Premiering at Busan International Film Festival and receiving nominations in Glasgow and Singapore, this live action short frames coming-of-age queer desire within the modern Filipino political landscape. Juxtaposing this ethereal yearning with the all too real and dangerous consequences in Duterte’s Manila, Petersen Vargas appropriates Renaissance imagery and Saint Sebastian’s martyrdom to capture the paradoxical experience. How To Die Young In Manila is nominated for Best LGBT+ Film and Best Live-action Short.