Binisaya Asian Shorts
tribute to the power of cinema to bridge cultures, amplify voices,
and cultivate adeeper understanding of our world
The Asian Shorts of Binisaya Film Festival is a showcase that embodies
our dedication to highlighting the rich tapestry of Asian cinema.
This specially curated selection has grown from its inception in 2014
into a vibrant competition segment,becoming an
integral part of our festival experience.
Pioneered by Keith Deligero and Aiess Alonso, the Asian Shorts program,
which later evolved into its own dedicated competition section,
has been a remarkable journey through the lens of Asian filmmakers.
Over the course of three years, a diverse array of award-winning Asian short films
have been carefully selected, hailing from countries such as
Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and beyond.
The curator
Filipina filmmaker and visual artist living in Mexico City.
Aiess Alonso (b. 1989) is a filmmaker, colorist, and visual artist. She is an alumna of the University of the Philippines Film Institute and a film directing fellow of the Asian Film Academy at the Busan International Film Festival. Alonso is a member of EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs).
Her travels have led her to forge friendships, foster connections, and contribute to emergent film industries. Moving from her native Philippines to Nepal and then Myanmar, her projects have gained recognition in international film festivals, film project markets, and ateliers such as Cannes, Locarno, Fribourg, Busan, Singapore, and Clermont-Ferrand. Between 2014 to 2016, Alonso co-pioneered and curated the Asian Shorts section of the Binisaya Film Festival in the Philippines.
Her short films “Last Strike” and “Habitat” were exhibited in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Busan, South Korea for their Cinemedia program, Climate of Cinema: Isle, the Planet, and Postcontact Zone (April-August, 2023).
She is now based in Mexico where she is actively working on her creative projects, as well as, pursuing project management in the web3 ecosystem.