Diane Ventura’s acclaimed Filipino documentary expands its global footprint with upcoming theatrical screenings
Photos by Lawrence Del Rosario
ERASERHEADS: COMBO ON THE RUN conquers the international stage with screenings at two major film festivals next month: the 44th Annual Hawai’i International Film Festival in the United States and the International Sound and Film Festival in Samobor, Croatia.
Directed and produced by Maria Diane Ventura, the critically acclaimed docu-film is part of the official selection for Spotlight On The Philippines, a showcase featuring new Filipino films that are redefining storytelling in groundbreaking, boundary-pushing ways. It will be screened at the Consolidated Theatres Kapolei 3 on October 30, 2025 at 6:00 pm in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Alongside ERASERHEADS: COMBO ON THE RUN, the special section also features Lav Diaz’s Magellan, which was handpicked as the Philippines’ entry to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film, and Jerrold Tarog’s Quezon, an epic historical drama which stars Jericho Rosales on the titular role.
Adding to its accolades, ERASERHEADS: COMBO ON THE RUN is also nominated for Best International Film Documentary at the International Sound & Film Music Festival, widely regarded as one of the three largest and most important sound and film music festivals in the world. The event will take place on October 6, 2025.
“Sharing a story and music that are distinctly ours, yet resonate with a wider audience, is inspiring,” Diane Ventura said in a press statement. “Representing the Philippines on this stage is a privilege.”
The journey doesn’t stop at newly announced festival screenings. Over the coming months, ERASERHEADS: COMBO ON THE RUN will be rolling out the dates for its official international theatrical release, beginning in the Middle East, followed by Australia, the United States, Canada and the UK.
“We’re thrilled to be taking the film beyond the Philippines,” shares Ventura. “It’s exciting to see this story travel and connect with audiences around the world.”
About ERASERHEADS: COMBO ON THE RUN
ERASERHEADS: COMBO ON THE RUN is both a definitive portrait of the Philippines’ most iconic alternative rock band and a stirring meditation on time, memory, and healing. Charting the Eraserheads’ journey from their humble beginnings as college students at UP Diliman in 1989, in the creative afterglow of the EDSA People Power Revolution, the film captures their meteoric rise in the 1990s, when their raw lyrics and fearless originality redefined Filipino music and resonated deeply with the country’s youth. Their success, often likened to the Beatles’ impact on Western music, was marked by near-annual album releases, international recognition, and songs that became the soundtrack of a generation.
Through candid band interviews, key collaborators’ reflections, and electrifying archival footage, the documentary revisits their dissolution, the bittersweet sting of their breakup, and the power of nostalgia for fans who grew up after their peak. Yet it also finds renewal in their triumphant 2022 “Huling El Bimbo” reunion concert, where 75,000 fans bore witness to reconciliation and rebirth.
