Filipino independent film producer Alemberg “Alem” Ang is a co-juror at the 70th BFI (British Film Institute) London Film Festival ongoing from October 7 to 18, 2026 in London and other parts of the United Kingdom. Alem joins award-winning British Egyptian actor and producer Amir El-Masry, who is the head juror, and international film sales, distribution, and awards strategy executive and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences member Rosa Bosch in selecting this year’s winners of BFI London Film Festival’s First Feature Competition called the Sutherland Award.
Established in 1957, the BFI London Film Festival is considered as a major international filmfest and the highest profile filmfest in the UK. The event covers 12 days across venues in London’s South Bank and West End, as well as partner cinemas in the UK. Films in the lineup are making their debut in the UK.
Named after the fifth Duke of Sutherland, the Sutherland Award “recognises the most original and imaginative directorial debut.” It is a first feature competition of works coming from all over the world; the 70th edition includes entries from the UK, USA, Thailand, Rwanda, Myanmar, Nigeria, India, Italy, and Belgium.
“I am honored to be a juror of BFI London Film Festival’s Sutherland Award together with esteemed global colleagues Amir El-Masry and Rosa Bosch,” declared Alem. “For me, this is more than a personal milestone. It is a chance to represent Southeast Asian independent cinema and an affirmation of our voice and insight in the landscape of global cinema as a Filipino filmmaker.”
Under his company Daluyong Studios, Alem has produced over 40 feature films, including the Cannes 2022 Golden Camera Special Mention winner “Plan 75,” the short film “Agapito” that competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, and the LGBT documentary on ballroom culture “10s Across the Borders which premiered at the 2025 Busan International Film Festival.
Alem is also at the 70th BFI London Film Festival for the UK premiere of the film, “Moonglow,” with the film’s director and star Isabel Sandoval whom BFI hailed as “the queen of sensual cinema.” The neo-noir movie is set in pre-Martial Law Manila and tells the story of a police officer being investigated by a former lover. “Moonglow” is in the festival’s “Thrill” section and its two screenings on October 15 and 16 are already sold-out. “Both Isabel and I will be there to present the film and engage the audience in the Q&A. Our film will have its Philippine premiere before the end of the year,” said Alem.