Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
An aging Filipino World War II veteran with nothing left to lose dusts off his past and his pistol for one last mission in 1981 San Francisco.
FOR TICKETS & MORE INFORMATION:
veteranofilm.com
UPCOMING SCREENINGS:
Fantasia International Film Festival 7/28 (WINNER, Outstanding Performance; Official Competition, International Short Film; International Premiere) fantasiafestival.com/en/film/veterano
Asian American International Film Festival 8/9 aaiff.filmbot.com/2026/movies/veterano
LEARN ABOUT OUR FILM TOUR:
youtube.com/shorts/io6iXJkul6Q
CAST & CREW:
Written & Directed by Patrick Epino
Produced by Paola Mardo & Patrick Epino
Starring Jon Jon Briones
Cinematography by Drew Bienemann
Production Design by Justine Ellen Chen
Edited by A.J. Calomay
Music by Valeri Ortiz
A National Film Society Production
SYNOPSIS:
Set in 1981, San Francisco, VETERANO follows Valentino (Jon Jon Briones), an aging Filipino World War II veteran beaten down by the system. Within the crumbling walls of his rundown apartment, he dusts off his pistol, grabs his old army jacket, and hits the streets of the city on an unspoken mission. When he enters a bank, the room turns. Time slows. And he must make a moral choice that could cost him everything.
A proof-of-concept from Filipino American writer/director Patrick Epino, VETERANO is a neo-noir crime thriller that combines the adrenaline-fueled intensity of a bank heist with the overlooked history of Filipino WWII veterans who were stripped of their promised American citizenship and benefits, a betrayal with consequences that still echo today.
Taut and atmospheric, the film asks how far one man is willing to go to collect what he’s owed and why.
An aging Filipino World War II veteran with nothing left to lose dusts off his past and his pistol for one last mission in 1981 San Francisco.
FOR TICKETS & MORE INFORMATION:
veteranofilm.com
UPCOMING SCREENINGS:
Fantasia International Film Festival 7/28 (WINNER, Outstanding Performance; Official Competition, International Short Film; International Premiere) fantasiafestival.com/en/film/veterano
Asian American International Film Festival 8/9 aaiff.filmbot.com/2026/movies/veterano
LEARN ABOUT OUR FILM TOUR:
youtube.com/shorts/io6iXJkul6Q
CAST & CREW:
Written & Directed by Patrick Epino
Produced by Paola Mardo & Patrick Epino
Starring Jon Jon Briones
Cinematography by Drew Bienemann
Production Design by Justine Ellen Chen
Edited by A.J. Calomay
Music by Valeri Ortiz
A National Film Society Production
SYNOPSIS:
Set in 1981, San Francisco, VETERANO follows Valentino (Jon Jon Briones), an aging Filipino World War II veteran beaten down by the system. Within the crumbling walls of his rundown apartment, he dusts off his pistol, grabs his old army jacket, and hits the streets of the city on an unspoken mission. When he enters a bank, the room turns. Time slows. And he must make a moral choice that could cost him everything.
A proof-of-concept from Filipino American writer/director Patrick Epino, VETERANO is a neo-noir crime thriller that combines the adrenaline-fueled intensity of a bank heist with the overlooked history of Filipino WWII veterans who were stripped of their promised American citizenship and benefits, a betrayal with consequences that still echo today.
Taut and atmospheric, the film asks how far one man is willing to go to collect what he’s owed and why.
