Told through mixed media and home footage by those who lives it, recovery rises through the ashes.

In the CINEMA SALA SPOTLIGHT is Patrick Epino!Patrick is a writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles. His wor...
04/28/2026

In the CINEMA SALA SPOTLIGHT is Patrick Epino!

Patrick is a writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles. His work explores the lives of outsiders pushed to the margins of society, drawing on his personal experiences as a Filipino American latchkey kid born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.

His feature project VETERANO, a bank heist thriller, is a part of the 2025–2026 Producers Guild of America Create Lab. The script advanced to the second round of the 2025 Sundance Development Lab and was a finalist for the 2025 Gotham Week Project Market. The proof-of-concept short film makes its World Premiere this Saturday at in the shorts block!

His pilot SOUTH CITY, an original coming-of-age comedy series, was a finalist for the Episodic Lab.
Patrick is co-director, director of photography, and editor of IN PROXIMITY, a weekly podcast produced by .
His debut feature, MR. SADMAN, a satirical dark comedy starring Scoot McNairy, was selected for Narrative Labs.

Patrick co-created, co-directed, and produced AWESOME ASIAN BAD GUYS, an action comedy starring Randall Park and Tamlyn Tomita, which evolved from a popular video on Patrick’s YouTube channel, and was the first episodic project chosen for the Gotham’s Emerging Narrative Forum. Cinema Sala screened Awesome Asian Bad Guys in the early days of Cinema Sala, at the VC offices. 🍿

National Film Society was a founding member of PBS Digital Studios , and through its creative studio, Patrick has collaborated with Amazon, Filmmaker Magazine, Starz, and IMDb. He also directed and produced , a narrative podcast and short documentary series about stories in the Filipino diaspora, selected for the inaugural Google Podcasts Creator Program.

proudlypinoy

Wowwowee! There’s even more Pinoy narrative shorts at LAAPFF this year. Mark your calendars and get your tickets!Dayligh...
04/28/2026

Wowwowee! There’s even more Pinoy narrative shorts at LAAPFF this year. Mark your calendars and get your tickets!

Daylight (dir. Andrea A. Walter)
A young vampire; afraid of who she has become, goes on a night out and rediscovers who she is.

Memoria (dir. Ross Vasallo)
Mori, a teenager living under the strict expectations of their devout Catholic mother, begins to unravel their sense of self through a series of fragmented memories and inner reflections.

Milk and Honey (dir. Rachel Leyco)
Set in the early 1990s, Cherry, a young Filipina nurse leaves her family behind to pursue a better life in El Paso, Texas.

Roommates (dir. Jonathan “JD” De Guzman II)
Reese spends the night with his roommate Lexa and her boyfriend Jay, but as the evening unfolds, he struggles to fight his attraction for Jay.

Runo! (dir. Lysa Catolico and Jazmine Gin R. Pateña)
A hungry, loving aspin (Filipino breed) rescue named Runo sets out to get her owner, Aimee, from school to fill her food bowl in the midst of an apocalyptic Philippines.

Taga (dir. Jill Marie Sachs)
Vivi, a third-culture Filipina-American, travels to the Philippines to reconnect with her roots, but falls in with a group of Western eco-volunteers. When they scorn the customs of a remote mountain village, an ancient evil comes knocking.

The Sharp Point of Time (dir. Andrew Acedo)
An immigrant Filipina mother who had dreams of being a filmmaker just wants her America-born son to not smoke w**d, wash the dishes right and be more like his brother.

Water Sports (dir. Whammy Alcazaren)
Jelson and Ipe, students deep in love, undergo trials of the mind and body as they prepare themselves to survive a world devastated by climate change.

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