The Boy Foretold by the Stars is a 2020 Filipino coming-of-age romantic drama based on the play Ang Hangal by the film writer and director, Dolly Dulu, during his college days.[3] It was produced by Derick Cabrido and Jodi Sta. Maria.[4] The film revolves around the budding romance between two teenage boys in a school retreat and claims to be the first mainstream film under the "Boy's Love" (BL) genre in the Philippines.[5]
| The Boy Foretold by the Stars | |
|---|---|
 Filipino theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dolly Dulu |
| Produced by | Derick Cabrido Jodi Sta. Maria[1] Omar Sortijas Jose Maria Mendoza Patricia Coronado Cenon Palomares |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Marvin Reyes |
| Edited by | Noah Tonga |
| Music by | Pietro Marco S. Javier; Jannina Mikaela Minglanilla |
Production companies | Clever Minds Inc. The Dolly Collection Brainstormers Lab |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Languages | Filipino; English |
The Boy Foretold by the Stars is one of the official entries for the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival in December 2020.[6] As part of the film festival which was modified as a digital event due to COVID-19 pandemic measures forcing the temporary closure of cinemas, It was made available for online streaming via Upstream.[7] The film won three awards at the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival; the 2nd Best Picture Award, the Best Original Soundtrack, and the Gender Sensitivity Award.[8]
Synopsis
editDominic Cruz (Adrian Lindayag) is an openly gay high school student from St. Francis Catholic School, an exclusive school for boys. He goes to Quiapo with one of his best friends, Timmy (John Leinard Ramos), to consult Baby R (Iyah Mina), a popular fortune teller renowned for her 99.5 percent accurate predictions regarding love life. During this visit, Baby R informs Dominic that he will meet his soul mate within a week, and gives him three signs to help him determine the identity of his match.[9] Meanwhile, Luke Armada (Keann Johnson), a member of St. Francis' basketball team, has just broken up with his girlfriend Karen (Rissey Reyes) and decides to participate in the "Journey of the Lord" retreat in an attempt to move on.[9] Dominic, who was coincidentally one of the volunteers for the retreat, was assigned as Luke's sponsor and they quickly become good friends. Baby R's three signs then become apparent and point to Luke being Dominic's match.[9]
Cast
editLead Cast
edit- Adrian Lindayag as Dominic Cruz
- Keann Johnson as Luke Armada
- Rissey Reyes as Karen
Supporting cast
edit- Iyah Minah as Baby R
- John Leinard Ramos as Timmy Ramos
- Jan Rey Escaño as Miguel Tejada
- Jemuel Satumba as Philip Barrios
- Vic Robinson III as Andoy Ramos
- Renshi De Guzman as Paul Bautista
- Kalil Almonte as Bro. Mike
- Jethro Niño Tenorio as Mr. Oyco
- Kristian Cartilla as Nigel
- Pongs Leonardo as Joseph
- Pat Ong as Jared
- Kim Caro as Back up dancer
- Angelica Renon as Back up dancer
- Dolly Dulu as Tito Bhoy, a TV talk show host.[9]
Release
editThe Boy Foretold by the Stars is one of the official entries for the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival. It was released online via Upstream due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures in the Philippines.
Reception
editThe Boy Foretold received 12 award nomination for the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival awards and won for Best OST, Gender Sensitivity Award, and 2nd Best Picture.
| Year | Award-Giving Body | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Metro Manila Film Festival | Best Picture | The Boy Foretold by the Stars | 2nd Best Picture | [8][10] |
| Best Director | Dolly Dulu | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Adrian Lindayag | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Dolly Dulu | Nominated | |||
| Gatpuno Memorial Award | The Boy Foretold by the Stars | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | John Leinard Ramos | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Lars Magbanua | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Theme Song | "Ulan" written by Jhaye Cura | Won | |||
| Best Sound | Pietro Marco S. Javier Jannina Mikaela Minglanilla |
Nominated | |||
| Gender Sensitivity Award | The Boy Foretold by the Stars | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Marvin Reyes | Nominated | |||
| Best Musical Score | Paulo Protacio | Nominated |
Sequel
editIt was announced on February 2, 2021, that Dreamscape Entertainment, one of the divisions of ABS-CBN Corporation, will co-produce a limited television series along with Clever Minds Inc. that would serve as the sequel to the movie.[11][12] The series is titled "Love Beneath The Stars". Most of the cast members of the film have returned to reprise their roles.
References
edit- ^ "WATCH: MMFF entry 'The Boy Foretold by the Stars' releases trailer". November 25, 2020.
- ^ Guno, Nina (November 26, 2020). "BL movie 'The Boy Foretold by the Stars' joins virtual MMFF". Inquirer.net. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- ^ Wang, Nickie (December 16, 2020). "The Boy Foretold by the Stars: A tale like any other love". Manila Standard. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
- ^ Tabares, Nazamel (October 31, 2020). "'The Boy Foretold by the Stars': Love is possible for all genders". Pelikula Mania. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ Tabanera, Lily Grace. "An *Essential* Guide To The 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival Entries". COSMO.PH. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "November 24, 2020 MMFF 2020 Reveals 10 Official Entries". www.mmda.gov.ph. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "November 24, 2020 MMFF 2020 Reveals 10 Official Entries". www.mmda.gov.ph. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Nepomuceno, Neil Patrick (December 27, 2020). "'Fan Girl' sweeps virtual 2020 MMFF Awards with nine wins". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "MMFF review: 'The Boy Foretold by the Stars' is a solid BL movie". December 27, 2020.
- ^ Requintina, Robert (December 24, 2020). "'The Boy Foretold by the Stars' gets 12 nominations at 2020 MMFF awards". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ Biong, Ian (February 3, 2021). "BL film 'The Boy Foretold by the Stars' to continue as series". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
- ^ "'The Boy Foretold by the Stars' will 'continue' as limited series". Rappler. February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.