Christian Bables Receives Bright Star Award at the 2019 Asian Pop-Up Cinema

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Christian Bables,  one of the brilliant young actors of his generation, is an award-winning actor to be reckoned with.

Gaining international attention, Christian won Bright Star Award in the prestigious 2019 Asian Pop-Up Cinema for "Signal Rock." Previously, he won the Best Actor Award from the 5th Hanoi International Film Festival for the same movie “Signal Rock.” He has won Best Supporting Actor Award at many film festivals, which included “Die Beautiful” in which he plays a transgender woman.

Christian breathes life into every character he portrays and enjoys being an actor because he can express himself, touch other people’s lives, and execute his passion.

Christian always takes his work seriously and values the importance of training and preparation. He remains focus on his craft as an actor that is why blessings continuously keep pouring in for him. 

“Like what my mentors tell me, acting is a lifestyle of learning. Kahit na sino, kahit hindi actor, ay dapat hindi tumigil sa pag-aaral. Dapat laging bukas na matuto,” says Christian.

He has proven to all and sundry that he is an award-winning actor to be reckoned with. 

“Acting is a venue to express myself. I enjoy giving empowerment to every character I portray because through that ako mismo ay nae-empower.” 

Christian is in high spirits these days. Fresh from the box-office success of Panti Sisters, Christian is deeply overwhelmed with the outcome of the movie which revolves around the story of three gay siblings whose rich father wants to bequeath his inheritance to a son who can give him a grandchild.

“Nakakatuwa na tinanggap ng Filipino audience and maybe the foreign audience ang pelikula namin. Thank you very much but more than anything else, I am ecstatic because we were able to relay the message of the movie. Likewise, we become proud allies of the LGBT community. Personally, this is my way of giving back because ang laki ng utang na loob ko sa LGBT community. If not for my role as Barbs in Die Beautiful, I wouldn’t be here. Hindi mabubukas ang pintuan ng mga pangarap ko. Ang mapapangako ko ay hindi ako magsasawa at mapapagod na gumawa ng mga makabuluhang istorya para sa LGBT community.”

He just came back from Chicago to personally accept his Bright Star Awa in the prestigious 2019 Asian Pop-Up Cinema for his sterling performance in Signal Rock. In the film, Christian plays Intoy, a poor high school dropout who resides in a far-flung fishing island with his family and courageously climbs steep rock formations just to get a cellphone signal. (He won the Best Actor Award at the Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF) in Vietnam last year.) 

Christian shares his experience attending the event. 

“They were all nice. The founder is Ms. Sophia Boccio. She was very accommodating. I received a warm welcome from the people in Chicago most especially the Filipino community. Grabe iyong suporta nila sa Signal Rock, sa akin, at sa pagpunta ko. I enjoyed my stay there. It was a heartwarming experience. It is one of my most memorable film festivals.”

Also recently, he won the Best Actor Award at the Urduja Film Festival for his role in Signal Rock which also received the Movie of the Year (Drama) Award. Urduja Film Festival is a yearly competition which promotes student short, feature, and independent films in Northern Luzon.

Despite his achievements, Christian remains humble. How does he handle fame? 

“For me, being known is just part of the job. Iyong real job for me, ang totoong batayan sa akin ay kung gaano ka kadiligent at kung gaano ka kagutom as an actor. You’re just as good as your last work. So ang pagiging masipag (iyong kaya mong i-assess kung tama ba o hindi ang ginagawa mo) ay ang totoong batayan for me at hindi ang fame.”

Christian is grateful for all the good projects coming his way. Aside from upcoming movies, and stageplay, he is part of a new teleserye in ABS-CBN. 

“I am thankful to ABS-CBN for giving me such a good and challenging role. Please watch out for my new television series soon.”

For inquiries, please call (02) 88554765 or (02) 34054423, email info@asianartistsagency.com, and visit fb.com/asianartistsagency

Hypersonic Signal Beams for Christian Bables

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Christian Bables has cemented a place of his own in the acting world, following a win at the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, for his portrayal of Intoy in Signal Rock. Christian has proven to all and sundry that he is an actor to reckon with. He has also erased the notion that he was stuck to playing gay roles.

While he played the “bagtik” (astig in Tagalog), Intoy who decides to remain in a remote island with his family and courageously climbs steep rock formations just to get a cellphone signal in Signal Rock, Christian in reality is also a “bagtik” actor - camera ready, focused and steadfast.

His most recent triumph, a Special Jury Award for Outstanding Acting in Signal Rock (while the movie won the Critics’ Choice Award at the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino), is an amplified signal that all the forces of the universe are aligned in his favor.

Describing his acting style, Christian says, “Each actor has his own style of dealing with life. That is the main purpose of acting, to deal with the truth of life. Ang mga actors, merong reference na technique pero the acting skill should be coming from who you are as a person and your sensibility as a person. For me, there’s no specific style in acting. Only your own style of dealing with life.”

What does he look for in a role? “I often look for the core of the story at sa puso ng karakter. As an artist, I also try to find a way how to relate the character to me. If there’s a common denominator then it’s easy to connect to the role.”

He is passionate about his work as he is with life. “I always believe that everything is about choices. As long as I choose what is right and do what satisfies my heart and God, then I’ll be fine. I just have to put my trust in God and let go. His purpose is always better than the promises of this world.”

A keen observer of people, Christian values the importance of training and preparation. He arrives on the movie set ahead of time, ready to face the cameras. It may sound weird but Christian dreams of playing a suicide bomber. “Its life has many colors of different shades.”

He refuses to be defined by popularity alone saying that being famous is just part of being an actor. “Neither will it define you nor make you as a person. I keep myself intact to my truth.”

On the television front, Christian pits talents with Jericho Rosales and Sam Milby in the ABS-CBN teleserye Halik. Other projects are being negotiated.

Christian Bables is co-managed by Asian Artists Agency, Inc. For inquiries, please call (02) 855-4765 or (02) 405-4423, email info@asianartistsagency.com, and visit fb.com/asianartistsagency

Christian Bables’ Signal Rock Opens in Theaters, August 15

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Christian Bables topbills Signal Rock which opens in theaters starting August 15. Signal Rock is part of the week-long celebration of Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. The movie is directed by Chito Roño.

Signal Rock which was shot in the scenic island of Biri in Samar, revolves around the story of Intoy (Christian), a poor high school dropout who lives in a remote fishing island. Intoy’s good communication skills has landed him jobs as an event emcee in fiestas, parties, and election campaign rallies in their place. He helps his sister in Finland in a child custody battle against her abusive husband by involving the townspeople, faking legal documents, and setting up false endorsements to prove his sister’s financial capability.

Signal Rock is based on a true story of people living in a small town in the beautiful island of Samar. Direk Chito recounted the story of his friend named Nonong to screenwriter Rody Vera.

Christian talks about his character. “One similarity that I share with Intoy is our love for family. Lahat gagawin ni Intoy to keep his family intact. Iyong ginawa niyang pagtulong sa sister niya, walang katulad iyon. Like Intoy, grabe din iyong love ko for my family, my mom, and siblings.”

It was a dream come true for Christian to be working with Direk Chito. “I’m blessed! No words can express how happy I am to be finally directed by THE Chito Roño. I’m grateful to have a wonderful working relationship with him and I must say that I’ve gained a father in him.”

Christian is now busy with the movies’ promo activities which include mall shows, radio and studio interviews, campus tours, among others.

Signal Rock also stars Nanding Josef, Ces Quesada, Arnold Reyes, Daria Ramirez, and Domingo Cobarrubias.

For inquiries, please call (02) 855-4765 or (02) 405-4423, email info@asianartistsagency.com, and visit fb.com/asianartistsagency

Box-office Direk Chito S. Roño and Best Supporting actor Christian Bables collaborate for the first time in "Signal Rock"

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An Official Entry to the 2018 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino

August 15 - 21, 2018 in cinemas nationwide

A well-respected and a box-office hit director, a budding actor with a bright future in the industry, and a highly relatable story all brought together in “Signal Rock,” the highly-anticipated film offering by CSR Film PH Production.

Directed under the helm of versatile film director Chito S. Roño, and starring the award-winning actor Christian Bables, “Signal Rock” is such a tale that hits close to home.

It tells the story of a typical Filipino family aspiring for a better life. It’s about a family, albeit poor, lives in the beautiful island of Biri in Samar.

Just like many Filipinos, one member of the family made the ultimate sacrifice of leaving her loved ones behind to work in a foreign land, in the hope to earn money and send it back home.

“Signal Rock” revolves around Intoy (Christian Bables), who lives in an impoverished fishing island, taking care of his parents, while waiting for his sister Vicky, an overseas Filipino worker, send them money.

Just like many women in the island, Vicky has flown to a foreign land, and married a foreigner, as a practical way to help their families back in the Philippines.

Since Intoy lives in a remote area, getting in touch with Vicky through a mobile phone is a constant struggle.

The only way to get through a call to Vicky is to get a good signal by scrambling on the strange rock formations on the island.

But the better life they hope for goes down the drain when Vicky, together with her daughter, flees her husband, who turns out to be abusive.

This leaves Intoy, poor but with a gift of gab, to be resourceful and come up with a master plan to help his sister and his niece from their adversity.

Intoy steps up to become the hope of the family to protect its members get them safely.

Intoy and the rest of the characters are all based on real people and the story is inspired by true events that took place in the 90s.

This is the second time that Direk Chito shot a film in Biri, Samar.

Known to be a maverick filmmaker, Direk Chito is tasked to breathe life to this story with his signature brand of directing.

For him, Signal Rock is a simple yet realistic drama.

The film is also produced by his production with his Director of Photography Neil Daza and written by the award-winning Rody Vera.

More than three decades in the industry, the candid director has produced some of the notable movies that stood out in different film genres: Bata, bata... Paano ka Ginawa? (1998), Feng Shui (2004 and 2014), Sukob (2006), Caregiver (2008), The Healing (2012), Etiquette for Mistresses (2015), and The Ghost Bride (2017), to name a few.

This year, he offers his passion project film to the moviegoers. "Ang totoong kwento ng Signal Rock ay tungkol sa mga ordinaryong tao sa probinsya na remote, mga taong lahat ng mga kasama nila nagsipag-abroad, ito ang place na iniiwan para makapagbigay ng suporta sa pamilya. Marami na tayong kwento tungkol sa mga OFW, pero ito ang kwento ng mga taong napagiwanan sa probinsya, na kung tawagin ay Bagtik." explains Roño.

Christian has been acting and given bit roles since 2011, but was given his biggest break in the sleeper hit Die Beautiful, an entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival entry. In the movie, Christian gave justice to Barbs Cordero, the best friend to Paolo Ballesteros’s Trisha Echevarria. Christian was so convincing as a cross-dresser in the movie, that different Best Supporting Actor trophies were awarded to him by a number of awards-giving bodies: Film Academy of the Philippines, Metro Manila Film Festival, and Gawad Urian.

For Signal Rock, Bables manages to be hand-picked personally by the master director Chito S. Roño. "Hindi ko binigay sa kanila ang script ng pelikula, pinapabasa ko lang ang mga linya nila kapag malapit na kaming mag-take ng eksena." says Direk Chito.

Bables shared that he did his best for this film since his dream is to work with the veteran director. "Gusto ko ibigay lahat para sa passion project ni Direk Chito. May mga ginawa ako dito na first time ko, na proud ako dito ko ibinigay. Sana abangan po ninyo. Ang ganda ng location namin at talagang ma-aappreciate ninyo ang Pilipinas." 

Select screeners of the film also shared that the movie is tear-jerking, creating awareness of small town stories.

The cast and crew stayed in Samar for 15 days, 

"To be more realistic, tumira talaga kami sa Samar. Hanggang ngayon remote pa talaga ito. Nakikitira kami sa mga tao roon, walang special treatment. Nasanay na sila na naglalakad papunta sa shooting location. Nakikihalubilo sa mga tao doon, naging familiar na kami doon. Dito namin lalong nakilala ang mga totoong tao, totoong buhay, parang naging bahay na namin doon at wala talagang signal!" shared Roño.

Signal Rock is also an entry to the upcoming Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Film Festival 2018.

The film also stars, Elora Españo, Mara Lopez, Francis Magundayao, and the veterans actors Daria Ramirez, Arnold Reyes, Nandiing Josef, Archie Adamos, Sue Prado, JayR Versales, Keana Reeves, Julia Chua, Kokoy De Santos, Jomari Angeles, Rubu Ruiz, Mon Confiado, Ces Quesada, Lee O'Brian, Dido Dela Paz and many more.

Signal Rock is brought to us by CSR Production and distributed by Regal Entertainment, Inc. 

Like the Facebook Page @SignalRockMovie https://www.facebook.com/signalrockmovie