Jane Oineza and RK Bagatsing admit that they are not expecting to win awards for Love Child, Regal Film’s entry at this year’s Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. Although the movie has received rave reviews, they believe their project has a deeper purpose.
In an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment, Oineza and Bagatsing shared their belief in the power of storytelling and its ability to touch lives.
“Our film has the potential to impact families, especially those dealing with children on the spectrum,” Oineza said.
“We want more people to see the film and spread its message. Our goal is to tell their stories and give them a voice. With the trailer out, we see it as a platform for their voices to be heard. Many people are sharing their own experiences, and that’s the main purpose of this film. It’s for them,” Bagatsing related.
The celebrity couple likens awards to icing on the cake and said they appreciate what their audience has to say.
“When our trailer was released, we read the feedback in the comment section, and it was heartwarming to see what the netizens were saying after watching just the trailer,” said Bagatsing.
Oineza added that they were even more delighted when they attended the Cinemalaya gala and people turned to them, telling them how they cried watching the movie and how it affected them.
“That’s our goal, to expand the audience of our story so that many can learn from the message our film brings,” Oineza shared.
Directed by Jonathan Jurilla, this socio-realist romantic comedy follows Ayla and Paolo (played by Oineza and Bagatsing), college sweethearts who leave school to start a family after an unexpected pregnancy. The script, inspired by Jurilla’s personal experience with his son’s autism diagnosis, won first place in the Dulang Pampelikula Category at the 71st Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards. Oineza and Bagatsing found the script deeply moving, noting its focus on raising awareness about autism and promoting social understanding.
Narrating the story, Bagatsing said that after four years of their child being born, they discover that their son, Kali, is diagnosed with autism.
With this discovery, the couple faces the bitter reality of raising a child with special needs in a country that has become less than ideal—challenging both their relationship and their dream of having a complete family.
“We did the shoot for two weeks and it was like a 15-day free trial to parenting. And those two weeks taught us so many things and made us realize that you really can’t measure up to the care that parents give,” explained Oineza.
“But our experience was just a trial and nothing compared to the real thing, a lifetime commitment that gives us an idea of what parents can do for their children,” added Bagatsing.
In a recent interview with the couple and producer Keith Monteverde, they mentioned how they fell in love with the story.
“We were already crying just reading the script,” the couple said.
Monteverde, on the other hand, who is producing a movie for Regal Entertainment for the first time, recalled how he cried seeing even the unedited version of the film.
“It was touching, seeing the rushes, even without the complete editing and even without the music, I already got drawn to the movie,” Monteverde said.
Love Child is one of the 10 official entries to the Cinemalaya XX. The festival runs until Aug. 11 in select cinemas in Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Ayala Malls TriNoma, Market! Market!, UP Town Center, and Greenbelt, with special screenings at The Metropolitan Theater. Tickets are priced at P300 for regular tickets, P200 for students, and P550 for A-Luxe tickets.
