Puregold CinePanalo short film entry ‘Starfish’ highlights the humanity of those in the margins
Puregold CinePanalo short film entry ‘Starfish’ highlights the humanity of those in the margins
SINEGANG.ph published this press release shared by Tasá Productions. No staff writer participated in writing this article.
Puregold CinePanalo entry ‘Starfish’ follows Boyet, a male sex worker who returns to the province after years of working in Manila.
The short film is an exploration of Boyet’s inner struggles with the power that continues to shape his life. It also functions as a work about resilience, a quality that the common Filipino has become known for.
“Starfish is an allegory of what it’s like to be a Filipino during these times… just like us Filipinos, Boyet was forced to adapt, forced to be resilient,” director John Clite Apolinar says.
Apolinar drew from the fear and anxiety he felt during his formative years. For Apolinar, growing up as gay meant changing one’s behavior to align oneself with the prevalent, rigid gender norms at the time.
“I changed my behavior, so that no one would notice I was gay. So I won’t be judged, talked about, or scolded. And as a young gay kid, it was not a pleasant experience.”
These feelings and experiences are reflected in Boyet, who Apolinar describes as someone who had no choice but to become someone he was not.
Serving as writer on ‘Starfish’ is Adelbert Abrigonda, who describes the project as an instinctive, almost ‘marginal’ act of writing, born from setting aside a full-length script with a similar premise and finishing the screenplay in one sitting.
Whereas Apolinar drew from his lived experiences, Abrigonda drew from his fondness for Mel Chionglo and Ricky Lee’s ‘Macho Dancers’ trilogy. This allowed Abrigonda to cultivate a deeper depth in Boyet’s characterization.
“Boyet became a reflection of many Filipinos I see today who carry unresolved trauma, and live in communities that feel suspended in time,” Abrigonda said.
Abrigonda made Boyet a composite of both lived and witnessed experiences, using the regenerative nature of the starfish as a central metaphor for resilience and trauma.
Moreover, the short film also functions as a vehicle for becoming and resistance.
‘Starfish’ is produced by Tasá Productions, which produced ‘Dan, En Pointe,’ ‘Taympers,’ ‘Si Nadia at ang Kanyang mga Kuro-Kuro,’ and ‘My One and Only Bab(o)y.’ All four films were entries in Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival 2025.
Tasá Productions is also co-producing Puregold CinePanalo 2026 entry ‘Alumahan.’
‘Starfish’ is an official entry to the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival 2026.
