Three months after it premiered in local cinemas, the romance-drama film “Hello, Love, Goodbye” is still gaining buzz in the entertainment industry.
It was recently nominated for the Best Asian Film category at this year’s Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts Awards or AACTA which recognizes excellence in the film and television industry, including producers, directors, actors, writers and cinematographers.
The film, helmed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, was described as “highly-relatable” by the AACTA.
It will be competing against other acclaimed films like South Korea’s “Parasite,” China’s “Ne Zha,” Japan’s “We Are Little Zombies” and India’s “Gully Boy,” among others.
The winner of AACTA’s Best Asian Film will be announced on December 4.
AACTA is considered the Australian counterpart of the prestigious Academy Awards or Oscars for the United States and the United Kingdom’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards or BAFTA.
Following the news, Filipinos expressed their support for the film online, noting that it is still gaining ground three months after it premiered.
“Just to represent your country among other countries’ pride is a win! Not every movie is given that opportunity. Congratulations Team HLG (Hello, Love, Goodbye)!!” a Twitter user wrote.
“The movie first showed on July 31, 2019. It’s mid-October and it’s still picking up laurels. Amazing!” said another user.
“So proud of you, @aldenrichards02 and @bernardokath! Earning almost (or more than?) Php1B in ticket sales and almost 3 months later, your movie’s still considered relevant and accolade-worthy! Praying for #HelloLoveGoodbye to win this!” a certain Filipino wrote.
Sucess after success
“Hello, Love, Goodbye” also recently secured the spot as the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time in the local box office.
As of September 2019, it was reported that it had total global earnings of P881 million.
The previous titleholder was “The Hows of Us,” another Star Cinema-produced film starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.
Alden Richards, one of the lead actors in “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” also received the Asian Star Prize at this year’s Seoul International Drama Awards, although it is not connected to the movie.
He is the third Filipino to have received the award. Previous recipients are Gabby Concepcion and Dennis Trillo.
“Hello, Love, Goodbye” tells the love story of millennial overseas Filipino workers Joy (played by Bernardo), who is a domestic helper, and Ethan (played by Richards), a bartender, whose lives highlight the challenges Hong Kong overseas workers face.
Despite its romance backdrop, it has been considered a “socio-political commentary on the Filipino diaspora.”
According to the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based newspaper, “experts and fans say it captures the lives of overseas Filipino workers, who finally feel seen after often being regarded as invisible in their daily jobs.”