Must-See Pinoy Indie Movies You Can Now Download or Stream!

Unlike their foreign counterparts, local indie films are a lot harder to come by. Usually you’d have to wait months for the next Cinemalaya or other local film festival.

And what happens if you miss the festival? DVD copies are not easy to come by either. At least that’s how it used to be.

Thanks to the emergence of on-demand movie streaming services like iflix & HOOQ, it’s never been easier to watch and support local indie films.

Check out where you can catch these 10 critically acclaimed & hard to come by cinematic pieces

1. Sana Dati (2013)

Stream it on: iflix

Remember that one who got away? Then you might be able to relate to this movie. Directed by Jerrold Tarog, the heartwrenching film depicts Andrea (Lovi Poe), bride who gets cold feet just before her wedding when a man with a camera (Paulo Avelino) shows up and reminds her of a love she once had.

2. Six Degrees of Separation From Lilia Cuntapay (2011)

Stream it on: HOOQ

You might know the late Lilia Cuntapay as the Queen of Pinoy Horror films from Shake Rattle and Roll series. A veteran in playing an “extra”, she most often filled the role of a ghost or an old woman. In this film, she stars in her first ever leading role, herself.

3. Dagitab (2014)

Stream it on: iflix

After almost 20 years of being married together, Jimmy and Issey Tolentino are on the verge of separation. Jimmy, a Philippine Studies professor, chases after what he thinks is a ghost of an ex-girlfriend. Issey, a creative writing professor, meanwhile, is drawn to a young U.P student in Laguna where she mentors young writers in a workshop. The lives of the three characters converge back in the campus of U.P When Gab wins a national literary prize for a non-fiction piece about his sexual awakening, rumors between Jimmy, Issey, and Gab spread and are put in the spotlight.

4. Metro Manila (2013)

Stream it on: HOOQ

This crime film stars Jake Macapagal as Oscar, the father of a family who has chosen to leave the rice fields of the province in search of a better life in Metro Manila. He thinks he’s finally found his lucky break working for an armored truck company and being taken under the wing of Senior Officer Ong (John Arcilla, known for his latest role as Heneral Luna). But underground Metro Manila, as few really know it, is darker, riskier, bloodier, and more dangerous than meets the eye.

5. Kinatay (2009)

Stream it on: iflix

The film won “Best Director” Award at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, the first Filipino film to do so. It starrs Coco Martin as Peping, a criminology who accepts a job so that he can afford to marry his girlfriend. Little does he know the bloody horrors he has to go through for such a pure reason.

6. Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita (2013)

Stream it on: iflix

Anita, a 12 year old girl, finds herself sexually attracted to Pilar (Angel Aquino), the “new” girl in the conservative rural town of Bulacan. Scandal erupts among Bulacan’s townsfolk who claim to be protectors of the town’s religiosity.

7. 1st ko si 3rd (2014)

Stream it on: HOOQ

Do you believe you’ll never forget your first love? Cory (Nora Villa), a new retiree, finds her new life with her husband extremely boring. One day, she suddenly runs into her first love, Third (Freddie Web). When Third tells her they are not getting any younger, plans are made, and a sense of youth fills her yet again.

8. Serbis (2008)

Stream it on: iflix

Another film by the brilliant, Brilliante Mendoza and follows the dramatic story of the Pineda family in Angeles City, Pampanga. Part of their daily challenges include bigamy, unwanted pregnancy, and possible incest. But their main story revolves really around their family business and living space–a porn cinema.

9. Mariquina (2014)

Stream it on: iflix

The film tells the story of Imelda, a Marikina shoemaker’s daughter. Unlike the other Imelda we know as Imelda Marcos, the Imelda in this film doesn’t care much for shoes. Shoes represent a bittersweet memory of childhood, scarred especially by stories of a rocky relationship with her shoe-maker father since all her shoes were made by him. Now it’s her turn to search for the perfect pair of shoes, but for her dead father. And the more she searches, the more she finds herself.

10. Independencia (2009)

Stream it on: iflix

If Heneral Luna told the story of the 1900s American Occupation from the point of view of soldiers, Independencia is set from the perspective of common citizens like ourselves. Three generations of family flee the impending chaos of the occupation in the city and try to survive in the jungle. The film uses the same editing techniques that was used in filmmaking during that era