Netflix, known for huge hits like Stranger Things, Black Mirror, House of Cards, and The Crown, has acquired the international rights to stream the Filipino film Ang Babaeng Allergic Sa WiFi, a sweet, romantic comedy produced by Cignal Entertainment, October Train Films, and The IdeaFirst Company.
Ang Babaeng Allergic Sa WiFi (translated as “The Girl Allergic To WiFi”) will be available on the popular streaming platform starting Aug. 21 and will be available globally except in China, Taiwan, Japan, and India.
With more than 10.2 million Filipinos residing overseas (an estimated 5.5 million in Northern America and Europe combined), the acquisition of the film is expected to bolster support for Netflix from the big community of Philippine nationals working and living abroad.
It is also the first title from media giant Cignal Entertainment (owned by Cignal TV, Inc. the Philippines’ premier direct to home satellite provider with more than two million subscribers nationwide) to be shown on Netflix, the world’s leading entertainment service.
Directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Jun Robles Lana (Bwakaw, Die Beautiful), Ang Babaeng Allergic Sa WiFi follows the story of Norma, a popular girl in high school who ends up being diagnosed with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Disorder (EHS).
Unable to use or be around any gadget, Norma is sent to a remote location without any mobile signal to help her recuperate from the rare condition. Unfortunately, the long-distance, as well as the lack of communication with her boyfriend, puts a strain on their relationship.
“I am excited that our film will reach the diverse audience of Netflix,” said director Jun Robles Lana.
“The younger viewers will see themselves in the characters and perhaps wonder what it’s like to be suddenly disconnected from the digital world. Older viewers, meanwhile, will see the nostalgia and see how life, and love, survived without technology,” Lana added.
Jane Jimenez Basas, President & CEO of Cignal TV Inc. adds, “The opportunity to tell relevant and heartwarming stories is an art. We chose to co-produce Ang Babaeng Allergic Sa WiFi with October Train Films and The IdeaFirst Company because of the popularity of using gadgets and being on social media amongst teenagers, around which the plot of the story revolves.”
“The film speaks to young people as well as the young at heart. We are very proud that our quaint and beautiful film will finally be shown to a much wider audience by Netflix. Indeed, the film’s acquisition provides an opportunity for us to share our creative vision with the rest of the world,” Basas carried on.
The film stars Sue Ramirez, Jameson Blake, and Markus Paterson. It had its first theatrical run during the 2018 Pista Ng Pelikulang Pilipino, a film festival organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines.