The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) finally cleared Rodina Singh’s ‘Dreamboi’ for public screening with an R-18 rating on its third appeal.
The film, written and directed by Singh and starring EJ Jallorina, Tony Labrusca, Migs Almendras, and Jenn Rosa, was twice given an X rating by the MTRCB, which initially barred it from cinemas.
Hence, Rodina Singh penned a letter to her community addressing the complexities of double standards in the Filipino film industry.
In a lengthy post shared on October 17, Singh explained the theme of ‘Dreamboi.’
“’Dreamboi’ is a film about trans desire–about how fantasy, shame, and longing shape the lives of trans women. It follows Diwa, who turns to audio porn to feel something again, until a secret habit of eavesdropping on a stranger having sex in a basement toilet spirals into obsession. When she discovers the man is also her favorite anonymous audio porn actor, fantasy collides with reality,” Singh explained.
She emphasized that ‘Dreamboi’ is a “mature, artistically driven exploration of sexuality, identity, and desire,” and asserted, “‘Dreamboi’ is not pornography; it is a story about being seen, about the pain and beauty of longing when the world tells you you’re not allowed to want.”
The MTRCB initially issues the X rating, they stated that “while it offers important representation and commentary, its prolonged sexually explicit scenes making it inappropriate for public viewing.” According to the regulatory board, films with this rating are restricted from public exhibition, including cinemas, due to inappropriate content.
A similar case occurred with ‘Serbis,’ Brillante Mendoza’s indie film credited with launching Coco Martin’s career. It nearly missed Philippine cinemas after the MTRCB deemed three intimate scenes inappropriate, but the rating was later changed from X to R-18 after the director modified the scenes.
Award-winning film director Antoinette Jadaone, best known for her recent film ‘Sunshine,’ which tackled the lack of reproductive health rights and support in the Philippines, extended her support toward Singh, her fellow filmmaker.
In a Facebook post, Jadaone she shared that Singh had nothing but a two-million-peso dream and the support of her friends. “Dreamboi is not pornography. I have seen the scene in question, and it’s a moving, messy, beautiful exploration of trans desire,” she added.
https://www.facebook.com/antoinette.jadaone/posts/pfbid022sfF68cEmC2tZwXEBPn8tCAbex4AEnChMSYX448Q5JLpayNjCgWLzhVAnPJYq173l?rdid=VAe9tO5g7T48aCBH#
Jadaone is one of the few artists who expressed support for Rodina’s film ‘Dreamboi.’
Despite the setbacks, Singh submitted a third appeal to the MRTCB on October 17 and appeared before the board for another review on October 21. That same day, ‘Dreamboi’ the board finally approved ‘Dreamboi’ for R-18 classification, allowing it to screen in select Ayala Malls cinemas starting October 22.
Like ‘Dreamboi,’ the MTRCB has re-classified other films from X to R-18 after revisions.
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