''Signal Rock'' is a 2018 Filipino

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

produced and directed by Chito S. Roño, starring

Christian Bables Christian Mercurio Bables (born December 6, 1992), is a Filipino actor. He was declared Best Leading Actor at the 5th Hanoi International Film Festival for his character "Intoy" in the movie '' Signal Rock''. He was also given a Best Support ...

together with an

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...

. The film was produced by CSR Productions and distributed by

Regal Entertainment Regal Entertainment, Inc. (formerly and more commonly known as Regal Films) is a Philippine film production company based in Pasig. It was founded by Lily Monteverde on August 19, 1962. It has produced movies of all genres; and is the oldest ...

on August 15, 2018 which serves as the official entry to the

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (), abbreviated as PPP, is a film festival held in the Philippines in celebration of the ''Buwan ng Wika''. It is organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines. Similar to the Metro Manila Film Festiva ...

. It was selected as the Philippine entry for the

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...

at the

91st Academy Awards The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2018 and took place on February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AM ...

, but it was not nominated. Based on a true story and set in 1990s, the film follows Intoy (Bables), as he takes care of his family in Biri,

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

while his sister is in the overseas, only to contact her using strange rock formations in the island.

Premise

The story follows Intoy (Bables) who lives with his family in Biri, Northern Samar while his sister Vicky works in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...

. Vicky marries a foreigner believing that it will solve their financial problems. In order to contact his sister, Intoy must scramble about the strange rock formations in the island to attain signal, as is it the only location where he can do so. Intoy experiences conflict due to his love for a woman who will soon leave for Manila, his duty in the island, and his ambitions, which include leaving the island for work. Traditionally, women leave the island, while the men stay.

Cast

as Intoy Abakan * Daria Ramirez as Alicia Abakan * Nanding Josef as Jamin Abakan *

Mon Confiado Ramon Veroy Confiado (born March 19, 1968), professionally known as Mon Confiado, is a Filipino character actor, theater actor and businessman who has appeared in both mainstream and independent films. He is the son of late veteran actor Ángel ...

as Damian * Elora Españo as Rachel *

Keanna Reeves Janet Derecho Duterte (born September 24, 1970), known professionally as Keanna Reeves, is a Filipina actress and comedienne. She won the first celebrity edition of the reality show ''Pinoy Big Brother'' in 2006. She first gained national att ...

as Gloria *

Francis Magundayao Francis Elmer Cabalteja Magundayao (born May 14, 1999) is a Filipino actor and commercial model. He was first known as Iking in the series, ''Darna''. He is also known for portraying young Travis (adult version portrayed by Gerald Anderson) in ...

as Bong * Archie Adamos as Mario *

Sue Prado Marissa Sue Prado (better known simply as Sue Prado) is a Filipina character actress best known for her performances in Philippine New Wave films such as the 2013 film, ''Oro'' and '' Barber's Tales'', among other roles on Philippine film, tel ...

as Loida * Jomari Umpa as Kiko *

Ces Quesada Ces Quesada (; born June 13, 1958) is a Filipina actress and TV host. She is currently signed with GMA Network and ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Net ...

as Chona * Kokoy De Santos as Gabs *

Judy Ann Santos Judy Anne Lumagui Santos (born May 11, 1978) is a Filipino actress and film producer. Prolific in film and television in the Philippines since the early 1990s, she is known for her comedic and dramatic roles in independent films and blockb ...

as Vicky Abakan *

Mara Lopez Mara Isabella Yokohama (born May 20, 1991), known professionally as Mara Lopez, is a Filipino-American actress and surfer. She is a member of Star Magic Batch 13. Early life Mara Lopez was born on May 20, 1991 in San Pablo, California, the da ...

as Gina * Ruby Ruiz as Mila * Dido dela Paz * Arnold Reyes as Joaquin * Menggie Cobarrubias as Mayor * Joel Saracho * JayR Versales * Lee O'Brian as Finnish Consul

Awards and nominations

Ratings

According to the

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board ( fil, Lupon sa Rebyu at Klasipikasyon ng Pelikula at Telebisyon; abbreviated as MTRCB) is a Philippine government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines that is respon ...

(MTRCB), due to several foul language, mature theme, and some sex scenes, only audiences eighteen (18) years old and above can view this well crafted film (''Director's Cut''). The MTRCB classified the film as rated R-18.

References

External links