Cover A scene from Jerrold Tarog's 2017 psychological thriller "Bliss"

As majority of the Filipino people were mandated to stay at home until mid-April, thousands of dedicated workers from the film industry were displaced until who knows when. With this, production studios and filmmakers have made some of their films available online for free in an effort to aid those affected by the enhanced community quarantine

With the postponement of film festivals and the temporary shut down of movie theatres, one may only resort to video-on-demand streaming apps for the time being. However, there were production studios and filmmakers who were generous enough to upload their films recently on Youtube for easier and free access. Here's a list of quality independent Filipino films you can enjoy now:

Bar Boys (2017)

Kip Oebanda's sentimental comedy-drama film highlights a group of four friends and their journey through law school. Tackling friendship and dreams, this film is a relatable glimpse into the plight of aspiring juris doctors and attorneys.

Red (2014)

Although Cinema One Originals has been uploading its films on Youtube much earlier than the rest of those in this list, you still shouldn't miss its most recent uploads. First is Jay Abello's 2014 film about Red, the titular role played by Jericho Rosales that earned the actor his nomination for Best Actor in the 2015 Gawad Urian. Set in an underground world of Visayas, legendary fixer Red tries to patch things up but then finds himself framed for the very thing he was asked to repair.

Shift (2013)

Siege Ledesma's 2013 film is an exploration on gender, love, and youth culture amid the backdrop of the BPO industry. Watch how the tomboy-ish Estela, played by Yeng Constantino, struggles with life direction and the friendship she has made with her gay co-worker Trevor, played by Felix Rocco.

Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay (2011)

Antoinette Jadaone's award-winning mockumentary has also been made available by Cinema One Originals. The film follows the late veteran "extra" Lilia Cuntapay and the days leading up to a fictionalised awards night where she was nominated as Best Supporting Actress.

Gayuma (2015)

TBA Studios has uploaded some of its acclaimed indie films on its Youtube channel. Cesar Hernando's film revolves around Milke (Benjamin Alves) who is a young student artist at the UP College of Fine Arts and his enchantment towards a beautiful and mysterious figure drawing model from school, Stella (Phoebe Walker).

IIsa (2015)

Chuck Gutierrez's narrative feature is set in a war-torn town ravaged by a devastating storm. However, it does not dwell on action and disaster as one may expect but on the struggle the characters face. A poignant human story that is from the heart.

Dormitoryo: Mga Walang Katapusang Kwarto (2017)

Charles, an engineering student with an eye for beauty, has just returned from school to a dormitory owned by Aling Linda, a strict, lonesome widow. Other occupants of the dorm include Max–now on his 7th year in college, Sheen–his reluctant partner, Steven–a social entrepreneur, Ramon–his cop lover, Alex–a call centre agent, and Jenny–his attentive girlfriend. They all spend the evening tucked away in solitary rooms, talking about collective experiences, sharing a similar fate.

Patintero: Ang Alamat ni Meng Patalo (2015)

In the streets of San Jose, the sport of Patintero is everything. All disputes are settled with it and a person’s reputation lives and dies with their skill in it. Meng Francisco is a 10 year old who loves Patintero. Unfortunately, she is the neighbourhood 'patalo', a loser who hasn't won a single game. Determined to prove that she is more than that title, Meng assembles an unlikely team of fellow losers to compete on the grandest Patintero stage of them all: the Inter-barangay Sportsfest.

Matangtubig (2015)

The quiet routines of an isolated fishing village are exposed to the harsh glare of the media following the discovery of a young girl's remains.

Water Lemon (2015)

This drama film by Lemuel Lorca is set in the coastal town of Mauban, Quezon, where the mundane lives of a grieving widow, a socially handicapped genius, and a helpless grandfather intermingle to create bumps in their seemingly monotonous lives.

K'na, The Dreamweaver (2014)

A young T'boli woman becomes a dreamweaver, where she gets the chance to unite her village's warring clans.

Bliss (2017)

A psychological thriller top-billed by Iza Calzado tells the story of Jane Ciego, a successful actress who gets involved in an accident during film shooting, which leaves her disabled.  Jane struggles the never-ending cycle of dreams and memories while she is in comatose.

Echorsis (2016)

A supernatural spoof horror film from Insight 360 revolves around a gigolo Carlo (Alex Medina), who was possessed by a gay entity after he deceived Kristoff (John Lapus) his closeted gay lover. Father Nick (Kean Cipriano) is then tasked to exorcise the spirit out of Carlo's body.

Short Films From Lockdown Cinema Club

Tatler Asia

Although entertainment is one of the main reasons why these filmmakers wholeheartedly uploaded their excellent masterpieces, they are also inviting everyone to partake in the effort to raise funds for displaced filmworkers. Just recently, Lockdown Cinema Club, an initiative by Independent Filipino filmmakers posted on social media a collection of short films not only from the Philippines but also from other Southeast Asian countries. A curated list of links of select short films was posted via Google document. Here, viewers are asked for monetary donations for "the most vulnerable members of the Filipino independent film community". Donors may also see where the money is going by a live tracking excel sheet, also can be viewed on the campaign's Facebook page. As of this writing, the campaign has raised 1.9 million pesos.

For more information about the campaign and complete list of the featured short films, you may visit Lockdown Cinema Club's Facebook page.