Ten local cinematic works will be featured as the 3rd Bacolod Film Festival kicks off its run from November 27 to 29, 2026.
Under the leadership of Festival Director Tanya P. Lopez, public screenings will take place across SM Bacolod, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, and the FDCP Cinematheque Centre Negros.
Among this year’s selected directors is Reginald Amador Zack Verzosa, who makes his return to the festival with his latest feature, “Tukturuok.”
A University of St. La Salle Communication cum laude graduate, Verzosa honed his craft in screenwriting during the 2022 Negros Summer Workshops, steadily carving out a name for himself in the regional indie scene.
His filmography includes “Glub,” which garnered a Best Director nomination for Verzosa, a Best Supporting Actor nod for Jigear Tonato, and a victory for Swoop Belesario Diaz for Best Makeup at the 2024 Bacolod Film Festival.
“Glub” tackled grief and isolation, focusing on a young man navigating life after his mother’s passing. His earlier works, “Añoranza” and “Ritmo,” both achieved finalist status in the Sine Negrense Open Category in 2023 and 2022.
Verzosa also wrote and directed “Instrumentum: Garden of Eden,” taking home Best TV Drama at the 2022 USLS Communication Society Bilib Awards, and co-wrote “Yours Truly,” which secured Best Picture at the 2022 Inasal Awards.
With “Tukturuok,” Verzosa shifts into a distinctive mix of family drama, folklore, and dark comedy. Crafted with English action lines alongside Hiligaynon dialogue, the script explores the extreme measures a father takes to save his child.
By intertwining culinary traditions, personal hardship, and mythic elements, the narrative serves as a tribute to sacrifice, redemption, and home.
Verzosa stands alongside nine other filmmakers presenting original projects at this edition, namely Rolf Dubouzet Baynosa’s “Beware of Dog,” Nathan Bringuer’s “Tigayon,” Farlyn John Casidsid’s “Si Balong Gin Bulang,” Dranreb Cimatu’s “Buklod Balod Bakod Bacolod,” Renzo Grijaldo’s “Ka Aslum Sang Batwan,” Jaden Tenzing Mijares’s “Princaesar,” Mai Montelibano’s “Lumay,” Kurt Soberano’s “Duwa Duwa,” and Pamela Reinee Viedor’s “Ang Tagabantay.”
Together, these ten films highlight the wide creative spectrum of modern Negrense cinema.
Seymour B. Sanchez
Seymour Barros Sanchez is an advocacy filmmaker, communication and film lecturer, freelance writer, creative producer, technical consultant, and a former producer for news and current affairs programs. He served as Bacolod Film Festival director in 2024 and Technical Consultant for Academic Linkages of the Film Development Council of the Philippines from 2022 to 2025. He is a member of the Academic Film Society Advisory Committee of the FDCP, a representative of the Education Sector to the National Committee on Cinema Executive Council, and Secretary of the NCC.
