What makes a father? Is it blood, presence, choice—or circumstance?
This June, Fathers of Circumstances brings together five deeply moving films from Japan and the Philippines that challenge conventional ideas of fatherhood. The screenings will take place on June 20-21, 2025 at Cine Adarna, UPFI Film Center. curated by Eunice Helera, a film programmer and festival coordinator. The program is part of the Professional Development and Networking Initiative for ASEAN-Japan Film Programmers and Curators, organized by the Japan Foundation in partnership with the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).
The lineup features Like Father, Like Son (2013) by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Dear Etranger (2017) by Yukiko Mishima, Close-Knit (2017) by Naoko Ogigami, Kinakausap ni Celso ang Diyos (2024) by Gilb Baldoza, and Ang Tatay Kong Nanay (1978) by Lino Brocka.