Award-winning documentarist Baby Ruth Villarama released the teaser for her much-anticipated film “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea,” her entry to the 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival.
The teaser begins with the visual of a simple fishing boat innocuously bobbing along the ocean waves. That is, until the camera sinks beneath the water, revealing an overwhelming amount of fish, and signaling to the overwhelming burden placed on the fishermen assigned to catch them. The teaser then moves to a more ominous visual – two boats, a fishing boat and a coast guard ship, carrying the Philippine flag – before ending with the titular statement: “fresh from the West Philippine Sea.”
According to Villarama, the film is ultimately a story about empathy. “We want the audience to understand that sovereignty is not just a political issue; it’s a deeply personal one for every Filipino. From the fishermen risking their lives to feed their families, to the Coast Guard and Navy personnel delivering food to the soldiers on remote outposts, Food Delivery illustrates the shared sacrifice and the collective love we all have to protect our way of life.”
Villarama is best known for her documentary “Sunday Beauty Queen” which won Best Picture at the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival. For over a decade, she has also been involved in international co-productions as a producer and documentary director for local and international news organizations.
In speaking on such a delicate subject matter, Villarama has described Food Delivery as a film about unity, sacrifice, and the Filipino spirit. She hopes 2025 Puregold CinePanalo audiences find in her film is a sense of empathy and connection to the people who are often unseen in protecting our food, and by extension, our sovereignty.
The 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival will run from March 14-25 at the Gateway Cineplex 18 in Cubao, Quezon City.
