Welcome to the 4th Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival 2026
October 30 - November 1, 2026
Galaxy Theaters, Boulevard Mall
Celebrate Filipino Storytelling at Our Film Festival Showcasing Diverse Voices
Join us at the 2026 edition of the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival where we celebrate the rich art of storytelling through film. Our festival invites Filipino filmmakers from diverse backgrounds to share their unique perspectives, showcasing the vibrant diversity of Filipino culture and creativity. We are dedicated to fostering connections within our community and elevating diverse voices in the cinematic landscape, making our festival a hub for Filipino film and storytelling. Whether you're an emerging talent or an established filmmaker, the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival is the perfect platform to share your story with the world.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss this!
When you buy a ticket, you’re doing more than watching films —you’re supporting the creative heartbeat of a growing cultural movement.
You’re helping a new generation of Filipino storytellers take their place in the spotlight. You’re giving young directors, actors, and dreamers the audience they deserve.
And in return? You get to witness the excitement of discovery — that electric feeling when you realize you might just be watching the next big filmmaker, actor, or cultural breakthrough before the world does.
More Than a Screening — It’s a Celebration
Join us at Galaxy Theatres Boulevard Mall for a weekend of unforgettable cinema, red-carpet moments, live Q&As, and the magic of community coming together. Laugh, cry, cheer, and feel proud — because every story shown here is a reflection of our shared journey as Filipinos in the world.
The lights dim, the screen flickers, and the story begins.
Your seat is waiting. Don’t just hear about it — experience it.
🎟 Get Your Tickets Now and be part of this year’s celebration of creativity, culture, and Filipino excellence in film.
When the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival opened its doors in September 2023, it began with a simple conviction: Filipino and Filipino American stories deserve a screen, an audience, and a city that takes them seriously. Las Vegas is home to one of the largest Filipino communities in the country, yet its storytellers rarely saw their own lives reflected on the big screen. The festival set out to change that.
The vision. The festival is the vision of its founder, Margie Llorente Gonzales, who saw that the community’s stories needed a home of their own. She built it as more than an exhibition: a platform where emerging filmmakers could be discovered and the community could see its histories, humor, and grief told on its own terms. The short film was a deliberate choice, the form where new directors take their first risks and a single sharp idea can travel far.
The team behind it. Felipe Danglapin served as CEO from 2023 to 2024, guiding the festival through its launch. Manette Roxas Thomas, Operations Officer, and Shawn Rosen, Festival Producer & Technical Operations Director, gave it structure and a professional standard from its first year. In 2025, Olive Enriquez joined as Creative Director, shaping the festival’s identity and cultural voice.
The trajectory. In four years, the festival has received 225 entries and honored 26 award winners. Its screens have carried the Tingguian basket weavers of Ilocos Norte in Melver Ritz L. Gomez’s Dagiti Nalaga nga Istoria, and the Yakan weavers of Zamboanga in the Istorya collective’s Threads of Tradition. Andres Luz’s Bulosan: On American Democracy won our 2025 Crisostomo Ibarra Award for Best Screenwriting before winning on three continents. Dear Watsonville honored the manong generation; Trixie Pacis’s Ahon followed Filipino-Canadian climbers to new heights; and Drae Cerna’s Taymsa captured a songwriter’s restless mind.
The 2026 finalists push further still: Kiersten Villanueva’s MIMIC turns the fear of ICE raids into horror, Margarita Mina’s BABYFAT explores a tween’s place in her own skin, Along Comes Larry celebrates Grammy-winning pioneer Larry Ramos, and Colin Whitman’s Diminishing Returns follows Ernesto through the streets of Los Angeles, collecting recyclables to pay for his daughter’s chemotherapy back home.
2026: widening the frame. This year, two special screenings bring the Philippines’ Oscar hopes to Las Vegas: GMA Films’ 58, a documentary on the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, and Agapito, the Cannes-selected short by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero.
LLooking ahead to 2027. Our fifth year is a chance to celebrate every filmmaker who trusted us with their story, and to ask what comes next for Filipino storytelling in Las Vegas and beyond. Because here, Filipino stories are not the exception on screen. They are the point.
Now it’s your turn. Every seat filled tells a filmmaker their story mattered. Every ticket keeps a local film community growing, from first-time directors to the crews, venues, and small businesses that make each screening possible. Come watch. Bring your family, your barkada, and someone who has never seen their story on screen. Stay for the Q&As, cheer for the finalists, and carry these films home with you.
Watch the films. Support local cinema. Help us write the next chapter.
Get your tickets now at www.lvshortfilm.com
Watch the festival trailer here.
“Film goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.”
Four Years of Filipino Stories: The Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival
Two days. 38 Filipino stories. Two Oscar hopefuls. Your seat is waiting.
The 4th Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival is almost here, and the screening schedule is OUT! Swipe through to plan your weekend. And here is the schedule of the Film Blocks for your convenience.
FRIDAY, OCT 30
6:30 PM – Student Filmmaker Block: the next generation of Filipino storytellers
8:00 PM – Nevada Filmmaker Block: homegrown talent, right here in Southern Nevada
SPECIAL SCREENING: AGAPITO, one of the Philippines' Oscar hopefuls for Best Live Action Short Film
SATURDAY, OCT 31
11:00 AM – Block 1: "Visceral Block"
1:00 PM – Block 2: "Doc Block"
3:00 PM – Block 3: "Glory Block"
5:00 PM – Block 4: "Wanderlust Block"
7:00 PM – SPECIAL SCREENING: "58"
The documentary carrying the Philippines' Oscar hopes for Best Documentary Feature. See it on the big screen in Las Vegas before awards season heats up.
Every block ends with a filmmaker Q&A, so stay and meet the people behind the stories.
All Access Pass: $25 for all 6 film blocks
Get tickets: filmfreeway.com/LVFsFF/tickets
Olivia Loyola-Enriquez
Margie Llorente+Gonzales
Shawn Rosen
Meet the Team.
Together, They Built a Movement.
Manette Roxas-Thomas
From a single vision to a three-year legacy, these four founders have built more than a film festival —
they’ve built a cultural platform that inspires, connects, and transforms. Their collaboration
continues to nurture a thriving creative community, where every story told on screen becomes a
celebration of Filipino talent, resilience, and imagination.
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Festival Founder / Producer& Marketing Director | Cultural Advocate | Socio-Civic Leader |
Event Organizer | Entertainment and Political Consultant
A Communication Arts graduate and a tireless advocate for Filipino heritage, Fil-Am community
Margie Gonzales brings her wealth of experience in cultural programming, event organization, and community engagement to the festival. Her ability to mobilize people and resources helped lay the foundation for LVFSFF’s long-term success. Margie, who is CEO of E Cube Solutions LLC, an events and consultancy company, has a vision for the festival that goes beyond film — it’s about building a cultural legacy that uplifts Filipino pride and presence in Nevada’s creative landscape.
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Festival Producer & Technical Operations Director | Filmmaker | Creative Specialist | Educator
With an extensive background in film production and film festival operations, Shawn Rosen lends his expertise to every facet of the festival’s technical and creative operations. His skill in navigating logistics, partnerships, and industry relations ensures each year’s event runs seamlessly. Shawn’s professionalism and dedication to excellence continue to elevate LVFSFF’s reputation as a premier platform for emerging Filipino and Filipino-American filmmakers.
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Festival Producer and Creative Director | Writer I Entrepreneur | Digital Media and Branding Strategist
A designer, writer, and storyteller, Olive Enriquez gives the festival its voice — shaping its brand narrative and visual identity. As Creative Director of Luna Design International and a columnist for the Philippine Times of Southern Nevada, Olive brings her storytelling expertise to champion Filipino creativity and cultural visibility. Her work connects the festival’s creative mission with the larger story of the Filipino diaspora — one film, one voice, one story at a time.
She advises on issues on Creative Entrepreneurship being the Creative & Communications Director for the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Nevada, for a number of years. The chamber is now more known as FACCGN: The Creative Chamber. Her body of work dedicated to community is highly recognizable within the Filipino American community-from a book on Filipino women of Nevada , to the most recent FilipinoTown Las Vegas launch event, the emblematic ”MaBuhay” in the style all her own, delightful, charming and colorful.
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Festival Producer and Operations Director | Events and Creative Design Specialist
As the Operations Director and the “nuts and bolts” of the organization, Manette Thomas keeps the festival running with precision, creativity, and grace. Known for her exceptional attention to detail, she oversees the behind-the-scenes coordination that turns ideas into seamless productions — from set and stage design to event execution. With a background in creative direction and visual styling,
Manette ensures that every LVFSFF event reflects both artistic excellence and Filipino heart.
Spotlight on the Filmmakers:
Giovannie Espiritu describes her identity as political. A former undocumented immigrant who escaped a religious cult, she identifies as bisexual. Her award-winning short films include ULTRA FEMINIST (honorable mention at Outfest:Fusion), ALLY 3000 (Best Screenplay at the 2023 Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival), and LEGACY (2023 Silver Telly award, featured in exhibitions like the New Americans Museum). As an actress, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress alongside Alfre Woodard and Amy Irving. Currently, she is working on a rom-com series, “Maid To Shine,” for the FilAm TV Network in Las Vegas.
Regional Emmy award winning Filmmaker / Community Storyteller / Magazine Founder / Cultural Toy Maker Terrence Jeffrey Santos was the Audience Choice winner for his short film AFTER INANG, which relates the grief a family faces after the passing of Inang, referencing his own mother.
At the June 2022 launch of the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival, Shawn together with a group of young filmmakers showcased their work. He became a permanent presence at LVFSFF meetings and now serves on the Executive Board. He has been nominated for 3 Regional Emmys in the Pacific Southwest Chapter. In a recent interview, Esmeralda Padilla Gould of FilAm TV’s Vegas Vibes Junction noted, “Shawn’s films are heartfelt explorations of emotions and the human experience. His passion for Filipino mythology inspires him to bring ancient tales to life, aiming for them to be celebrated alongside Greek and Roman stories.”
Photographer / Videographer / Director (JERICK PADSING) and a also a Mechanical Engineer with a desire to share people’s stories and make an impact in people’s lives. Raymond Planas aims to live a life of purpose and help others find theirs. He is always quality focused, highly productive, quick learning, and enthusiastic professional.
Elevate the Arts:
Become a Premier Sponsor
Step into the spotlight with us as a Premier Sponsor of the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival—an annual celebration of culture, creativity, and community. As a sponsor, your brand becomes part of a powerful movement that champions diverse voices, nurtures new filmmakers, and brings Filipino storytelling to center stage in Las Vegas.
Why Partner With Us?
1. High-Visibility Branding
Your logo and brand will be featured across festival materials—including banners, posters, digital campaigns, social media promotions, and on-screen mentions during screenings. This ensures your company gains recognition before thousands of attendees and online followers.
2. Community Connection
Align your brand with the Filipino American community—one of the fastest-growing and most influential cultural groups in Nevada. Sponsorship signals your commitment to cultural heritage, the arts, and inclusivity.
3. VIP Access & Networking
Enjoy priority seating, special recognition at the opening and closing ceremonies, and exclusive opportunities to connect with filmmakers, business leaders, media, and community influencers.
4. Media Exposure
Your company will be included in press releases, media features, and online coverage. With festival publicity reaching both local and international audiences, your sponsorship maximizes brand reach.
5. Lasting Impact
Beyond visibility, your support empowers emerging Filipino filmmakers to tell authentic stories that inspire, entertain, and preserve cultural identity. Your brand will be remembered as part of that legacy.
Be More Than a Sponsor—Be a Storyteller
As a Premier Sponsor, you’re not just funding an event—you’re helping shape the narrative of representation and opportunity. Together, we can make the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival a platform where stories thrive and communities connect.
Join us today as a Premier Sponsor and let your brand shine on the big screen.
Join the Excitement!
Dive into the heart of creativity at our festival! We're eager to hear from you—whether you're a filmmaker looking to showcase your work or simply seeking more information. Don't hesitate to get in touch. We're here to assist you every step of the way, from submission to participation. Reach out today and become part of a vibrant community dedicated to celebrating cinematic excellence!
info@lvshortfilm.org
(702) 3363454