Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival 2024

Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival is an annual showcase of films in Davao City, Philippines, that explores the myriad meanings of the word “ngilngig”—a common Bisaya expression for something that is fantastic or something that elicits horror or alluding to the macabre.

From what used to be a horror-genre festival, Ngilngig has expanded its scope to position itself as a premiere fantastic film festival in Southeast Asia, extending the reach to other neighboring countries’ “ngilngig” and fantastic films that are significant with our own ways of telling stories.

After a one-year hiatus, Ngilngig comes back with more adventurous and exciting voices with films from all over Asia. Opening this year’s edition is Kantil, the debut feature film by Joshua Cesar Medroso, returning to its hometown after its Cinemalaya premiere. Nelson Yeo’s Locarno-winning debut feature Dreaming & Dying will close the festival. In between are a showcase of 34 Philippine short films and 23 Asian short films in competition. Included in its feature-film lineup are films from acclaimed Filipino auteurs Khavn and Gutierrez Mangansakan II.

Feisal Azizuddin’s This Land of Mine will also have its World Premiere at the festival ahead of its Malaysian release. Other special screenings include Indonesian artist-filmmaker Riar Rizaldi’s Monisme, and Ing K’s DogGod, a film banned in Thailand for 25 years, and is released in its re-edited version this year.

There will be film talks in between as well as an visual art exhibit featuring works from Filipino filmmakers.