Walk With Jesus
By Redh Honoridez

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
While hiding from a pursuing death squad, Maya encounters Jesus, who takes her out for a walk. Will she be home in time for the ultimate test of faith?

Sinag Maynila 2025 will be screened in theaters this September 24-30, 2025 at Gateway, Robinsons Manila, Robinsons Antipolo, SM Mall of Asia, SM Fairview, Trinoma, and Market Market—HOWEVER, for Redh Honoridez’s #WalkWithJesus, we will have an alternative platform for this film.

Please take note of the following comments from the MTRCB:

FIRST REVIEW: “Not suitable for public exhibition. The last item in this material (Walk With Jesus) contains passages of Scripture that were used in a mocking manner. This constitutes a direct attack against a religion.”

SECOND REVIEW: “Under Presidential Decree No. 1986, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) is mandated to ensure that motion pictures, television programs, and related publicity materials do not:

• Run contrary to law, good customs, and the promotion of the respect for faith and religion;
• Offend racial, religious, or cultural sensibilities;
• Present content injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines, its people, or its faith traditions.

While the short film does not explicitly name the Christ-like figure as Jesus, the depiction unmistakably references Him through miracle performances (healing the blind, walking on water, quoting the Bible). The figure is later shown sacrificing himself, being shot in the head, and then walking with a bullet wound while still quoting scripture. These portrayals constitute a distorted and irreverent representation of a central figure of the Catholic faith.

Such imagery is disrespectful to religious beliefs, particularly Catholicism which is the predominant religion in the Philippines. If similar treatment were applied to any other religion—Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, or others—the same standard of protection under PD 1986 would apply.

This decision does not curtail artistic freedom, but affirms that creative expression cannot be exercised at the expense of the constitutional and statutory duty to respect religious sensibilities. The MTRCB recognizes the filmmaker’s right to artistic voice, but in balancing that right with the Board’s duty, the content falls under the category of Not For Public Exhibition, as it risks offending the deeply held religious convictions of the Filipino people.”
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Message from the Director and the Production Team:

Official Statement on the MTRCB X-Rating for Walk With Jesus-
“We regret to announce that Walk With Jesus will no longer be screened in cinemas during the Sinag Maynila Film Festival due to receiving an X-Rating from the MTRCB. Despite this setback, we remain part of the festival’s official competition.

As Hound Film Production and Hagdanan Productions, we express our frustration over the MTRCB’s decision, particularly the ruling that our work used scripture in a mocking manner and was a direct attack on religion. We strongly disagree with this characterization.”

From the Director-
“We did our utmost to treat the subject matter with sincerity and care. Our intention was never to mock or blaspheme. While the film employs satire, the portrayal of Jesus Christ is scripture-based and as accurate as possible. In the story, He appears as a savior to an imperfect woman, reflecting my own creative interpretation of scripture. Many of Christ’s lines in the film are lifted directly from the Bible, while some were thoughtfully translated into Bisaya to reflect the film’s setting in Davao and my own Cebuano heritage. Our intention is not to attack any religion, but to offer a personal reflection rooted in faith and scripture.

We remain grateful to the Sinag Maynila team for selecting Walk With Jesus and for supporting us through this difficult process.

Though the film cannot be screened publicly at the festival, please stay tuned for updates on how and where Walk With Jesus can be made available to audiences. We also extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who has already watched and supported the film.”

— Hound Film Production & Hagdanan Productions

Stay tuned for more details on screening schedules and venues/platforms. #SinagMaynila2025 #SinagMaynilaFinalists #SinagMaynila #SineLokalPangInternasyonal