A TENDER, aching coming-of-age story is set to premiere at one of Europe’s most respected film festivals. “Honey, My Love, So Sweet,” written and directed by Cebu-based filmmaker JT Trinidad, joins the Pardi di Domani – Concorso Internazionale section of the 78th Locarno Film Festival this August 2025, marking its world premiere.
Locarno Film Festival is one of Europe’s oldest and most respected festivals, known for championing emerging yet daring and emotionally complex voices around the world. Its support signals more than prestige: it offers global visibility and validation for stories often overlooked by both mainstream Philippine cinema and international markets. As the sole Southeast Asian representative in the category, “Honey, My Love, So Sweet” carries the weight and honor of representing what it means to be queer kid in a world of ruins.
The film follows Life, an androgynous child navigating the beginnings of first love and heartbreak against the backdrop of a once-grand cinema at the heart of Manila. They develop a quiet friendship with Gab, the projectionist’s son, and a growing yearning for Marco, the projectionist himself. Through dusty seats and pirated movies, Life begins to confront early truths about love, identity, and the profound search for belonging.
“I aim to transform the cinema into a reimagined community where care is a priority. Like Life, kids are innocent but never ignorant,” Trinidad shares. In a film landscape where queer Filipino narratives are still underrepresented or flattened into tropes, Locarno’s recognition matters. It affirms that a story grounded in cultural texture, local perspectives, and innocent truths can resonate far beyond its borders. And it expands the space for stories that center queer youth not in tragedy or spectacle, but in humanity.
Trinidad’s selection at Locarno reflects the rising global recognition of Filipino films, especially queer narratives. Not only is this a win for emerging filmmakers, but a clear reminder: there is space for queer stories on the world stage. (PR)
