Gen Z-ers Find Connection Without Wifi in Star Magic Studios’ First Film, ‘Connected’
Andi Abaya, Kobie Brown, Amanda Zamora, Chico Alicaya, Gail Banawis, Ralph Malibunas, and Richard Juan star in Theodore Boborol's youth-romance flick that premiered recently
The world has felt increasingly smaller, faster and seemingly more connected, thanks to the internet. The first generation of kids who grew up on the world wide web—younger millennials born in the 90s, and older Gen Z-ers of the early 2000s—have not known a world where the internet wasn’t a normal part of daily life. It’s so easy to connect with anyone now—or at least, it feels like. Because in a world where digital connections are so easy to come by, feelings of isolation and loneliness still linger, especially after a two-year-long lockdown.
In Star Magic Studios’ debut film, aptly titled Connected, seven individuals learn what it’s like to feel true connection—whether that be with friends, family, or a first love. Starring seven former PBB housemates (including housemate-turned-host Richard Juan), Connected is a reminder of the connections that matter most in our youth, beyond our smartphones and even without the convenience of a speedy WiFi connection.
“Nakagisnan na namin ang internet,” begins Andi Abaya in the trailer, speaking as her character in the film, Gabby. “Yet we feel disconnected in a super connected world.” In Connected, a group of adolescents navigate love, friendship, and family, their homebase a neighborhood coffee shop—in addition to school grounds, the streets of Metro Manila, and their own homes.
Theodore Boborol (Just the Way You Are, Vince and Kath and James, Finally Found Someone) explains that in the film, the characters are “linked through a quaint cafe, youth angst, and a desire to connect to something bigger than themselves.” Housemates from the one of the more recent editions of Pinoy Big Brother, PBB Connect, come together to bring these characters to life. For many of them, Connected is their first project as actors.
In the gallery below, get to know the cast and their characters:
The Cast and Characters of Connected
The Cast and Characters of Connected
By Metro.StyleNovember 02 2024, 3:04 AM
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Richard Juan as Skyler
Richard, who was a housemate himself on "Pinoy Big Brother" during "PBB: 737," joins the cast as Skyler, Sandra (played by Amanda Zamora)’s best friend. Richard describes his character to be someone who “seems very serious, but at the same time, still has the playful side.” He adds: “He’s a bit like me! I’m kinda serious in life. I have my own business and all that, and at the same time I do have my playful side with my friends. That’s how I portray Sky: as someone who is full of wisdom, he’s like a kuya, but at the same time, playful din siya.”
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“Sky and I are both the type of people who are very ambitious, who always have the mindset that they wanna achieve goals and will do everything that we can in order to achieve that goal,” he continues. “Skyler wants to be the best architect in the world, but he does have a soft spot—for something, or for someone, na minsan na-divert kami sa goals namin.” Richard also likens his character a bit to Nam Do-san from the popular K-drama "Start-Up:" “In 'Start-Up,' Nam Joo-hyuk says, ‘What if the goal becomes a person?’ Medyo may ganun na aspect.”
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This wouldn’t be Richard’s first time to work with Direk Ted (they’ve previously worked together when Richard had a cameo appearance in 'Be My Lady'). “Direk Ted is probably one of the best directors to work with, especially for a first movie,” Richard says. “He has always been the type of director whom I’ve heard so many stories about na he’s the best person to work with for your first film. He’s always there trying to help you, motivating you. Hindi siya 'yung sisigaw sa'yo, and siyempre kami baguhan lang kaming lahat and if we got shouted at, magpa-panic kami instead. Direk Ted knows that we’re all new, and he knows how to really take care of us, knows what to say para hindi kami natataranta, but in fact, push us to do better.”
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Andi Abaya as Gabby
The Second Big Placer of her PBB season, Andi Abaya joins "Connected" after her run as Joni in "Saying Goodbye," alongside Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin. This also marks her second project with Direk Ted, who also directed her in the film "The Entitled." “I’ve already seen how hands-on he is as a director. When I worked with him again dito sa "Connected," I was comfortable na dahil nakatrabaho ko na nga. I guess [because of that], it was really easy for me to ask help from him. ‘Direk, pa’no ko ba ‘to ipo-portray,’ kasi ‘yung personality ni Gabby, sobrang different sa personality ko.”
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“I would really ask help from Direk Ted kung saan ba ako p'wedeng humugot sa scene na ‘to, and one thing that I really love about Direk Ted when we were filming this movie was whenever na mabibigat ‘yung eksena ko, Direk Ted would really help me look for that ‘kurot,’ kahit masakit siya na gawin, pero effective. It’s really effective, ‘yung mga techniques na ginawa ni Direk Ted. That’s one of the things na na-amaze talaga ako kay Direk Ted.”
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Of her character, Andi says: “Gabby is the only child of a middle-class family. She has a really close relationship with her parents since siya lang ‘yung anak nila. Her personality is geeky, nerdy, and one characteristic na makikita mo talaga all throughout the movie is that Gabby really tries to fit in [with] the crowd.” She is paired with her loveteam, Kobie Brown, playing opposite his Topher, with whom Gabby is head-over-heels for. Aside from this, Gabby’s family also plays an important part in her story, and Andi makes a special mention, because it’s something she can relate to when it comes to her character. “‘Yung pagmamahal ng parents niya nakikita ko ‘yun sa family ko. It was really fun doing that part din, having those scenes with my parents in the film,” she says.
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Kobie Brown as Topher
Opposite Andi’s geeky Gabby is Kobie Brown’s Topher, the popular jock who also DJs on the side. Described by Kobie as “misunderstood,” Topher is someone who has more to him than what’s seen on the surface. “[Marami] siyang problema sa buhay niya na he hasn’t gotten off his chest yet. Problems with his father, and I think he’s like this because maybe because of the people he’s surrounded with, he puts this barrier around himself, this wall, that doesn’t want to be taken down.”
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Kobie, who is the Third Big Placer of "PBB Connect," reunites with Andi, his loveteam partner and co-star in "Saying Goodbye" as well as "The Entitled." It was a struggle for him at first, he shares, to play a character like Topher. “But in the end, I really enjoyed. I super enjoyed playing this character, it brought me outside of my comfort zone,” Kobie says. Like Andi, Kobie has worked with Direk Ted previously. “Sobrang grateful ako to work with Direk Ted,” Kobie begins. “Working with him again, to have this opportunity, he really made me more comfortable as an actor. I remember the first interview with Direk Ted, ever, I was freaking out. He noticed how nervous I was all the time, he’d notice that I’d keep shaking in my chair, I’d keep moving, so he really calmed me down as a person. I’m so happy I got to work with him. He really helped us all na step out of our comfort zones, made everyone comfortable on set.”
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“He would pressure us at times, but it’s good to have that pressure,” Kobie adds. Direk Ted has been at the helm of several films that introduced newcomers in the industry, including Liza Soberano’s debut film, "Just the Way You Are" (which was also his directorial debut). At the film’s presscon, Direk Ted even noted this himself, saying that perhaps his strength as a director is that he works well with newbies. He also shared that he is part of the final interviews for PBB, says that from the beginning, he already saw what potential the film's actors have. “Magaling ‘tong mga batang ‘to, but alam mo naman sa showbiz, it’s not just about seeing that potential or that X-factor,” Direk Ted said. “Kailangan, meron ding hard work, determination, professionalism. D’un naman nila ako napahanga.”
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Ralph Malibunas as Gen
Ralph Malibunas, who is currently a host on PIE Channel, makes his acting debut in "Connected" as Gen, a hardworking delivery boy who dreams of becoming an actor. Described by Ralph as “a hopeless romantic” and “jologs,” Gen is close to his mom (“Sobrang love na love niya po ‘yung mama niya sa movie, as in,” Ralph adds) and finds himself in a love story with Fin (played by Gail Banawis) in the film.
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In the presscon, Direk Ted also explained that in conceptualizing the story for "Connected," he and the writer, Mary Rose Colindres, sat with each cast member for an in-depth interview and based the characters’ backgrounds on their real-life stories. For Ralph, who grew up in France, his character’s story mirrors his in that way, too. “Ang dami naming similarities. Makulit din siya, and feeling ko minsan jologs din ako,” Ralph says with a laugh. “‘Yung pagkakagawa po kay Gen, parang sobrang pinareho po talaga sa akin. Medyo same vibe, pero feeling ko mas mataas ‘yung energy ni Gen, so ayun lang din ‘yung pinagkaiba namin. Minsan tahimik lang ako, pero si Gen talaga as in, parang happy-go-lucky lang siya, parang napaka-positive lang talaga niya sa buhay.”
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On working with his fellow PBB housemates, Ralph says: “Sa set, sobrang gaan. Before pa lang sa PBB House, magkakasama na kami. Kilala na namin ‘yung isa’t-isa. And eto na nga, ipo-promote na [‘yung movie]. Hindi ako makapaniwala din kasi before pa lang sa Bahay ni Kuya, mga tasks lang ni Kuya ‘yung ginagawa namin d’un, tapos ngayon, nagsama-sama kami sa isang movie, tapos may mga character kami, kumbaga ‘yun ‘yung task na ginagawa namin ngayon, kaya sobrang nakaka-amaze kasi first movie, sila ‘yung kasama ko. At least sa first movie na ‘yun, sobrang kumportable, hindi mahihiya kasi nagkasama na ng three months. Sobrang grateful, sobrang gaan.”
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Gail Banawis as Fin
In "Connected," Gail Banawis plays Fin, a Filipino-American DJ and music producer. “She’s super liberated because she’s from the States, she’s from New York, which is very progressive. She’s also bisexual,” Gail says. “She actually goes to the Philippines to find her ex-girlfriend. She has a very tough exterior pero inside, soft-hearted siya, especially for furry animals.” Gail shares similarities with her character in many ways: she’s also Fil-Am, like Fin, so she understands how those two identities—being American and being Filipino—are always in contention with each other.
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“I also resonate with her in the sense na matapang sa labas, pero inside very insecure, very vulnerable and very sensitive so there’s more that meets the eye all the time,” Gail says. On Fin’s bisexuality, Gail shares that she feels very privileged to be able to play a character like this: “I feel like sexuality and preference is still something that’s kind of taboo here in the Philippines, especially for women. To do that and to maybe open the eyes of people in our generation and for the older generation is just a privilege for me.”
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“Getting to work with them is so surreal,” Gail says about being in a movie with her fellow "PBB Connect" housemates. “Parang pinapangarap lang namin ‘yun, we would just imagine in the house to work together on projects and everything, but to actually have it happen was really cool.” Gail is also particularly inspired by her castmate, Andi, for her professionalism and dedication to her craft, and is grateful to the movie for allowing her to deepen her connection with Ralph, who is her loveteam partner.
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Amanda Zamora as Sandy
“Sandy is super similar to me,” Amanda begins. “Sandy is someone who has advocacies, she stands up for what she wants. But then she has a family dynamic where her parents are powerful, so whatever they say, she has to do it.” This is similar to her real life persona, Amanda says—in real life, she is the unica hija of her father, San Juan mayor Francis Zamora and her mother, entrepreneur, blogger, and advocate Keri Zamora. This harkens back to what Direk Ted has said when they were conceptualizing the story for the film—using the leads’ real life backstories in the movie. “She likes to care for the environment, she likes making projects like that, she’s all about sustainability,” Amanda adds. “I wouldn’t say super strong personality but she fights for what she wants, she fights for what she thinks is correct.”
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In the movie, Sandy is caught in a love triangle between Rocky (played by Chico Alicaya) and Sky (played by Richard Juan). Rocky is someone Sandy will work with in her father’s business, while Sky is her childhood friend who is currently based in Dubai as an architect. (He calls her “Kasuy,” Richard was quick to add.) “It’s actually funny because I became closer to Richard after the movie,” Amanda says. But she shares that it was a pleasant experience to have worked with them—comfortable even, given that she and Chico were already close even during their days in the PBB House.
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On working with Direk Ted, Amanda says: “He really taught me well, because he’s very patient. He really guided us. He wouldn’t let a scene go by if it wasn’t good. We’ll repeat it and he’ll say, ‘This part, this part, this part we have to do this or do that, or this we have to improve on. There were some days that I really had a hard time, and he would just convince me that I could do it.”
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Chico Alicaya as Rocky
In the film, Chico says that Rocky is this “teamwork kind of guy.” He adds, “Sobrang mapagmahal. His mom left, and all he has is ‘yung lola na lang niya. He really wants everyone to love, to care, especially ‘yung sobrang snobs sa buhay, ‘yung sobrang may galit sa buhay. Gusto niya talaga i-turn around to see in a different perspective.” In his scenes, he got to work a lot with Peewee O’Hara, veteran actress of the stage and screen, as well as his loveteam, Amanda Zamora.
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On working with Ms. O’Hara, who Chico lovingly calls “Tita Peewee,” he says: “It was amazing. Palagi akong nagtatanong, because doing that movie hindi lang ‘yung experience ko ‘yung pinunta ko dun. Kinuha ko rin ‘yung mga insights nila, ni Tita Peewee, kasi bago pa ako sa industriya, it was my first lead role, what is it like ba?” He also adds that he shares many similarities with Rocky, “especially sa pagka-close sa lola. I’m really close with my lolo,” Chico says.
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Like the rest of the cast, Chico has only good things to say about Direk Ted, grateful to him for his hands-on approach and patience. Working with fellow former housemate and loveteam Amanda, Chico says: “It was easier na, because meron naman kaming other projects before. Pero I bet it will be challenging kung hindi, ‘yung first namin na project together was a music video and then next was Love at First Stream. Before that, it was hard, we had to hang out pa, have dinner, have lunch, to get to know each other. Luckily, kaming dalawa for this movie, so it was good chemistry.”
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And this chemistry, these abilities, this potential that was spotted in each of these young individuals—catch them when Connected, the youth-romance movie of the year, finally premieres. The rest of the cast includes Peewee O’Hara, Cheryl Ramos-Cosio, Justin Cuyugan, Marife Necesito, Jonic Magno, Skyzx Labastilla, and Russu Laurente. Connected premiered las July 22 on iWantTFC, KTX, TFC IPTV Video on Demand, and Sky Cable Pay-Per-View.