Organizer: New York Asian Film Foundation Inc.

Type/Location: In Person / New York, NY

Film Synopsis:

After committing a desperate act of violence to escape an abusive home, Issa flees with her younger brother Tomas to a remote orphanage run by a secretive sect of nuns. Initially promising sanctuary, the isolated refuge soon reveals disturbing truths through the nuns’ increasingly sinister behavior, frightening hazing from fellow children, and nightly terrors haunting its shadowed halls. Issa’s hope for redemption and safety turns to dread as threats escalate, endangering their very lives. Director Mikhail Red (Birdshot) crafts a viciously atmospheric slow-burn horror, grounded in his brother Nikolas Red’s incisive, politically charged script that chillingly reflects the Philippines’ tumultuous past. Beware the sadistic evil beneath saintly appearances.

About the Speakers:

Mikhail Red began making short films when he was 15 years old, and six years later directed his microbudget feature debut, Rekorder, about a once-professional cinematographer who compulsively records everything, only to capture a murder. It won five international awards including Best New Director at the 2014 Vancouver International Film Festival. His radically different second feature, Birdshot, a slow-burning ecological thriller, won the Best Asian Feature Film Award at the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival. Together with Birdshot producer Pamela L. Reyes, Red developed Lost Dahlias, about a young housemaid faced with the twin horrors of martial law and her American employer. His third feature, Neomanila, was a mother-and-son tale about the Metro Manila death squads. Dead Kids (2019) was the first Netflix original film from the Philippines. Deleter (2022), broke box office records and won seven awards at the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival including Best Picture and Best Director. His latest work is the dark horror film Lilim.

Heaven Peralejo came to prominence in 2016 through the reality show “Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7.” Following supporting roles in several TV series and films, she received wider recognition for her performance in the 2022 film Nanahimik ang Gabi. Her accolades include a Luna Award and an Asian Academy Creative Award, as well as nominations from the FAMAS Awards, Metro Manila Film Festival, The EDDYS, PMPC Star Awards for Television and PMPC Star Awards for Movies. She won her first Best Actress award at the 39th Luna Awards. In 2024, she starred in the Philippine adaptation of the South Korean movie Sunny. She will present her latest film, Lilim, at NYAFF 2025.

Tickets:

To attend the event in person, please purchase tickets here.