Event recap · Filipino American History Month
Filipiñana, one night in Portland
Sunday, October 25, 2026 · PAMANA at The Hoxton, Portland
The night
A sold-out room for a film playing in only a handful of U.S. cities.
Rain fell all afternoon, and our guests came shining anyway, many in their most beautiful barong and Filipiñana. They settled onto the front sofas and into the rows behind, sat for live portraits, and shared plates from PAMANA. Then the room went dark for Filipiñana, Rafael Manuel’s debut feature and winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at Sundance.
DIWA exists to bring uniquely Filipino experiences to our community, and there was no better way to close out Filipino American History Month than with a film called Filipiñana. In our culture, the word means all things Filipino, and that’s what brought us together: celebrating our culture and what it means to be Filipino, and inviting our friends and allies to experience it with us. A full room on a rainy Sunday is proof that we don’t need to wait for October to gather. DIWA is here to make space for us to experience our culture together all year long.
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Sold out
69 guests, one screening
70+
on the waitlist
Watch the trailer
Filipiñana · Dir. Rafael Manuel · Kino Lorber
Setting the room
Photos: Marvin Rivera
I.
Arrival
Doors opened at 3:00. Guests found their seats, ordered from PAMANA’s menu, and lined up for the first portraits of the afternoon.
Photos: Marvin Rivera
Guests
Photos: Marvin Rivera
II.
Portraits
Fashion illustrator Danison Fronda-Tietz of Bowtie and Brush drew guests live through the afternoon. The first 15 guests to reserve received theirs as a gift from DIWA.
“Thank you for bringing these kind of experiences to our community.”
Danison Fronda-Tietz, Bowtie and Brush · Photos: Marvin Rivera
Portraits and plates
Photos: Marvin Rivera
III.
The screening
A welcome from DIWA, then the lights went down. After the credits, the room stayed to talk.
Photos: Marvin Rivera
“That was such a devastating film. I’m still thinking about it and need to process my thoughts, but thank you for bringing this film here.”
Into the evening
Photos: Marvin Rivera
For the Alzheimer’s Association
A portion of every ticket went to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Do What You Love to End Alz campaign. The campaign runs through June 2027, and every gift brings it closer to a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. The cause is close to DIWA’s own mission: making sure our stories have a place to be told and shared, so they’re never forgotten.
Give to the campaign →With gratitude
The people and partners who made the night.
- Presented by
- DIWA
- Produced with
- Jane Barmore, Pre-Shift Strategies
- Food and drink
- PAMANA
- Venue
- The Hoxton, Portland
- A/V provider
- ACCEND Audio
- Live portraits
- Danison Fronda-Tietz, Bowtie and Brush
- Community partner
- The Mestizo LA
- Fashion partners
- CMC Boutique
Mestiza Filipina - Photography
- Marvin Rivera
- Benefiting
- Alzheimer’s Association, Do What You Love to End Alz
- The film
- Filipiñana, written and directed by Rafael Manuel
Special thanks to Kino Lorber
To every guest who came dressed for the occasion, sat for a portrait, and stayed for the conversation, thank you.
A special thank you
To my family
Thank you for showing up and cheering this on from the very beginning.
Photo: Marvin Rivera
Missed it?
Next time, be first in line.
The screening sold out and the waitlist kept growing. DIWA Members get first access to tickets and member pricing for every gathering, along with the chapters in print. Founding Membership closes November 30.
Become a Founding Member