MANILA -- Pride month started early for Filipino sapphics this year, as the cast of the Cinemalaya film "Open Endings" was revealed on Sunday.
After initially teasing that they would unveil their cast on June 12, "Open Endings" instead unveiled their stars along with members of their crew in a social media post.
Kapamilya actress Janella Salvador plays "Charlie," while Jasmine Curtis-Smith is "Hannah." Klea Pineda takes on the role of "Kit," and Leanne Mamonong of the indie pop duo Leanne and Naara is cast as "Mihan."
"Open Endings" tells the story of four queer women who are "exes-turned best friends," according to the Cinemalaya website. Their relationship "is put to the test when one of them makes an impulsive and potentially life-changing decision."
For Salvador, it's a fulfillment of a long-dreamed of role, as she has been advocating for a sapphic project since early 2023 when her "unexpected" tandem with Darna co-star Jane de Leon became popular.
"The way I've been holding this in for months," said Salvador on X.
Curtis-Smith, for her part, previously starred in Samantha Lee's sapphic film "Baka Bukas" in 2016, for which she won Best Actress honors in the Cinema One Originals Film Festival.
Pineda, who came out as a lesbian in 2023, is making her first major film appearance. It's also the full-length acting debut of Mamonong, who is best known for her work with Naara Acueza in the music scene.
In "Open Endings," the four women are in a "ride-or-die friendship" after having dated each other at different points in their lives. Conflict arrives when one of them "makes a surprising life decision" that "stirs up old emotions, reveals secrets, and prompts unexpected confessions, testing the strength of the ties that bind them."
"Open Endings" is written by Keavy Vicente (Pearl Next Door) and directed by Nigel Santos (Yours Truly, Shirley; Dalaginding na si Isang).