Magellan

Official Selection, 2025 Cannes Film Festival
Philippines Best International Film Submission, 2026 Academy Awards

16th century. Magellan (played by Gael García Bernal), a young and ambitious Portuguese navigator, rebels against the power of the King, who doesn’t support his dream of discovering the world. He persuades the Spanish Crown to fund his bold expedition to the fabled lands of the East. The voyage is exhausting beyond expectations, with hunger and mutiny pushing the crew to their limits. Upon reaching the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, Magellan’s mind changes. He becomes obsessed with conquest and conversion, which sparks violent uprisings beyond his control. This is not the myth of Magellan, but the truth of his journey.