Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival 2026: Schedule, Tickets and the Films to See

By the PTSNV newsroom · From the October 19, 2026 edition, pages D-2 and F-3, including Joel Enriquez’s Chamber Matters column · Masthead

Thirty-six Filipino short films. Two days of screenings. One red-carpet awards night. The 4th Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival runs October 30 through November 1, 2026, with screenings at Galaxy Theatres at The Boulevard Mall and a $25 pass that gets you into every film block. It lands on the closing weekend of Filipino American History Month, and this year’s lineup runs from student filmmakers to a short that competed at Cannes.

The festival announced its finalists in a full-page ad on page D-2 of the October 19 Philippine Times of Southern Nevada. On page F-3, Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Nevada President Joel Enriquez calls it “an investment in cultural representation, creative talent, and the growing diversity of Las Vegas.”

The 2026 Screening Schedule

Opening night falls on Nevada Day, the state holiday on the last Friday of October. Here is the lineup posted on the festival’s website:

• Friday, Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m. Student Filmmaker Block: the next generation of Filipino storytellers
• Friday, Oct. 30, 8 p.m. Nevada Filmmaker Block: homegrown Southern Nevada talent, plus a special screening of “Agapito”
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m. Block 1: Visceral
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. Block 2: Doc
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 3 p.m. Block 3: Glory
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 5 p.m. Block 4: Wanderlust
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. Special screening of “58th”

Times can shift, so check lvshortfilm.com before you head out. Event listings: film screenings, Oct. 30–31 and awards night, Nov. 1.

Two Special Screenings Worth the Pass

“Agapito” (Friday night)

Co-directed by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero, “Agapito” competed for the short film Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It is set in a worn-down duckpin bowling alley that still uses manual pinsetters, where the manager and her coworkers care for her older brother during his monthly visits. The festival calls it one of the Philippines’ Oscar hopefuls for Best Live Action Short Film. Assemblymember Duy Nguyen is sponsoring the screening, according to the Chamber Matters column.

“58th” (Saturday night)

Carl Joseph E. Papa’s animated documentary returns to the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, in which 58 people were killed, including 32 journalists. The title points to photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay and the push to recognize him as the massacre’s 58th victim. Blending animation with archival footage, the film won the Facing the Edge Award at New Zealand’s Doc Edge Festival this year and was an official selection at France’s Annecy festival, GMA News reported.

In an editorial in this issue, Bev Llorente of Immersive Mediaworks writes that the Richard Harris Law Firm is backing the screening, and calls “58th” “cinema at its most consequential.”

The Crisostomo Ibarra Awards Night

The festival closes on Sunday, November 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. with a red-carpet gala, a full dinner and the Crisostomo Ibarra Awards, named for the idealistic hero of José Rizal’s novel “Noli Me Tángere.” Elevare produces the gala. The festival’s ad lists the venue as Las Vegas Colleges Diner, 8410 Rafael Rivera Way, with three ticket levels:

• $55: red carpet, full dinner and awards ceremony
• $100: a gala ticket pair
• $500: a reserved dinner table for 10 guests

The festival’s website also offers $20 general-admission tickets to an awards reception by email request. Call (702) 336-3454 or email info@lvshortfilm.com to confirm the details before you go. The Ibarra trophies cover nine categories, from Best Director and Best Cinematography to the Audience Choice Award and Best Short Film, plus a Best of Nevada Award and Best Student Film.

The Boy, the Askal and “The Journey Continues”

This year’s poster brings back the festival’s mascot: a boy in a Crisostomo Ibarra T-shirt with a camera at his hip, walking toward the sunset beside his loyal askal, the Filipino street dog. According to the Chamber Matters column, the poster boy “has literally grown each year.” Now a young man, he is heading into the horizon to find his storytelling self.

Who’s Behind the Festival

The Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival LLC produces the screenings. According to the festival’s FilmFreeway page, the team includes Executive Director Margie Gonzales, Program Director Shawn Rosen, Operations Director Marie Antoinette Roxas Thomas and Creative Director Olive Enriquez, and part of the proceeds supports the Fil-Am Scholarship Foundation and Outreach Services (FASFOS).

The Chamber Matters column credits Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom with backing the festival from its start in 2022, alongside Assemblywoman Erica Mosca, the first Filipina elected to the Nevada Legislature, and Assemblymember Duy Nguyen. Business sponsors on the poster include Richard Harris Law Firm, Dr. James Lally, PHLV Radio, newGen Financial Group, CebuChon Las Vegas, E Cube Event Specialists, Ideas in Ink and Luna Design International.

Make a Night of It in Filipino Town

Galaxy Theatres sits inside The Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway, the heart of the county’s Filipino Town cultural district and home of the Fil-Am Central co-working hub. Planning a full Filipino weekend? The Philippine Ballet Theatre performs “Sarimanok” at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, at the West Las Vegas Theatre.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2026 Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival?

Screenings run Friday and Saturday, October 30–31, 2026, at Galaxy Theatres at The Boulevard Mall. The Gala and Crisostomo Ibarra Awards Night is Sunday, November 1, from 4 to 7 p.m.

How much are tickets?

A $25 all-access pass covers all six film blocks and the special screenings. Gala tickets are $55 each, $100 for a pair or $500 for a table of 10, according to the festival’s ad.

Where do I buy tickets?

The all-access pass is sold on the festival’s FilmFreeway page at filmfreeway.com/LVFsFF/tickets. For gala and awards tickets, call (702) 336-3454 or email info@lvshortfilm.com.

What films are showing?

The 36 festival finalists screen in student, Nevada and themed blocks, plus special screenings of “Agapito,” a 2025 Cannes short film competition title, and “58th,” an animated documentary on the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

Who are the Crisostomo Ibarra Awards named after?

Crisostomo Ibarra is the idealistic hero of José Rizal’s 1887 novel “Noli Me Tángere,” a founding work of Philippine literature.

Disclosure: The Philippine Times of Southern Nevada is a media sponsor of the festival. This story follows our editorial standards.

Related in this issue: The full October 19, 2026 edition · The Welcome sign goes red, blue and yellow · FAHF’s 2026 Golden Pearls · Look back: the 2025 festival

Got a Filipino film or event coming up? Send it to editor@ptsnv.com. Subscribe free to get every issue. To advertise, email info@ptsnv.com or call 702-530-0706.