Experiencing Interruptions?

Static Noises

Static Noises is a tense political drama that follows Charlie, a Filipino IT specialist living abroad, whose carefully distanced life is disrupted by the death of her former lover, a photojournalist documenting state violence. As grief pulls her back into a past she tried to escape, Charlie uncovers evidence linking her estranged father—a celebrated police chief—to a series of extrajudicial killings. Set against the backdrop of diaspora disconnection and a country in crisis, the film explores the cost of silence, the weight of complicity, and the impossible choice between family loyalty and justice.

Classification: Rated M (Mature Audiences)
Content advisory: This film contains references to violence, extrajudicial killings, and distressing political themes.

  • Jomz Alip Lailo
    Director
    Last Farewell, Chapter X, Memories, Visions
  • Jomz Lailo Ramirez
    Writer
    Last farewell, Chapter X, Memories, Visions
  • Dean Hewison
    Producer
    Nest
  • Marianne Infante
    Key Cast
    "Charlie"
    Shortland Street
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Crime drama
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 29, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 NZD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand, Philippines
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand, Philippines
  • Language:
    English, Tagalog
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Victoria University of Wellington
Director Biography - Jomz Alip Lailo

Jomz Alip Lailo (formerly credited as Jomz Ramirez) is a queer Filipino screenwriter, director, and assistant director now based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Trained at Mowelfund Film Institute, the International Academy of Film & Television, and later Victoria University of Wellington, she has worked across major Philippine productions and independent sets alike. Her short films have won awards and screened at festivals around the world, often exploring Filipino identity, diaspora, and the lived realities of queer women with honesty and political edge. Jomz continues to champion underrepresented voices through intimate, socially conscious storytelling grounded in her experience as both a migrant and a queer filmmaker.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a Filipino filmmaker who has traveled extensively, I’ve met countless Filipinos living abroad. Many carry a nostalgic image of the Philippines as a place of beauty and resilience, but beneath this perception lies a more complex reality. I wanted to capture that tension: the contrast between appearances and truths, the quiet apathy that sometimes allows injustice to continue unchecked.
Static Noises is my response to a world where violence is normalized and truth is endangered. From the targeted killings of journalists in the Philippine drug war to attacks on journalists covering conflicts in Gaza, the story confronts the cost of silence and complicity. Through this film, I aim to demand attention, to bear witness, and to remind audiences that every story silenced is a life lost and a society diminished.
The crime thriller framework allows me to explore these themes intimately, placing viewers in the unsettling space between personal grief and societal violence. Stylistically, the film draws on stark, cold aesthetics emphasizing moral ambiguity and emotional isolation.
At its core, this is a film about accountability, empathy, and courage. It’s my call to audiences: pay attention, challenge apathy, and honor those who risk everything to reveal the truth.