‘Signal Rock’ chosen as PH entry for 2019 Oscars

FILE: The cast and crew of SIGNAL ROCK at the Thanksgiving party of Regal’s film entry to #PPP2018. (Photo: Signal Rock/Facebook)

The Philippines chose the film directed by Chito Roño, Signal Rock, as its bet in the Best Foreign Language Film category of the upcoming Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars.

“Tuwang-tuwa kami. Hindi namin akalain na kami ang mapipili sa dami nang isinabmit. Pero ang Signal Rock, passion project ko ‘yon (We are very glad. We did not expect that our film will be chosen among many other films that were submitted. But the Signal Rock, it is my passion project). It’s very close to my heart. Everything that’s happening, even the international film fest, it’s really an honor,” Roño told ABS-CBN on Wednesday, September 26.

“But to be chosen to be the one to represent us sa (in the) Academy [Awards] sa (in) America, although submission pa lang ito, sobrang honored na siyempre kasi (it is just a submission, we are really honored because) among the other films, we were chosen,” he added.

The filmmaker said the confirmation of the good news came from the director general of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Leo Martinez.

Signal Rock revolves around the story of a boy named Intoy, who is left to take care of his parents when his sister, Vicky, went abroad for work.

Unlike those who live in urban areas where people can communicate well and have modern technologies, Intoy has to climb a high rock in order to get a good signal for his clunky mobile phone which he uses to converse with his sister.

“It’s really about the sad state of the Filipinos na parang naka-depend sila sa (that they are depending on) people who are not in the place, who are abroad. And to fend for themselves what little they have,” the director said.

What made the movie different from the other overseas Filipino worker (OFW) dramas is tha, this time, the story highlights the story of those who are left behind by their family members who flew to other countries with high hopes of providing a better future for them.

The film was starred by Christian Bables, Daria Ramirez, Nanding Josef, Mon Confiado, Elora Españo, Keanna Reeves, Francis Magundayao, among others. The cast and crew shot the film in Biri, Samar.

Prior to this development, Signal Rock was also part of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), where it won Critic’s choice and Special Jury Awards.

Last year, the country’s official entry to the Best Foreign Language category in the 90th Academy Awards was Mikhail Red’s Birdshot.