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Festival 2025
Love and Videotapes (Huling Palabas)
Philippines, 2024

FeatureUK Premiere
Directed by
Ryan Machado
Running time
97 mins
FeatureUK Premiere

In the summer of 2001, in a small town in the Philippines, 16-year-old Andoy searches for his long-lost father: in VHS tapes. Together with his best friend Pido, a fellow film buff, he browses the local video store and attends communal TV viewing sessions; by watching movies together, the pair cement their friendship and gain moments of respite from the harsh realities of life. But for Andoy, video also serves to fuel his sexual awakening and emerging queer desire. When he befriends charismatic hairdresser Ariel and mysterious newcomer Isidro, Andoy begins to ask himself who he wants to be. Ryan Machado’s first feature is a dreamlike coming-of-age tale that uses magic realism to depict the teenager’s journey of self-discovery. It tenderly evokes the Philippines’ bygone VHS culture which is – like Andoy’s childhood – on the brink of disappearing forever.


Tickets


9 May 2025, 6:20 PM
The Garden Cinema 
Director Bio



Ryan Machado is a filmmaker and playwright who was born and raised in Romblon, an island province of the Philippines. His short films include A Boy’s Tale (2016) and Bite (2017), and for his playwriting he won the 2022 Carlos Palanca Award for Literature. Love and Videotapes is his debut feature.