14/12/2025
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
Adamson University glowed with anticipation as third-year Communication students unveiled their original short films for their Introduction to Film course at the KOMMotion Film Festival 2025, on Dec. 9, at the Adamson Theater.
KOMMotion is a yearly gathering where ideas turn into visuals, and students transform into filmmakers right before everyone’s eyes.
This year, the festival showcased six short films created by the third-year students, each one carrying the unmistakable fingerprints of its creators that had late-night shoots, borrowed equipment, improvised solutions, and pure passion.
𝗟𝗨𝗛𝗢 𝗕𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗠 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
The first film presented was Luho directed by Arlance Maceda. Luho is a reflective film that holds a mirror to our desires, whether it is materialistic, emotional, or everything in between.
As Maceda stated: “Luho ay hindi kwento ng pagnanasa o inggit, pero sa likod ng iyon, mas may malalim na isyu na gusto namin bigyan ng boses. FOMO (Fear of missing out).”
“Hindi man siya madalang na nakikita ng tao pero malaking bahagi siya ng mental health ng isang tao,” he added.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗕𝗬 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
The Dropout, which won the Audience Choice Award and KOM Youth Excellence Award, is directed by Kyla Louise Waje. The film peels away the stigma behind leaving school. Instead of judgment, the film offers understanding and shows the silent struggles many young people carry. It's a reminder that every “dropout” has a story deeper than anyone expects.
This film follows Denis, a college student who is trying to balance school, work, and caring for his mother.
“You see, free tuition isn’t enough when survival becomes the priority. This is the world that shaped the dropout.” Waje said.
“I wrote this film with the intention of revealing how education is truly experienced in our country today. Not as a guaranteed right, but as a privilege that many of us are forced to abandon,” she added.
𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗔 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗢 𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗞𝗨𝗟𝗢 𝗕𝗬 𝗖𝗜𝗥𝗖𝗟𝗘-𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
Wala Namang Dulo Ang Sirkulo, which won the Best Poster, Best Teaser, and Meritong Dalumat Award, is directed by Cathleen Marfil. It is a gentle, almost meditative look at the psychological aspect of the use of AI, with glimpses of being, hurt, and returning to one’s self. With the sense of loneliness, the film reminds us that AI becomes a fantasy being built into our minds, and gets to the point where we never know who or what to look for.
“Dumating ka na ba sa puntong minsan hindi mo alam kung sino lalapitan mo? Sa mga panahong pakiramdam mo wala kang kakampi kasi alam mong iniikot ang bawat isa sa kani-kanilang mundo,” Marfil said.
“Naalala ko noong binubuo namin ang konsepto ng storya na ito. Magulo, walang saysay at paikot-ikot ang nagiging usapan namin sa grupo. Noong dumating kami sa punto na napag-desisyonan namin na doon mismo iikot ang kwento, doon namin napagtanto na hindi naman pala maging perpekto,” she added.
𝗨𝗡/𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗩𝗜𝗜 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
A tense digital-age thriller, UN/FOLLOWED, directed by Alyzza Mae Mariano, dives into the unsettling fear of being watched online and “cancel culture.”
Mariano captures the anxiety of an influencer living both online and offline after not sharing their honest opinion online of a product, ending up in a disaster when being called out online.
“It is a story that requires us to ask, when we cancel someone, do we help them to change? Or are we making a world where no one gets to rise again?” Mariano said.
“Sa mga makakapanood ng UN/FOLLOWED, I hope it will be an inspiration to have more courage, compassion, and a little extra bit of kindness,” she added.
𝗛𝗘’𝗦 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗕𝗬 𝗟𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗛 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗠𝗦
Lighthearted and comedic, He’s Higher Than You by Mae Lomongo explores admiration, insecurity, the art of nepotism, and the messy road toward self-worth. It is more than just comedy; it sheds light on what many have been blinded from for far too long.
“Harap-harapan na tayong niloloko, we’ve all watched, seen, and heard these past few months, and through this film, we hope to open eyes, spark conversations, and encourage everyone to speak up because this is our story,” Lomongo said.
“Tell stories that reveal the uncomfortable truths because bright light is where it is kept hidden. True change begins when the silence is broken, film roars to voices that refuse to be ignored,” she added.
𝗦𝗔𝗬𝗨𝗗 𝗦𝗔𝗬𝗨𝗗 𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗠 𝗡𝗜𝗡 𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗔 𝗕𝗬 𝗬𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦
The projects closed out with Neil Ryan Carolino’s Sayud Sayud Ed Dalum Nin Lamisa. Told in Zambal, this film celebrates regional voices, cultural roots, and superstitions. With a dining table as its centerpiece, Carolino unpacks family tension, tradition, and unspoken feelings that show how stories closest to home often carry the heaviest truths.
“Hindi kailangan mahaba magsalita, basta magmamarka ka,” a quote from Carolino’s speech that stuck with the audience. Carolino then thanked everyone in the production and the people who helped them build this thrilling film come to life.
The film showcases the trauma and psychological response to eating in the dark. With voices inside the character’s mind speaking as the film progresses longer and longer.
The Introduction to Film professor and Komunikator adviser, Mr. Argyll Geducos, said in his remarks that he is thankful for being able to witness the films made by the students
“Some chapters end quietly, not with finality, but with gratitude. And I am deeply grateful for the five years of stories we’ve told together. Whatever path you take, tell your story honestly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Communication Department, Mr. Glenn Parungao, connected the political state of the country to the message of the film that the students have produced.
“Ang mga mensahe ng mga pelikulang ito ay umikot sa mga napakahalagang katotohanan ng buhay na maaaring nararanasan niyo rin o nasasaksihan niyo sa araw-araw dito sa ating bansa. Napakahirap at napakagulo ng panahon natin ngayon. Maraming problemang panlipunan, maraming gulo sa paligid,” he said.
“Bilang mga alagad ng sining at midya, napakahalaga sa amin ng pelikula hindi lang para magpakita ng galing o magpatawa o magpasaya, kundi para manggising ng damdamin at diwa,” he added.
Individual awards were also presented to Reginald Gabasa and Jana Tanguia for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively. The Best Actor and Best Actress awards went to Martin Otero and Avegail Bendoy.
After the six student films, the spotlight shifted to KOMCine, the Communication program’s film organization, presenting four additional short films. Each is packed with the distinct personality, grit, and creativity that the organization has become known for.
Kommotion 2025 also had a morning session, courtesy of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. It featured a special film screening of “Excuse me, Miss, Miss, Miss” and “Primetime Mother” by Sonny Calvento.
As the lights dimmed and the audience applauded, KOMMotion 2025 became more than just a film festival; it became a shared memory. A reminder of how stories bring people together, how students rise to challenges, and how creativity thrives even in pressure, deadlines, and caffeine.
Written by: Hans Soliven
Photos by: Andre Fadrigalan and Laetizia Duran
