Geolette Marie Esguerra

‘Bar Boys: After School’ Producers Share Their Journey to MMFF and How the Film Is Universally Relatable

Article (news)

When Bar Boys first premiered in 2017, it struck a chord because in the law and justice-obsessed Philippines, it not only just romanticized law school, but also captured what it was like growing up with the people you choose: your friends. Eric Matti, hailed it <a href="https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/143559/erik-matti-bar-boys-nostalgic-sentimental" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“nostalgic and sentimental,&quot;</a> reminiscent of classic coming-of-age films such as Maryo J. de los Reyes&#x27;s Bagets and Jake Tordesillas&#x27;s High School Circa &#x27;65.With Bar Boys: After School, that same sensibility returns, this time through the lens of time, responsibility, and the lives built after the bar exams are over.For its producers at 901 Studios, the sequel is less about revisiting a hit film and more about extending a story that continues to resonate. Now an official entry to the <a href="https://metro.style/search?q=Metro%20Manila%20Film%20Festival">51st Metro Manila Film Festival</a>, Bar Boys: After School reflects both the evolution of its characters and the steady confidence of a young production company willing to bet on material rooted in everyday Filipino experience. This time, the creators showcase this and more as new characters are introduced and new plots are opened.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766739190965Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 1.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div>Written and directed by Kip Oebanda, known for Liway (2018) and Balota (2024), and co-written by Zig Dulay and Carlo Catu, Bar Boys: After School explores the lives of the original characters ten years after the first film. With veteran actress Odette Khan (Justice Hernandez) portraying a central character holding the key to the film’s plot, Bar Boys: After School dissects both the old and new characters closely, as well as their lives inside and outside the law practice.<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766739665721Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 2 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div>901 Studios, Direk Kip, Bar Boys: how it all began </div>901 Studios, situated at San Juan, Manila, was founded by three people from different backgrounds who share the same passion for film. “We want to produce new voices in the Philippine industry, and we want to move [the] Philippine cinema towards the future—yun yung goal namin—towards a positive future.” the producers said. In existence for less than a year, the production company made noise and has shown its capacity to go beyond the screens. Their short film Agapito, directed by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero made it into Cannes this year and continues its run in international festivals.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766739852261Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 3 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>Leo Liban, said that he’s always been a lover of movies and art in general. &quot;I love everything art. Galing ako sa isang law family, and I worked in the government for nearly a decade, that&#x27;s what I was doing before going into film.&quot; Liban says he also did freelance work for film and even student productions before being a co-founder of the production company.Jon Galvez, on the other hand, had a background in advertising and marketing. “I&#x27;ve been on the corporate side for the longest time, and then eventually I transitioned to film.” Galvez made his debut short film Lip Sync Assassin, which won Best Short Live Action at the San Diego Filipino Film Festival this year.Carlos Ortiz also started in the corporate industry. &quot;Nag-start ako [sa] corporate for three years, and parang hindi siya for me so nag-stop ako.” Ortiz went into different entrepreneurial ventures until he eventually became 901 Studios&#x27; co-founder.The three met as film students at the Asia Pacific Film Institute, became friends, shared the same passion for film, and the rest is history. “We all decided to go back to, or pursue, once again yung passion namin, which is film. We got to work together, collaborate, and decided to pursue this as 901 Studios,” Jon Galvez says. Leo Liban and Kip Oebanda worked together on a project where they talked about Oebanda’s plans for Bar Boys 2. “He [Direk Kip] shared his pitch about Bar Boys 2, and then nagustuhan ko at sinabi nga niya na searching for producers siya at the time, aside nga sa gustong-gusto ko yung story talaga, I told Direk Kip that our production company, 901 Studios, is actually looking for a big project [full-length film] to produce, and I feel like Bar Boys 2 is the perfect fit for us,” Liban says. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766740143741Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 4 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>When the three producers met with Direk Kip, they said that they immediately agreed to produce it without hesitation. “Na-kwento niya [Direk Kip] yung film for two and a half hours straight in complete detail sa amin and umiyak kami, and basically hindi pa nakakalabas si Direk Kip ng coffee shop [sabi namin] game na game na,” During the pitching, there were also talks about submitting the material to the Metro Manila Film Festival. “Honestly, part siya ng pitch and maganda talaga yung material and very perfect for a Filipino [film] festival,” Ortiz says. From then on, Bar Boys: After School came to be.&quot;I&#x27;ve met the people from 901, and I feel like I&#x27;ve met my chosen tribe for my chosen career path—and not just career path, I guess this is a life choice for us [and] not just a career choice,&quot; Galvez says about starting 901 Studios.At present, they are producing short films mainly by students and independent filmmakers, as well as venturing into branded content and advertising. Still, the producers said “our core identity remains to be a &#x27;film-first&#x27; production company”. Individually, the producers, Jon Galvez, Carlos Ortiz, and Leo Liban, also plan to direct more of their own films in the near future.  <div>Working with veteran award-winning actors and fresh new names </div>Before the filming took place, all the actors went through a workshop, the producers shared with <a href="https://metro.style" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Metro.Style</a>. The original cast, Rocco Nacino (Torran Garcia), Enzo Pineda (Chris Carlson), Carlo Aquino (Erik Vivencio), and Kean Cipriano (Josh Zuniga) all went through workshops prior to filming, which, the producers say, showed the dedication they have for their craft and the material. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766740409259Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 5 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>“...kita naman siya sa film na ang lalim na nila at parang andun talaga sila sa mundo na yun [Bar Boys]… hindi ako masyadong nakakita ng awkwardness, kahit yung mga bagong actors” Carlos Ortiz said. Some of the new characters are now known for their time as housemates in the Pinoy Big Brother House. However, the producers said that even before they entered Bahay in Kuya, Will Ashley (Arvin Asuncion) and Emilio Daez (Ziggy) were already part of the sequel. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766740470378Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 6 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>&quot;Si Will, nag-audition na siya before pa pumasok [at the PBB house] so hindi talaga yun [their fame after being housemates] yung rason kaya kami nagtiwala,” they explained. Emilio Daez also auditioned among 70 other candidates and was chosen for the role of Ziggy. Even in a short span of time, Klarisse de Guzman also proved her skills worthy of the role and was cast as Mae Perez in the film.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766740534299Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 7 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div>Glaiza de Castro (Jasmine Garcia), Sassa Gurl (Trisha Perez), Therese Malvar (CJ David), Benedix Ramos (Bok), and Bryce Eusebio (Jonas), are some of the new characters that we’ll also get to know in the second film. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766740565499Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 8 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div>A story every Filipino can relate to</div>The film not only shows how dreams can be achieved, but also realistically shows the pain that comes as part of the process. Each character represents a story that every viewer may relate to, the producers say. &quot;Everyone can find themselves or someone they know in the film.&quot; When asked to describe the film, Galvez said that it’s really a story of our own wins and hardships. “It&#x27;s a story of every Filipino and human being. Even kami na iba-iba how we relate to each character—so talagang makikita mo, in one way or another, your life sa isa, dalawa, o tatlong characters kasi istorya talaga siya ng Pilipino: kung paano lumaban, paano mag-survive, paano maging masaya, paano ka suportahan ng family, community, at mga kaibigan.” <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766740719257Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 9 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>“Tumingin ka sa salamin, [the film] really feels like a mirror—parang it&#x27;s a mirror to society and it&#x27;s a mirror to what we go through in life. Kaya ko rin gusto ang Bar Boys kasi kahit na specific yung mga pangyayari sa kanila it&#x27;s general enough na lahat tayo makaka-relate” Liban says. “It really feels like [the] pieces of the story or of the movie really feels like it came from my life.” He adds, mentioning how he also came from a family of lawyers.“May lalim, may puso, pero masasabi mo sa dulo—gets, gets, sobrang gets ko! Hindi siya [the film] mahirap intindihin eh. Kasi yung facade bar, parang nakakatakot harangin or gibain yung pader, yung loob, parang ang taas eh, pero pag pinanood mo siya may lalim, may puso, pero madaling intindihin. Kapag pinanood mo siya, masasabi mo ako to, ako si ganyan,” Ortiz says. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766740886296Metro.Style Bar Boys After School 10 Small.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>Relatable, universal, heart-warming are some of the words Leo Liban, Jon Galvez, and Carlos Ortiz from 901 studios used to describe Bar Boys: After School. There may be specific struggles that the characters faced, but the producers believe that the stories engraved in the film are universal and will speak to people and allow them to relate to the characters from their own experiences. “specific man yung struggle, doon sa kung anong klase, pero yung pinagdaanan [ng mga characters] universal din,” the producers shares with Metro.Style.The producers expressed their appreciation to everyone who helped them throughout the festival and hope that the film reaches more audiences. Given the chance, if there is the right time and material, the producers said that they are positively looking forward to the idea of having a series following the lives of the characters after the second film. <div> </div>Bar Boys: After School is now showing in select cinemas nationwide, alongside other 51st Metro Manila Film Festival entries including Call Me Mother, I&#x27;m Perfect, love you so bad, Manila&#x27;s Finest, Rekonek, Shake, Rattle &amp; Roll: Evil Origins, and UnMarry. <div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div>

More than just a film about law school—it's a story of universal friendship and the wins and hardships of every Filipino

More than just a film about law school—it's a story of universal friendship and the wins and hardships of every Filipino

‘Bar Boys: After School’ Producers Share Their Journey to MMFF and How the Film Is Universally Relatable

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‘Bar Boys: After School’ Producers Share Their Journey to MMFF and How the Film Is Universally Relatable

Naiah Mendoza

Published Dec 26, 2025 05:23 PM PHT

Read More:

Bar Boys: After School

901 Studios

Kip Oebanda

Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)

Law School

Filipino Cinema

Friendship

Leo Liban

Jon Galvez

Carlos Ortiz

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