Mogwai: A Student Cinema Bar

Mogwai is the cornerstone establishment of Manila’s indie art hot spot known as Cubao X. The main draw is the affordable food and beer served at the scruffily chic retro ground floor but it’s the mini cinema upstairs that’s making it a destination.

Student films dominate the screens, and local independent films are often premiered at Mogwai before being distributed nationally. Directors often come to Mogwai to watch screenings of their own films and field questions from the audience after viewings. This past week featured an experimental documentary told in reverse about a day in the life of a provincial embalmer.

Like any good cultural space, Mogwai regularly hosts community-building events for residents to rally behind. The most recent one was a fund raising concert to push for safer streets called Ingat Avenue.