Adamson University Communication students confronted pressing social issues through cinema as they mounted the fifth edition of the KOMMotion Film Festival on Tuesday, Dec. 9, showcasing short films that reflected the realities, struggles, and contradictions of contemporary Filipino life.

Held as the culminating activity of the Introduction to Film course, KOMMotion 2025 featured student-produced works that explored themes such as nepotism, cancel culture, mental health, technology, class pressure, and family trauma, using film not just as entertainment but as social commentary.

The festival marked the fifth year since KOMMotion was launched in 2021, growing into a platform where third-year Communication students translate classroom theory into visual storytelling grounded in lived experiences and national concerns.

Communication Department Chairperson Glenn Parungao framed the films within the broader social climate, describing the present time as marked by uncertainty, unresolved problems, and widespread social tension.

“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 (These films’ messages revolve around important truths of life that you may also be experiencing or witnessing every day in our country),” he said.

“Napakahirap at napakagulo ng panahon natin ngayon. Maraming problemang panlipunan, maraming gulo sa paligid (These are very difficult and chaotic times. There are many social problems and much turmoil around us),” he added.

Parungao stressed that film, as a medium, carries a responsibility beyond spectacle, humor, or escapism.

“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 (As artists and media practitioners, film is important to us not just to showcase talent or to entertain, but to awaken emotions and consciousness),” he said.

Citing National Artist for Film Lino Brocka, Parungao reminded students and audiences alike that artists have a duty to seek and confront truth, especially in difficult times.

“We want to do works that will hurt, films that will disturb, films that will not make you rest. For the times are really bad, and given times like these, it is a crime to rest. We can not rest,” he quoted.

The festival featured screenings of six student short films alongside works from KOMCine, the Communication Department’s film organization, and partner screenings earlier in the day courtesy of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), drawing students, faculty members, parents, and guests to the Adamson University Theater.

Parungao commended the student filmmakers and organizers for persevering through the challenges of production, noting that the department and faculty stood witness to the process behind the finished films.

“Ikinararangal kayo ng ating department. Proud ang buong faculty at ang buong COMMunity sa inyo lahat (You are an honor to the department. The entire faculty and COMMunity are proud of you),” he said.

The short film “The Dropout” by Pressure Production won the KOM Youth Excellence Award, an award given by the Communication Department faculty to the entry that most exemplified the core characteristics of the festival — Kakaiba, Orihinal, at Malaya (Unique, original, and free). The short film is about Denis Bade, a working college student struggling to balance his academics and his duty as a filial son taking care of a sick mother.

The drama film also won Best Actor (Martin Otero), Best Supporting Actress (Jana Tunguia), and the Audience Choice Award.

Circle-O Production’s “Wala Namang Dulo ang Sirkulo” bagged Best Actress (Avegail Bendoy), Best Teaser, Best Poster, and the Meritong Dalumat from Adamson University’s Institutional Development and External Affairs (IDEA) Office, for demonstrating the highest level of original concept, creative vision and ideation, and meaningful insight.

Anchored on the theme of artificial intelligence (AI), “Wala Namang Dulo ang Sirkulo” is a psychological thriller that follows Gali as she grapples with the increasingly blurred line between reality and illusion.

Meanwhile, student Reginald Gabasa won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Laperrah Films’ “He’s Higher Than You,” a comedy/satire about genuine hard work going against nepotism in a school setting.

Other short films featured in the festival were Lilim Production’s “Luho,” a critique of classism with peer pressure; Studio VII Production’s “Un/Followed,” which looks into cancel culture; and Ya Linmayan Productions’ “Sayud Sayud Ed Dalum Nin Lamisa,” a thriller that delves into family trauma.

Aside from the nine awards, more major awards — including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography — will be given out during the KOM Awards, the Communication Department’s annual academic year-end recognition rites, in May 2026.

These awards were decided by a panel of judges led by video and sound editor, sound recordist, director, and senior project associate, Mikhail Pineda. The other members of the panel are film director and writer Rodina Singh; cinematographer Stephen Tujon; film reviewer Brontë Lacsamana; director, production designer, animator, and graphic designer Celina Peñaflorida; and theater, film, and TV actress and singer April Valde.

With the theme, "Ang Hulagway ng Buhay sa Lente ng mga Estudyante," KOMMotion 2025 was hosted by student DJs Daniel Avila, Bianca Cañeja, Bless Cardaño, and David Jamotillo. The event was organized by third-year Communication students Jobick Supsupin, Ruth Pacomio, Michaela Peñalver, Anne Jay Gumba, Kelsey Rescar, and Neil Ryan Carolino. Manila Bulletin senior reporter and Adamson University part-time special lecturer Argyll Geducos served as the course adviser and the entries' supervising producer and script consultant. 

With its fifth staging, KOMMotion continues to affirm the role of student filmmaking as a space for inquiry, critique, and creative courage, setting the stage for future editions that will further amplify young voices through Philippine cinema.