The final day of filming for the highly anticipated feature film EDJOP will take place this October in Ateneo de Manila University, transforming the Loyola Heights campus into the stage for one of the most ambitious sequences in Philippine cinema: the historic First Quarter Storm rallies of 1970.
“ Edjop” stars Jodi Sta Maria and Elijah Canlas in the title role.
The film tells the story of Edgar Jopson—student leader, activist, and martyr—whose journey reflects both the privileges and contradictions of his Ateneo education, and the radical choices he made to confront injustice beyond the university’s walls.
“Bringing Edjop back to Ateneo is especially meaningful,” said Katski Flores, the film’s director and co-executive producer, together with Joyette Jopson, Edjop’s eldest daughter. “This is where his leadership was shaped, where his convictions took root, and where his story, in so many ways, began. To shoot the climactic scenes here, with the Ateneo community itself helping us stage the rallies, is both an honor and a responsibility.”
For Joyette, the collaboration carries an even deeper resonance. “When my father was killed by Marcos’ soldiers during Martial Law, Ateneo allowed only a single day for his wake on campus. At the time, his presence was seen as dangerous. Today, Ateneo is opening its grounds not with fear, but with generosity. This partnership is an act of healing for the family.”
This historic collaboration between Open Water Productions and Ateneo de Manila University, through the Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library (AMLML) and Fine Arts Department, aims to bring together between 500 to 1,000 volunteers from the Ateneo community and beyond to recreate the rallies.
“Welcoming Edjop and his story is, in many ways, a homecoming,” said University President Fr. Bobby Yap SJ. “His life and work were not simple, and neither was his relationship with Ateneo. But remembering him now allows us to see how our paths remain intertwined. In honoring Edjop, we also honor the generation he belonged to, the choices they made for justice, and the truth that continues to call us forward.”
As EDJOP nears completion, its final day of filming will not only mark a cinematic milestone, but also stand as a gesture of reconciliation—showing how storytelling can heal, and how the past can be faced with openness, courage, and truth. Volunteer sign-ups will be announced soon on the official social media pages of the film. Follow @edjopthemovie on all channels for updates.
