Eia Arcenal

Eia Arcenal (b. 2005) is a Filipina student filmmaker from Bulacan, pursuing narratives that champion the complex and multifaceted experiences of women and queer youths from the province. She is interested in exploring themes of memories, internal turmoil, and movement across spaces and how to translate these abstract concepts into striking visual images. She is currently finishing her undergraduate studies at the University of the Philippines Film Institute. The first film Eia produced, Nicotine Blues (2025, dir. Kiel Vibares), is a queer mixed-media short that has screened in student film festivals around Metro Manila, most notably at the 2026 Sine Tomasino, where it won ‘2nd Best Narrative Film,’ and was digitally released at the FDCP streaming platform, JuanFlix, as part of the Black Beret 25 showcase. Eia also recently produced When Heaven Inched Towards Earth (2026, dir. Vinh Marco), an entry to the 3rd Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival, a regional coming-of-age short that intersects the conflicts faced by queer teenage boys with the Catholic and rural customs of their town. As a producer, Eia is drawn to collaborating with filmmakers with playful creative voices and unique visions that aim to push the boundaries of traditional cinema.