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The award-winning documentary “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea” is set for a special UK-wide release across seven Odeon cinemas on Saturday, 9 May, at 15:30 BST. Exploring the territorial tensions between China and the Philippines, the film has faced intense censorship and attempts to ban its screening both within the Philippines and abroad.
“Food Delivery” follows Filipino fishermen and Coast Guard officers risking their lives in some of the world’s most contested waters. At its centre is Arnel Satam, a fisherman chased by the China Coast Guard near Scarborough Shoal — revealing the daily danger coastal communities silently endure. Watch the trailer here.
Directed by Baby Ruth Villarama and produced by Chuck Gutierrez through their company Voyage Studios, Food Delivery was pulled out of the PureGold CinePanalo Film Festival in the Philippines, two days before its March 2025 world premiere, citing “external factors.” New Zealand provided an alternative launch pad when the film was selected for the Doc Edge Festival, and eventually screened for the first time on 30 June 2025. But its journey through turbulent waters did not end there.
In a written request, the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Auckland asked the festival organisers to refrain from future screenings. Publishing the request in full, the organisers replied: “Doc Edge stands by our Kaupapa and the festival’s independence and curatorial freedom. We are, however, happy to put forward the point of view of the Chinese Consulate-General for the sake of transparency and fairness. We encourage audiences to seek their own sources, view the film, and engage in open conversation and dialogue.” Food Delivery went on to win the Tides of Change Award.
Responding to the accolade, Villarama said, “At Doc Edge in New Zealand, audiences were moved, some wept. Some offered to fund boats for the fishermen. It reminded me that cinema is still a form of resistance — and compassion travels faster than censorship.”
“Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippines Sea” was on the official entry list for the BAFTA and Academy Awards taking place in 2026. In February 2026, it was nominated for the Political Film of the Year at the Cinema for Peace Awards in Berlin.
The film will be screened simultaneously at seven Odeon cinemas in the UK on Saturday 9 May at 15:30 BST.
NHS staff, teachers and other key workers can obtain discounts on ticket prices using their Blue Lights card.
You can watch the film at these venues:
Odeon Greenwich, London (Screen 6)
Odeon Haymarket, London (Screen 2)
Odeon Kingston (Screen 10)
Odeon Birmingham New Street (Screen 3)
Odeon Manchester Great Northern (Screen 11)
Odeon Liverpool One (Screen 10)
Odeon Edinburgh Lothian Road (Screen 3)
