Cinemalaya Philippines Independent Film Festival 2023’s Best Film in the full-length feature category, “Iti Mapukpukaw” (The Missing), is set for a Netflix debut on February 24, 2024, according to the Facebook page of the juggernaut streaming platform.
“We all just want to be found 😶,” the post’s caption reads. “Iti Mapukpukaw“ starring Carlo Aquino (“Love You Long Time”), Gio Gahol (“Sila-sila”), and Dolly de Leon (“Triangle of Sadness”), journeys with a no-mouth animator, Eric, experiencing unusualities due to the arrival of a “familiar” alien and the untimely passing of a loved one.
The coming-of-age tale directed by Carl Joseph Papa (“Mang Jose,” “Paglisan”) was nominated under the Best International Feature Film Category for the 96th Academy Awards, though unable to make the 15-film shortlist released last December 22, 2023.
Following its August 2023 release, the PROJECT 8 PROJECT-produced 90-minute film received a 100 percent debut score on Rotten Tomatoes, assessed by critiques and its audience. Previously broadcasted during the festival’s 2023 rendition, the award-winning Filipino-Ilocano rotoscope animated film will be presented exclusively to its Southeast Asian subscribers, with no plans to expand to other Western regions as of writing.
