Cebu City, Philippines—After nine years, the Cebuano film “My Paranormal Romance” is now available on YouTube.
This was confirmed by Cebuano director Victor Villanueva, saying Cinema One has been releasing films online to reach a wider audience.
“This also helps people in staying home with their refreshing cutting edge content available free online,” he told CDN Digital.
The film features ABS-CBN Cebu’s Phoebe Kaye Fernandez and former Pinoy Dream Academy finalist Van Roxas.
Other stars in the film are former Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) housemate Paul Jake Castillo and Publio Briones III.
Read: Cebuano filmmaker Victor Villanueva directs sci-fi comedy digital series
For Villanueva, the audience can easily connect with the film with fantasy and romantic comedy as its genre.
“I remember how fun and successful this was when it was released in Cebu years ago. Back then Bisaya films were just seen as either too ” baduy” and niche,” he said.
But over the years, they have been challenging the notion that despite the language, they can still make cool and unique genre films.
“You can also check out all the other Bisaya films that are playing right now online at the Binisaya Online Film Festival,” he said.
Villanueva considers “My Paranormal Romance” as his first break in his filmmaking career in 2011.
This was one of the official entries of the Cinema One Originals, an annual independent film festival in the Philippines.
But “My Paranormal Romance” was not his only film that made it to the Cinema One Originals.
In 2019, the movie “Lucid” headlined by Alessandra de Rossi and JM De Guzman also made it to the official selection.
De Rossi was named as Best Actress while the movie received Best Music and Best Editing.
Villanueva also made his own name in the film industry after his film “Patay Na Si Hesus” won the Audience Choice Award and the Gender Sensitive Film during the QCinema International Film Festival in 2016.
In 2017, “Patay Na Si Hesus” became an Official entry for Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) and received the Jury’s Choice Award.
The movie was starred by Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Angelina Kanapi, and Vincent Viado.
Will they also release “Patay Na Si Hesus” in online platforms?
Villanueva told CDN Digital that they will consider releasing it too. /bmjo