Synopsis
A group of karaoke-loving Fililinos are flown to Paris to join a prestigious choir contest - for visas, not talent. Only Anna, a determined optimist, and Juan, a quiet dreamer haunted by visions of a very fat blob, can sing. Confined in a rundown Hausmanian apartment, they endure surreal training that's part talent camp, part cult - to master the mysterious 'Brilliant Melody'.
Director
Carlo Francisco MANATAD
Carlo Francisco MANATAD is a Filipino director and editor. His films have screened at Cannes, Locarno, TIFF, and Berlinale. His debut feature Whether the Weather is Fine premiered at Locarno 2021. As an editor, he worked on award-winning titles like Tiger Stripes and Autobiography. He’s an alum of Berlinale Talents, Locarno Academy, and TIFF Lab.
Producer
Chad Angelic CABIGON
Chad is an experienced assistant director and producer whose work includes films screened at festivals such as Cannes, Venice, and Busan. She is currently developing The Void is Immense in Idle Hours by Sam Manacsa and Brilliant Melody by Carlo Francisco Manatad.
Yulia Evina BHARA
Yulia Evina BHARA is an acclaimed Indonesian producer and founder of KawanKawan Media, known for co-producing award-winning films such as Autobiography, Tiger Stripes, Renoir, Whether the Weather is Fine, Dreaming and Dying and Stone Turtle to name a few. Her work bridges international co-productions and socially driven storytelling, earning her recognition as one of Variety’s Impactful International Women of 2023. In 2025, she served on the Critics’ Week jury at the Cannes Film Festival.
Production Company
NextLives, Kawan Kawan Media
NextLives is a production house based in Manila, Philippines. We aim to develop stories and produce films with utmost creative value and social principles.
The collective has produced Cross My Heart and Hope to Die by Sam Manacsa, which premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival under the Orrizonti Shorts section. Thefilm has received numerous recognitions including Academy-award qualifying awards.
NextLives is currently developing Carlo Francisco Manatad's second feature film Brilliant Melody, which was selected for the ScriptLab Program at the Torino Film Lab and Sam Manacsa’s debut feature The Void is Immense on Idle Hours.