Film archive, 2026

Ria

RIA

Director Arvin BELARMINO

1Festival entries

★Avg. rating

“Give us land, not bullets!” This is the scream folk-punk musician Ria lets out onstage. The slum faces eviction in five days. Hired thugs set fire to homes and no fire truck comes. Water and electricity are cut off one after another. The punks here endure extreme poverty and state violence every day. Yet they help each other and form a community built to survive. At its center stands their leader Olga. Ria was abandoned before she turned one. Olga took her in and raised her. Now Ria cares for Olga as her body crumbles from diabetes. Arvin Belarmino is the most anticipated rising filmmaker in the Philippines today. His provocative debut feature Ria reveals his affection and devotion for punk. Punk has become the last line of resistance against an absurd system while we stand by. Thus a vision of punk, by punk, for punk becomes reality.

Stills5

Film details

Director: Arvin BELARMINO
Country/Region: Philippines, Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Japan
Year: 2026
Length: 95min
Elsewhere: Letterboxd IMDb TMDB Douban

Director

Arvin BELARMINO

Arvin Belarmino is a Filipino filmmaker. He is an alumnus of several international programs for emerging filmmakers, including La Résidence of the Cannes Film Festival. His short film Radikals (2024) competed in Cannes Critics’ Week, while another short, Silig (2024), was screened at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight as part of Directors’ Factory Philippines. The short drama film Agapito (2025), which he co-directed with Kyla Danelle Romero, was selected for the Cannes Short Film Competition and the Toronto International Film Festival.

From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31

Credits

Director: Arvin BELARMINO
Producer: Kristine DE LEON, Alemberg ANG, Pavel FELDMAN, Wesley YAP, Jefferson MONEO
Co-producer: Rafael LAPERAL, Fernanda RENNÓ, Dominique WELINSKI, Isabelle GLACHANT, Michaelangelo MASANGKAY
Cast: Nour HOOSHMAND, Sylvia SANCHEZ, Iana BERNARDEZ, Veronica REYES, Anastasia BARTOLOME, Kevin REGALADO, Soliman CRUZ, Paolo O′HARA, RS MAGTAAN, Andre MIGUEL
Production company: WAF Studios, Daluyong Studios, Nathan Studios, Human Films, Fildago Films, Prowler Pictures

Festival appearances1

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RiaBusan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31Vision: Asia

Festival history1

釜山国际电影节, 2026Vision: Asia, Official selectionThe Heart of Eurasia Award

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