Roño’s ‘Signal Rock’ is PH entry in 2019 Oscars

Bables (right) with Elora Españo

Filmmaker Chito Roño seemed genuinely surprised that his film, “Signal Rock,” was chosen as the Philippine entry in the best foreign language film category of the Academy Awards, to be held in Hollywood on Feb. 24, 2019.

Calling from Biri, Northern Samar, where his film was shot, Roño asked Inquirer Entertainment: “Is this confirmed? Where did you get the news?”

Leo Martinez, director general of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), relayed the news to Inquirer Entertainment early Wednesday morning. FAP is the organization tasked to choose the country’s entry in the best foreign language race of the Oscars.

“Natulala ako,” the usually loquacious Roño admitted. “I immediately called (scriptwriter) Rody Vera to ask about it. We just kept saying, ‘Oh my God! a la Kris Aquino.’”

Apart from being “stunned speechless,” Roño related that he is touched by the honor bestowed on his film. “We were up against big movies. And our film is a passion project, a deeply personal film. I am happy that people got our message and embraced the simplicity and beauty of our film.”

Vera told the Inquirer: “This is wonderful news. All that hard work … I wrote the film way back in 2016 pa. All the love put in that film has paid off. We are so happy!”

“Signal Rock” tells the story of a small-town lad (played by Christian Bables) who must travel to the city, to help his sister whose marriage to a foreigner has turned toxic.

Bables noted: “I am overjoyed. Direk Chito’s obra deserves to be recognized here and abroad. The heart and passion he invests in his works are exceptional and priceless.”

“It tackles a silent reality in our country,” Roño explained. “We hardly talk about it, but it affects almost every Filipino. We send our women abroad, to help their families back home.”

Christian Bables (right) in “Signal Rock”

Scriptwriter-director Jose Carreon, chair of the FAP selection committee, told the Inquirer that the country’s Oscar entry should possess a “universal theme, while telling a Filipino story.”

“‘Signal Rock’ is about the aspirations of people living on a small island. It shows the closeness of the Filipino family and, at the same time, tackles the problems, the false dreams, of our countrymen who go abroad,” Carreon elaborated.

“Signal Rock” vied for the honor with two other acclaimed films: Jerrold Tarog’s “Goyo” and Erik Matti’s “Buy Bust.” “The votes of the six committee members were equally split among the three films. So I had to come in, as chair, to break the tie,” Carreon volunteered.

The Oscar bid is also a fitting tribute to the people of Biri, where Roño organized an open-air, public screening for the residents on Sept. 29.

“The screening is at the plaza. There is no movie house in Biri and the nearest one is in Tacloban. The people of Biri deserve this exclusive screening,” the award-winning filmmaker said.

It is Roño’s second time to compete in the Oscars derby—after the Vilma Santos-starrer “Dekada ’70” in 2003. “But at the time, I didn’t have to do much because (producer) Star Cinema took care of everything.”

This time, however, Roño would have to be more hands-on for the film’s Oscar campaign.

(The Oscar best foreign language film selection process consists of three parts. From the original field of 70 to 80 aspirants, the list will be narrowed down to nine, before a committee selects the final five nominees.)

“We really need help,” he conceded. “I don’t know if I can raise the money to lobby for the film. I am not sure if [producer] Mother Lily [Monteverde] still dreams of an Oscar at 80!”

Monteverde enthused: “It’s the first time for Regal to have an Oscar bet. I’ve been producing for 57 years … since 1961! We are so proud and honored.”

Daughter Roselle Monteverde agreed: “This is unexpected. The people involved in this movie gave so much of their time and effort to create a masterpiece.”

Roño was keenly aware that a producer would have to shell out millions to mount an effective Oscar campaign—money that a small “passion project” like theirs does not have. Turning introspective, he quipped: “I am scared of how much it would cost!”