“Ang Bangkay” The Most Talked-About Film at Sinag Maynila Film Festival Right Now

By Boy Romero

You ever hear about a film and immediately think, wait… what exactly is this about? That’s the reaction many people are having right now about Ang Bangkay, the latest project from playwright and filmmaker Vince Tañada. 

And honestly, the story behind how the film made it to the screen is almost as interesting as the movie itself. First, the basics. The film stars Mercedes Cabral, alongside Johnrey Rivas, Lily Montelibano, Vean Olmedo, Juan Calma, Sarah Javier, JP Lopes, and OJ Arci. And Vince Tañada himself is part of the cast. 

What surprised many people in the local film community is that “Ang Bangkay” was chosen as one of only six finalists at the Sinag Maynila Film Festival 2026, which received around 400 submissions this year. The festival is organized by award-winning director Brillante Mendoza together with film producer Wilson Tieng. 

And the way the film entered the festival was almost accidental.

Tañada was in Mindanao when the announcement came out calling for entries. Instead of rushing to produce something new, he remembered a story he had already finished years earlier. That story eventually became Ang Bangkay. The material itself isn’t new. The original work actually won First Prize at the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature back in 2012.

For Tañada, being selected as a finalist already meant a lot. But it also meant he would be competing in the same lineup as directors he considers both friends and mentors, including Joel Lamangan and Louie Ignacio.

Then there’s the part people keep talking about.

The film includes several nude scenes involving members of the cast, something that usually faces strict limits during review. According to Tañada, the scenes include moments of full nudity and intimate sequences involving different characters. Under the guidelines of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, there are normally restrictions on how long certain explicit images can appear on screen.

But when the film went through review, the scenes were approved without cuts. Even Tañada said he was surprised it passed the review as it did.

Still, early viewers say the scenes are not treated as spectacle. They are staged and photographed in a way that supports the film’s darker themes. The story explores morality and human behavior when people are pushed into difficult and uncomfortable situations.

One of the most talked-about performances comes from Cabral.

Interestingly, Tañada said that when he was writing the script, he didn’t personally know her yet. But the central character, Meding, was already written with Cabral in mind. He was firm about it. If she didn’t take the role, he said he wouldn’t push through with the film.

Those who have already seen the film say Cabral delivers one of the most iconic performances in the festival lineup. Some viewers are already predicting that she could be a serious contender for Best Actress. Cabral herself isn’t thinking about awards yet, and neither is Tañada. For him, the goal is simple. He wants people to actually see the film in theaters.

There was also a bit of luck during the festival schedule draw. Ang Bangkay landed one of the prime evening screening slots between 5 PM and 8 PM.

The Sinag Maynila Film Festival runs from March 23 to March 29, 2026. During that period, the film is screening in five cinemas across Metro Manila, including Gateway, Lucky Chinatown, Uptown Mall, Venice Grand Canal Mall in BGC, and Eastwood.

Tañada himself hasn’t even been in Manila the whole time. While the festival was opening, he was in Albay staging his musical play Bonifacio. He returned on March 25 for the gala night of Ang Bangkay, then flew again for another performance in Bacolod before heading back to Manila for the awards night.

The film has an R-18 rating.

And now that people are finally watching it, the question many viewers are asking is simple. Is Ang Bangkay controversial… or is it simply a film that refused to play safe?