Since the COVID-19 epidemic came to a head earlier this month, the citywide lockdown in Metro Manila has everyone’s lives at a near standstill. But in response, several local film studios and independent filmmakers have released their movies online for all of us to enjoy, completely free of charge. Keep reading to find out what films you can watch now and where to find them.
Regal Entertainment
Regal Entertainment, the studio behind Shake, Rattle & Roll, has uploaded a load of old school movies to their Youtube channel. Regal has been uploading one full film a day since the start of the month, but since the implementation of the citywide lockdown in Metro Manila, they’ve since expanded the films they offer according to themes.
The themes uploaded according to their calendar include movies dedicated to strong women, horror and thriller classics, comedy, feel-good classics, and action marathons.
Watch them all here.
TBA Studios
TBA Studios uploaded several of their films to their official Youtube channel as well. The studio didn’t announce the release of the films, but netizens spotted the uploads almost immediately. The titles you can watch now include Bliss, Gayuma, Iisa, Dormitoryo, Patintero, Matangtubig, and Water Lemon.
Watch them here.
Kip Oebanda’s Bar Boys
The Kip Oebanda-directed film Bar Boys is now available to watch online for free, with the director stating, “Hopefully, [it will] help with the boredom of staying at home while on community quarantine.”
The movie starring Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Kean Cipriano and Enzo Pineda, depicts the journey of four friends and aspiring lawyers, following their struggles in life and law school.
Watch the film here.
Cinema One
The iconic film Himala and the hugot-filled That Thing Called Tadhana are just two of 11 films uploaded to Cinema One’s Youtube channel, and with even more free to stream on iWant, you won’t be running out of options any time soon.
Watch them here.
Lockdown Cinema Club
Lockdown Cinema Club is an initiative by local filmmakers that invites viewers to watch a collection of short films from the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries for free, in exchange for donations for low-income film workers whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the lockdown.
The “Watch all you want, give what you can” initiative includes films by the likes of Lav Diaz, Erik Matti, Alvin Yapan, and more cinema giants, and aims to raise funds for 1,000 no work-no pay workers like electricians, set men, production staff, camera grips, carpenters, and also raise funds to donate PPEs for our health workers and frontliners.
Find out how you can help and check out the list of films here and here.
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