Who do they see?
A female-led action short exploring mixed-race identity through the ancient rhythms of Filipino Martial Arts.
Tribeca Festival - World Premiere - 2026
Screenings
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Oscar-qualifying Tribeca Festival
WORLD PREMIERE
Thursday, June 4th | 8:30pm
Thursday, June 11th | 5:30pm
Saturday, June 13th | 2:30pmShorts Theatre and AMC - New York, NY, USA
Event has passed.
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Wyoming International Film Festival
Saturday, July 11th | 5:25pm
LCCC Playhouse - Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
Event has passed.
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OUTSouth Queer Film Festival
Friday, August 14 | 7:20 p.m.
Sunday, August 16 | 8:20 p.m.
Monday, August 17 | 7:20 p.m.Carolina Theatre - Durham, North Carolina, USA
The OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival is the second largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the Southeast, attracting thousands of patrons to celebrate a worldwide glimpse of today’s LGBTQ+ life.
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Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival
Tuesday, August 18th | 10pm
TCL Chinese Theatres - Hollywood, California, USA
The Academy Awards® and BAFTA-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival returns for its 22nd edition this August, continuing its legacy as one of the world’s premier showcases for short-form cinema.
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Black Cat Picture Show
Aug 20th | 6:30pm
Le Chat Noir Theatre - Augusta, Georgia, USA
The Black Cat Picture Show is an adjudicated film festival, currently the only one in Augusta, that provides a platform for independent film artists to exhibit their work, exchange ideas, and make connections.
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Pattaya International Film Festival
Aug 27th | 8:00pm
SFX Cinema, Terminal 21 - Pattaya, Thailand
Thailand’s Next Gen International Film Fest, in its inaugural edition, the official 2026 Pattaya International Film Festival is re-booting from the legacy of the previous, regional Pattaya Film Festival, aspiring to become one of Southeast Asia's landmark annual events.
Two Worlds, One Body
What does it mean to carry two cultures in a single body? To feel the pull of an ancestral homeland, while navigating a society that demands you choose a side?
KAYA explores these questions through the physical language of Filipino Martial Arts, where every block is a boundary defining oneself, and every strike is a conversation between two worlds.
The feature film expands this intimate exploration into an epic narrative that speaks to the 33 million mixed-race individuals in America alone, a demographic whose stories remain criminally underrepresented in action cinema.
Shorts Synsopsis:
Half-Filipina kickboxer Nia sees a chance to finally belong by joining a prestigious Filipino Martial Arts team. When top-dog gym owner, Angel, turns Nia down, she secretly starts training with queer outcast Malic, who introduces her not only to the techniques of FMA, but to the philosophy and values at the heart of it. As pressure mounts outside the gym from her social-climbing mother, Maria, to become more acceptable, i.e. more white, more feminine, Nia realizes that belonging will never come from shrinking herself to fit others’ expectations. When Angel denies her a place at tryouts, Nia refuses to give up. In a final show-down, Nia allows her Western-influenced kickboxing background and her FMA training to merge into a fighting style that is uniquely her own.
Actor-Writer-Director
Isabel Lamers
Isabel Lamers is a Filipina-German actor, writer and director based in Los Angeles. Shaped by her mixed-race heritage and upbringing, Isabel strives to tell stories from a unique point of view. In particular, she likes to tell larger societal issues in intimate, character-driven narratives that everyone can relate to. She also aims to give a voice to women-empowering stories. Isabel’s notable acting credits include Tar, Club Zero (a 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or nominee) and Black Nights Tallinn main selection Philippine feature SISA. She also co-wrote and starred in the award-winning short A DOZEN SUNS, nominated at the Cannes Short Film Festival, and FilAm Creative 2025 Audience award A SERIOUS GAME.
KAYA (2026) is Isabel’s directorial debut. It's a deeply personal story inspired by Isabel’s upbringing in the Philippines and her discovery of the indigenous martial arts of the Philippines as a powerful tool of self-expression, cultural connection and identity. The film is both an homage to her home, the Philippines, and a testament to the trials and tribulations of reclaiming one’s own identity.
Tribeca Shorts Film Roundtable panel with “Competitive Edge”
Isabel Lamers together with all directors of the Tribeca Festival “Competitive Edge” shorts block, such as LA-based Ran-Ran Wang or Stockholm sibling duo Desiree and Jean-Luc Mwepu to meet with Michelle Simone-Miller for the Mentors on the Mic podcast during the Tribeca Festival in New York in June 2026. They spoke about their experiences making their shorts, getting into Tribeca and what is up next.
Lets create together.
For investor inquiries, distribution deals, or production partnerships, we're ready to talk.