Andrea Benjamin Manenti’s Cross-Cultural Comedy I Have to F*** Before the World Ends Joins Tokyo Gap-Financing Market

Director Andrea Benjamin Manenti is stepping into the spotlight with his debut feature I Have to F* Before the World Ends**, a bold and heartfelt coming-of-age comedy that’s currently seeking partners and funding at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (TGFM) — part of the Tokyo International Film Festival’s TIFFCOM industry event. The project stands out for its cross-cultural roots, bridging Italy and the Philippines, and blending live-action and animation to explore identity, love, and generational disconnect.

The story centers on Ren, a 16-year-old Filipino-Italian teen trapped in the suffocating love of his mother Mia. When they travel to Manila after news that Mia’s mother Moini is dying, Ren finds himself swept into the chaos of a three-day Filipino wake as Typhoon Edith bears down on the city. Amid the family drama, he becomes enamored with Jolina, the babysitter of his cousins, and finds guidance from his quirky cousin Monique in the confusing “art of love.” As the storm closes in, Ren must confront his family ties and his need for independence — a symbolic “end of the world” that mirrors his emotional coming-of-age.

Manenti describes the film as “tender and punk at once”, calling it a portrait of “the awkward, wondrous attempts to connect with others” that speaks to second- and third-generation audiences caught between two distant cultures. The film’s visual style mixes realism with bursts of animation, capturing both the humor and heartbreak of adolescence.

Volos Films Italia and the Philippine company Epicmedia are already attached as co-producers, with the team aiming to close the film’s financing by 2026 and begin production in 2027. A research trip to the Philippines and casting for the lead role are scheduled for next year. The project also benefits from the new Italy-Japan co-production treaty, which has opened the door for more collaborations between Europe and Asia. Producer Stefano Centini of Volos Films Italia noted that TIFFCOM has become a key space for nurturing such partnerships, saying that “this market makes perfect sense for us at this stage.”

The film has already earned recognition, winning the Development Award for Outstanding Film Project at MIA Rome, where it had its first industry pitch. It was later selected for the Milano Film Network’s InProgress Lab in 2023, where Manenti met Carlo Hintermann, who became a creative lead and producer alongside Centini and Serena Alfieri of Volos Films. Acclaimed Filipino editor and filmmaker Carlo Francisco Manatad is also attached to the project — a collaboration Manenti calls “deeply inspiring.”

Manenti says the project was born from personal loss. After his mother Edith passed away, he found himself confronting his own “private end of the world.” Writing the film became his way to process grief, reflecting on mother-son devotion, family dysfunction, and the “clumsy yet wondrous” efforts to rebuild broken relationships.

The project’s inclusion at TGFM marks a promising next step. The 2025 market features 23 international projects, and Manenti’s film even received a special mention under the Asian Gen-Z Award, highlighting its appeal to younger, globally-minded audiences.

With its emotional honesty, multicultural roots, and mix of humor and animation, I Have to F* Before the World Ends** looks set to become one of the most intriguing indie collaborations emerging from Europe and Asia. More details about this year’s TGFM lineup can be found on Streamlined News.