A recent graduate of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Film program is bringing a deeply personal story about childhood, body image, and the pressure to fit in to the big screen through this year’s Sine Kabataan competition.
Writer-director John Laurian “Janno” Pelias presents Hindi Pa Nag-aagahan si Tau (String Bean Boy), an 18-minute coming-of-age comedy-drama selected as an official entry to Sine Kabataan 9.
The film follows nine-year-old Tau, a chubby grade-schooler who desperately wants to fit into his assigned string bean costume for his school’s Nutrition Month presentation. What begins as a child’s attempt to change his body for a school performance unfolds into a story about early body consciousness, social expectations, and the desire to belong.
Through the absurdity of elementary school rituals, the film explores how seemingly ordinary childhood experiences can shape a young person’s relationship with their body and self-worth.
For Pelias, the story is rooted in his own childhood experiences. His debut documentary, Sa Wakas, Kasama, won Best Documentary at Sinag Maynila 2025.
“I wrote this film to return to that boy with compassion and to question how institutions that promote health and wellness can unintentionally scar children whose bodies do not fit the ideal,” Pelias said.
“More than anything, I hope this film offers gentleness to children who are still finding themselves in a world that is often too quick to judge,” he added.
Producer Kylechandler Bigay, another Benilde Film alumnus, immediately connected with the vulnerability of the story. Bigay, who has collaborated with Pelias since their first year in college, previously produced Papa Xerox, which received recognition at Pelikultura: The CALABARZON Film Festival 2025 and Rolling Stone Philippines.
“This film is a warm embrace for the children we once were and a call to love the people we have become,” Bigay shared.
The film stars veteran actress Meryll Soriano and young actor Stephen Wardell Dizon, with Kara Moreno, LPS as cinematographer, Mar-ian Ejandra as production designer, Kriztyle Sihiyon as editor, and Mikko Quizon as sound designer.
The production also placed emphasis on the well-being of its cast and crew, bringing in dedicated mental health coordinator John De Guzman during filming.
Hindi Pa Nag-aagahan si Tau is co-produced by Malaking Mata, ORIG na Sine, Unitel Straight Shooters, 901 Studios, Malas Malas, Warak Sound Studios, Gilid Studios, and Popple Pictures.
The short film will premiere this September as part of Sine Kabataan 2026, which runs from September 18 to 26 in celebration of Philippine Film Industry Month.
Organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Sine Kabataan is an annual short film competition and development program that showcases works by young Filipino filmmakers.
