Diwa Filipino Film Festival

Diwa Filipino Film Festival is a Seattle-based community film festival that celebrates the Filipino Spirit wherever it resides—by showcasing independent films from the Philippine islands and across the global Filipino diaspora.

Since our inaugural screening in 2014, Diwa has been entirely volunteer-run and has organized free screenings for the public for ten years -- over 317 films! We prioritize emerging and independent Filipino and Filipinx filmmakers, offering low-barrier entry and generous fee waivers to ensure their stories are seen and celebrated.

This year, we’re launching our first-ever standalone festival on October 4, 2025 at the Wing Luke Museum to kick off Filipino American History Month. This is a dream long in the making—one that our late Co-Director, Joann Natalia Aquino, worked tirelessly to help realize. We dedicate this year’s festival to her memory.

To bring this vision to life, we are raising $10,000 to provide travel and lodging stipends for our invited filmmakers. Many of these artists would not be able to attend without this support. Your gift helps ensure they can be here in person—to share their work, engage with the community, and be honored for their contributions.

By donating to Diwa, you are investing in Filipino storytelling, in cultural equity, and in a vibrant, intergenerational arts community in Seattle and beyond. Thank you for helping us grow.