After multiple appeals and emotional public pleas, the trans erotic psychological drama ‘Dreamboi’ has finally been granted an R-18 rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB)—allowing it to be screened at the inaugural CineSilip Film Festival from October 22 to 28, 2025.
The film, directed by Rodina Singh and starring EJ Jallorina, Tony Labrusca, Jenn Rosa, and Migs Almendras, had previously been slapped with an X rating twice, preventing it from being shown in cinemas.
In a lengthy post shared on October 17, Singh described ‘Dreamboi’ as “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.
“Desire, especially for trans women, is often messy, fractured, and shameful. But it is also ours,” she continued. “As a trans filmmaker, I am drawn to the unspoken intimacies of our lives — what we allow ourselves to feel in private, what we fear showing in public, and how we reclaim our right to desire.”
Singh emphasized that the film “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. Because every time a story like this is silenced, another trans woman disappears.”
The MTRCB had initially issued an X rating, citing that “while it offers important representation and commentary, its prolonged sexually explicit scenes make it inappropriate for public viewing.”
Following the decision, Singh expressed heartbreak on X (formerly Twitter): “Ang sakit… hirap magkwento, grabe. 85 mins lang kami.”
Lead star EJ Jallorina, who portrays Diwa, also vented frustration, noting that this was her second time as a lead actor in a film that was X-rated. “Ansakit. Ansakit. Anlala niyo. Ang sahol. Ang sahol-sahol niyo,” Jallorina wrote, even musing if the film would have been treated differently had the lead been a cisgender man.
On October 17, Singh appealed again to the MTRCB to “allow us to live, too—inside the cinema,” thanking the board for acknowledging the film as a “mature, artistically driven exploration of sexuality, identity, and desire.”
“I only ask that they reconsider their decision and allow us to share this story with an audience, even in a limited screening,” she said. “We believe that visibility is not obscenity, that desire is not a sin, and that stories like ours belong in the cinema.”
After two disapprovals, ‘Dreamboi’ faced the board for a third review on October 21, with Singh personally appearing before the MTRCB to defend her work. Later that day, the film’s official X account announced the good news:
“Dreamboi is finally R-18. Thank you everyone for believing in the politics of our film. Masakit na kailangan nating mag-adjust, pero sigurado tayo—hindi pwedeng hindi sinehan. Salamat sa pagsama sa aming laban. Kita-kits sa Ayala Malls cinemas. Oct 22–28. Tuloy na tuloy na!!!”
Among those who voiced strong support for Singh was acclaimed filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone, who took to Facebook to commend Singh’s perseverance.
“Rodina is a trans woman filmmaker who made this film with nothing but ₱2 million, a dream, and the support of friends who believed in her,” Jadaone wrote. “‘Dreamboi’ is not pornography. It’s a moving, messy, beautiful exploration of trans desire — about longing, intimacy, and what it means to be seen. It’s a story for adults, one that deserves an R-18 rating.”
She added, “I hope the MTRCB will see what we see: that visibility is not obscenity, and that Philippine cinema is stronger when it makes space for stories like Rodina’s.”
‘Dreamboi’ will premiere on October 22, 8:30 p.m. at Cinema 3 of Market! Market!, alongside other daring CineSilip entries such as ‘Haplos sa Hangin’, ‘Pagdaong’, ‘Maria Azama: Best Prn Star*’, and ‘Ang Lihim ni Maria Makinang’—all rated R-18.
Singh concluded her statement with a message of gratitude and defiance: “We made this film with courage, not excess — with love, not luxury. We hope you stand with us, help us keep ‘Dreamboi’ alive, and together, may we all see the light of day.”
