You don’t see many sapphic love stories in Philippine cinema. That’s exactly why ‘Open Endings’ matters, said Leanne Mamonong, who plays one of the film’s leads.
One of Cinemalaya 2025’s standout entries, ‘Open Endings’ is about four queer women, all exes turned friends, whose bond is tested when one of them makes a life-changing decision. Leanne plays Mihan, while Janella Salvador is Charlie, Jasmine Curtis-Smith is Hannah, and Klea Pineda is Kit.
‘The simplest explanation is that it’s about friendship,’ said Jasmine. ‘But how simple it is, that’s how complicated it also gets.’
Leanne echoed that sentiment, saying representation was what drew her to the project. ‘We can handpick only a few sapphic films in Philippine cinema,’ she said. ‘It’s important that we keep telling these stories – and that’s the part we play in this film.’
And yes, as the title suggests, there are no neat bows here. ‘You have to watch it to know why it’s titled that way,’ teased Klea. Janella added: ‘It lives up to its title.’
Each actress brings her own brand of truth to the story. Leanne describes Mihan as someone who’s not exactly closeted, but ‘very careful about how she presents herself because she wants to protect her loved ones.’ Her character’s commitment issues, she hinted, add emotional weight to the film. Jasmine’s Hannah is ‘the mother of the group,’ the glue that keeps everyone together. ‘She’s the one with a sense of reason, and also the source of conflict,’ she said.
Klea’s Kit, meanwhile, is the lovable chaos. ‘She’s the loudest, the most makulit, the kind of friend you always have around,’ she said.
Janella’s Charlie is ‘fiery, chaotic, messy,’ she described. ‘She’s got a lot going on, but she’s so fun to be around.’
While ‘Open Endings’ brims with witty banter and hugot-worthy lines, its emotional core runs deep, said Jasmine. ‘For me, the most challenging was the second-to-the-last scene with Leanne,’ she shared. ‘I won’t spoil what it is, but our hearts and minds went to such a deep place. We pulled it off, and we’re very proud.’
Janella also pushed boundaries, literally. ‘There’s one scene that I did for the first time in my entire career,’ she revealed. ‘It wasn’t difficult, but I got really nervous.’
For Klea, who recently came out publicly, this project hits close to home. ‘You’ll see a different Klea Pineda in this movie,’ she said. ‘I enjoyed almost all of my scenes. You’ll understand why when you watch it.’
The cast’s chemistry is another highlight. ‘Even though we didn’t have a lot of time together before shooting, we clicked instantly,’ Jasmine said shortly before the film’s gala screening recently. ‘That doesn’t always happen on the first go, but we gelled – and it shows on screen.’
Behind the camera, directors Nigel Santos and writer Keavey Reyes built what the actresses describe as a ‘safe space.’
‘Sobrang appreciate namin sila kung paano nila kami inalagaan sa set,’ said Klea.
‘They deserve their flowers,’ added Janella. ‘You rarely get a really well-written, well-directed sapphic film. This was made with so much love.’
Jasmine agreed. ‘We even had an acting workshop, a SOGIE workshop, and an intimacy coordinator,’ she said. ‘We really felt protected, and we felt well protected on the set.’
The 2025 Cinemalaya runs until Oct. 12.