The Missing (2023 film)

The Missing
19th Cinemalaya Festival release poster
IlocanoIti Mapukpukaw
Directed byCarl Joseph Papa
Written byCarl Joseph Papa
Produced by
  • Geoderic Lomuntad
  • Dan Villegas
Starring
CinematographyJethro Jamon
Edited byBen Tolentino
Music byTeresa Barrozo
Production
companies
Release dates
Running time
90 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguagesIlocano
Tagalog

The Missing (Ilocano: Iti Mapukpukaw) is a 2023 Philippine adult animated science fiction film written and directed by Carl Joseph Papa. Carlo Aquino portrays Eric, an animator without a mouth prompted by his mother to visit his uncle, which leads to the return of an alien he encountered in childhood intent on taking him away from Earth. It also stars Gio Gahol and Dolly de Leon. Employing rotoscope and traditional animation, The Missing is Papa's third feature-length animated film, after Manang Biring (2015), and Paglisan (2018).[1][2]

The Missing premiered in competition at the 19th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival on 5 August 2023, winning Best Film, Best Supporting Actress (de Leon), and the NETPAC award. It is Cinemalaya's first feature-length animated film.[3][4] It was also the highest-grossing film among that year's Cinemalaya entries.[5]

On 29 September 2023, the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Film Academy of the Philippines announced The Missing as the Philippine entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards, making it the first animated film submitted by the Philippines.[6][7]

  1. ^ Balbuena, Vanessa (February 15, 2024). "GMA-7's Cinemalaya entry Iti Mapukpukaw' and 'Gitling' to compete at the 2024 Osaka Asian Film Festival". GMA Network. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Balbuena, Vanessa (February 15, 2024). "'GMA Public Affairs film win international award". GMA News. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  3. ^ "'Iti Mapukpukaw,' first ever animated film to win Best Film in Cinemalaya, takes home 3 awards". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  4. ^ Leon, Marguerite de (2023-07-30). "Carl Joseph Papa, Gio Gahol on 'Iti Mapukpukaw,' 1st full-length animation to compete in Cinemalaya". Rappler. Archived from the original on 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  5. ^ "'Iti Mapukpukaw' Is Cinemalaya's Best, Highest Grossing Film This Year". One News PH. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  6. ^ Velasco, Raheema (2023-09-29). "Animated feature 'Iti Mapukpukaw' picked as PH official entry to Oscars 2024". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  7. ^ "International Oscar Race: The Philippines Selects Gay Animation Film 'The Missing'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2023-09-30.