Four new NDM Original films had their international premieres at the NDM Original Film Festival (NOFF) in Japan, showcasing fresh Filipino storytelling on the global stage.
The lineup included True or False Positive (starring Neil Coleta, Arnold Reyes, and Mayton Eugenio), Hongkong Kailangan Mo Ako (starring JeanKiley and Mayton Eugenio), and Kunwari (starring Asia Yoona and Eli Padilla). Audiences were also treated to a special screening of the award-winning movie Subtext, featuring Paolo Contis, Ciara Sotto, Ely Cellan, Hannah Arguelles, Nova Villa, and Boboy Garrovillo.
The festival was spearheaded by filmmaker Nijel de Mesa and actress Arci Muñoz, the creative forces behind NDMstudios. The screenings drew packed halls, marking a strong start for what they envision as a pioneering traveling film festival dedicated to highlighting NDM Original productions. Their unique “Fly-Film-Fun” business model reflects this vision: fly to a new country, create films, and enjoy cultural experiences along the way.
Running from August 14–17, 2025, in Aichi Prefecture, the event combined film premieres (August 14–15) with a two-day intensive acting workshop (August 16–17).
“We got nervous during the first screening on the first day when the turn out wasn’t as good,” Direk Nijel shares his experience. “The event was free admission so we were hoping for a better turnout. But then suddenly, people piled up until the hall was full to the brim during the succeeding screenings for the other films,” he continued. Their packed second day was very much talked about and it just spilled over when their workshops began.
Present at the NOFF2025 were Ms. Jan Christine, Executive Vice President of NDMstudios (wife of Direk Nijel), Arci’s Mom Yolanda Muñoz, some members of their management team in Japan, as well as regular participants of the “Kagayaku Acting Workshop”, the outreach division of the film festival. Participants of the workshop tied to the film festival were treated with a 2-day intensive Acting Workshop and a Q&A open forum with no-less than the award-winning director, Nijel de Mesa and Arci Muñoz. Under the visionary artistic direction of Direk Nijel, one of the core objectives of the NOFF2025 organizers is to hone new talents as they travel the world in search of new audiences for their films. Their next stop will probably be in Singapore and Taiwan, where NDMstudios are also known to operate. For updates on when and where in the world NOFF will hit again, go to www.facebook.com/NDMstudios.
