Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin at the premiere of their movie "She Who Must Not Be Named," April 28, 2026 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Ganiel Krishnan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA -- Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin were filled with anticipation and nerves on Tuesday, as they attended the premiere of their film, "She Who Must Not Be Named," at a mall in Pasay City.
This marked the first time that the pair and the public saw the long-awaited project on the big screen.
Diaz admitted that at the moment, anxiety outweighed their excitement.
"Sa totoo lang po, kanina ko pa, actually kagabi ko pa sinasabi na kinakabahan talaga ako kasi wala kaming idea like paano yung makikita or mapapanood ng mga tao. First time lang din namin mapapanood dito yung pelikula. So it’s more of yung kaba than the excitement pero syempre I’m hoping for the best. Pareho kami," she said.
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Fedelin echoed the sentiment, saying that despite feeling grateful, the uncertainty still lingers.
"Siyempre sobrang papasalamat and grateful naman sa lahat ng bagay. Pero hindi makawala yung kaba. Kasi sa lahat ng ginagawa namin, nandun yung kaba. Nandun yung question na… How was it? Kamusta tayo doon? Enough ba?" he said.
According to Fedelin, they had not seen any finalized scenes prior to the premiere.
"She Who Must Not Be Named" was years in the making. Diaz revealed that the story was first pitched to them some three or four years ago, before they finally filmed it last year.
"Parang bukod sa pagiging grateful, 'yung relief na finally may sishare na namin to. Kasi gaya nga yung lagi naming sinasabi, ang tagal bago nabuo 'tong pelikula na 'to," said Diaz.
"Akala namin hindi na mapupunta sa amin ever. Pero andito na tayo ngayon," she added.
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Because of this long journey, the pressure feels even greater for the young stars, who admitted they are their own toughest critics.
For Fedelin, part of the challenge goes beyond their performances, pointing to the evolving landscape of movie consumption among Filipino audiences.
"Siguro yung kung paano 'yung pagtanggap ng Pilipino sa film ngayon. Ibang iba na kasi. Ngayon na parang lahat into online, into streaming. 'Yun yung pinaka-challenge," he said.
Still, the pair hopes the film will find its audience and spread through word of mouth. Diaz is also hopeful that the film is not just for their personal growth, but also their contribution to the local film industry.
"Hindi naman namin ito ginagawa para sa ikabubuti lang namin. Isa rin ito sa mga contribution namin sa Philippine cinema," she said.