Cinemalaya film ‘Open Endings’ heads to festivals in Boston, UK

By Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

Published April 05, 2026

MANILA —  “Open Endings,” the sapphic film that topped the Cinemalaya box office in 2025, is headed to international film festivals in the coming months. 

The movie, directed by Nigel Santos and written by Keavy Vicente, will have its international premiere on April 6 at the Wicked Queer festival in Boston.

“We made a small film about love, friendship, and messy queer lives… and now it’s heading to the U.S.,” the film announced on its social media accounts.

“Open Endings is a highly acclaimed 2025 Philippine queer film by Nigel Santos, celebrated for its realistic portrayal of sapphic relationships, focusing on four queer women (exes-turned-best-friends) navigating love, heartbreak, friendship, and chosen family, offering a nuanced look at queer lives beyond typical tropes, and highlighting the depth of lesbian bonds,” Wicked Queer noted.

On May 23, “Open Endings” will be screened at the Queer East Film Festival in the United Kingdom along with other Filipino films, including Flower Girl (2026) and Macho Dancer (1988).

On its website, the Queer East Film Festival called “Open Endings” a “a confident, self-aware film about loyalty, solidarity, and the liberating power of non-normative lifestyles” and highlighted the “appealing performances” of its four leads. 

“Open Endings” stars Kapamilya actress Janella Salvador, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Klea Pineda and Leanne Mamonong. It tells the story of four queer women who have all dated each other at some point in their lives and eventually developed a ride-or-die friendship. However, a life-changing decision from one of them will test their bond.

Salvador celebrated their film’s latest milestone in an Instagram story on Sunday, saying: “Festival after festival!! 🏳️‍🌈”

The movie had been well-received by critics and emerged as the top box office performer in the 2025 Cinemalaya, according to organizers.

Its cast also earned a special citation for “Best Ensemble Performance.”

After Cinemalaya, “Open Endings” competed in the Asian Next Wave, the main competition section of the 2025 QCinema International Film Festival.