Chinese filmmaker and producer Jia Zhangke has joined the upcoming feature Filipiñana as an executive producer. The film, directed by Filipino filmmaker Rafael Manuel, has been selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it will make its world premiere.
Filipiñana marks Manuel’s feature-length debut and is adapted from his earlier short film of the same name. The story is set within an upscale golf course and country club in Manila and follows Isabel, a young woman working as a tee girl. Through her daily work, she becomes increasingly familiar with the club’s highly ordered environment, shaped by ritual, hierarchy and informal power structures.
As the narrative unfolds, the film progresses through routine interactions and confined spaces, using the club as its primary setting. Rather than relying on overt dramatic turns, the story develops through Isabel’s growing awareness of the dynamics operating within the institution and the relationships that define it.
The film is a multi-territory production involving partners from the Philippines, Europe and Asia. Magnolia Pictures is handling international sales, while Jia Zhangke’s production company Unknown Pleasures Pictures is participating as a producer and has secured distribution rights for Greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The project continues a recent pattern of cross-regional collaboration within Asian independent cinema, particularly in projects navigating both festival circulation and international markets.
Filipiñana represents the next step in Manuel’s transition from short-form work to feature filmmaking. His original short film, completed in 2020, screened at several international festivals and received jury recognition, helping lay the groundwork for the feature adaptation.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will take place from January 22 to February 1 in Park City and surrounding areas of Utah. This year’s edition includes 97 selected film and episodic projects across its programs. The World Cinema Dramatic Competition has long served as a platform for international filmmaker-driven works, highlighting distinct voices and contemporary perspectives.
Filipiñana will screen during the festival as part of its world premiere rollout. According to Sundance organizers, a selection of films will also be made available through the festival’s online platform between January 29 and February 1, with detailed screening schedules to be announced closer to the event.
Following its Sundance debut, the film is expected to continue its international festival and market trajectory.
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