The Film Academy of the Philippines (FDCP) has narrowed down submissions for consideration to the 99th Academy Award's Best International Feature Film category,

The contenders include films tackling Philippine history, identity, relationships, social issues, and contemporary life.

Among them is “58th,” Carl Joseph Papa’s animated docu-drama centered on the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, told through the perspective of one of the missing victim's daughter.

“58th” has screened at several  international festivals including Rotterdam and Annecy, as well as the Oscar-qualifying Doc Edge. 

Jade Castro’s “All the Things I Leave You (Patawid),” an Ilocano-language BL film, is also in contention.

“Filipiñana,” directed by Rafael Manuel, recently opened in Philippine cinemas after making its way through the international festival circuit. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. It follows a young woman working at a posh golf course.

“I’mPerfect,” directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, is another contender. The film was a Metro Manila Film Festival winner. It centers on a couple with Down syndrome.

“Manila’s Finest,” directed by Raymond Red, is also on the shortlist. The film is set shortly before the First Quarter Storm.

Jerrold Tarog’s “Quezon,” meanwhile, is the third installment in the director's so-called “Bayaniverse” franchise and stars Jericho Rosales as Manuel L. Quezon, the Philippines’ second president.

Hilda Koronel marks her return to film with “Sisa,” directed by Jun Robles Lana. The veteran actress plays a woman believed to be mentally unstable who secretly works as a spy for Filipino revolutionaries during the Philippine-American War.

Rounding out the contenders is Lawrence Fajardo’s “Silenced Nights,” inspired by the 2017 killing of Kian delos Santos during the Duterte government’s war on drugs.

Film Academy Director-General Paolo Villaluna said the eight films present different perspectives on the Filipino experience.

“They look at our history, the issues we continue to face and the ways Filipinos deal with questions of power, identity, love, freedom and survival,” Villaluna said.

He added that each film has “its own voice and approach,” with the potential to connect with audiences outside the Philippines.

The eight films will undergo evaluation by a selection committee organized by the Film Academy and composed of local film industry experts as approved by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The committee will consider each submission based on artistic merit, cultural relevance and its potential for an international campaign.

Despite decades of submissions, no Philippine film has been nominated for or made the shortlist for the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category.

Past Philippine entries include “Dekada ’70,” “Heneral Luna,” “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank,” and “Magellan,” which was considered one of the country’s strongest chances of making the first cut.