Misteryo Ng Hapis (Sorrowful Mystery)

Directed by Vincent Espeleta Aguilar

Jennifer Silva, a daring journalist, visits Mario de Jesus, a reclusive blood painter who has never made a public appearance or granted interviews to the press. Despite the artist’s evasive nature, he extends an unexpected invitation to Silva as he prepares to unveil his final work to the public. Silva eagerly seizes the opportunity, determined to unravel the mysteries and questions surrounding Mario’s collection of bleeding red portraits. However, what begins as a formal one-on-one interview gradually turns into an elusive cat-and-mouse game as they uncover repulsive truths about each other.

Vincent Espeleta Aguilar is a filmmaker, writer, and visual artist based in Metro Manila. His passion for the craft began in his youth as an avid cinéaste. Drawn to the medium’s unique ability to explore the complexities of human experience, he harnessed storytelling to confront questions that often elude simple answers. He honed his skills in filmmaking at De La Salle – College of St. Benilde, specializing in screenwriting and graduating summa cum laude. His capstone film, “Misteryo ng Hapis,” was awarded Best Thesis Film of his batch and was selected as part of Ngilngig Asian Fantastic Film Festival’s 2024 Philippine Shorts Program.

Plays in

Shorts Program I: Finding Elsewhere

Finding Elsewhere is a compilation of stories that takes us on a fantastical ride of the unknown and…

Dates & Times

Theater 13, AMC Theater Plaza Bonita, Westfield

October 10, 2025
11:00 am