Off World is a haunting and poignant tale of one man’s search for his true identity. Lucky (Marc Abaya), a young Toronto man adopted from the Philippines at an early age, returns to Smokey Mountain, a notorious Manila slum. It is aptly named for the methane gasses that leak continuously in the 12-story pile of trash and garbage. The way of life there is scavenging for plastic and other saleable refuse to make a few pesos each day and to scour the rotting garbage as one of the only sources for food.

Lucky is a shell of a man, empty, hoping to fill the void by finding his brother who was left behind. His only contact is a woman, Julia (Che Ramos), who introduces Lucky to his long lost sibling, Mamacita (Lao Rodriguez), an effeminate gay hustler who turns tricks to survive. Keeping his connection a secret, Lucky stays with his brother while wandering through the squalor of Smokey Mountain, only to sink deeper into his own desolation.

But at his lowest, drug-induced state, Lucky begins to discover love — with Julia, and for Mamacita — after divulging his true self. As he discovers the mother whose touch he could not remember, he sees Smokey Mountain as a testament of hope, both for the people who live there and for himself.