(L-R) Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Leanne Mamonong, Klea Pineda, and Janella Salvador at a fundraising event for their Cinemalaya film "Open Endings," September 13, 2025 in Quezon City. Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA -- Janella Salvador cannot hide her excitement whenever she discusses "Open Endings" -- an entry into the 2025 Cinemalaya film festival that tells the story of four queer women, who are exes turned best friends.
"It's my first queer -- real queer role," the Kapamilya actress told ABS-CBN News in a recent interview, putting special emphasis on the word "real."
It's not a secret that Salvador has lobbied for queer roles before. In at least one previous project, she deliberately put her own spin on an iconic character even as her wishes didn't quite come true.
"I was hoping it would be Darna," she admitted. "But it didn't go that way." Still, she made sure that her version of Valentina would not soon be forgotten. "Binabading ko si Regina," she said, referring to Regina Vanguardia, the human visage of the legendary serpent queen.
Salvador's intent with Valentina did not go unnoticed. The 2022-23 iteration of "Darna" is still remembered for "Darlentina," the "ship" between the protagonist and the antagonist, as fans -- particularly the Philippine sapphic community -- latched on to the "unexpected" pairing of Salvador and Jane de Leon, who played the titular heroine.
Such was the impact of their tandem that there was a demand for a follow-up project for Salvador and de Leon at the conclusion of "Darna" in early 2023. While a major production ultimately did not come to fruition, Salvador still found a way to give a gift for their fans -- the music video of her song "Hey You," which premiered during the Pride March in 2024, featured her and de Leon in a sapphic storyline.
Even after that, however, Salvador never stopped asking for a sapphic project, for a sapphic role -- for a story that will shine a spotlight on a community that she felt has lacked the representation it deserves.
Now, more than two years since the conclusion of "Darna," Salvador finally has the role of her dreams -- one that she manifested and prayed for, yes, but ultimately worked for and fought to get.
"I'm really happy," she says, "na I finally get to experience this."
'CHARITO LYN'
Kapamilya actress Janella Salvador at a fundraising event for their Cinemalaya film "Open Endings," September 13, 2025 in Quezon City. Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News
Salvador's dream character is Charito Lyn de Guzman -- "Charlie" for short. She is one of four friends in "Open Endings," along with Jasmine Curtis-Smith's Hannah, Klea Pineda's Kit, and Leanne Mamonong's Mihan. Her character profile says Charlie likes "love, commitment, security, pancit canton with egg pag petsa de peligro." It says that her love language is "kaya mag-move in at maging sure in a month."
In a 30-second teaser, audiences get to see a brief glimpse of Charlie's character. "I think can still fix this. Pag nabigay ko na 'yung space na kailangan niya, mami-miss niya ako," she says, while seemingly sharing a meal with Mamonong's Mihan.
"Marami naman na akong marupok na character," Salvador said. "Pero iba 'yung pagkarupok ni Charito. Ano siya … 'Yung typical na notion sa mga lesbians na mabilis, gusto mag-move in agad, nai-in love agad."
"Ayun -- 'yun si Charlie. So kung ganoon kayo, makaka-relate kayo sa kaniya," she added.
In "Open Endings," Salvador shares the stage with Curtis-Smith, Pineda, and Mamonong in a story of four best friends who have all dated each other at different points in their lives, before one of them makes a choice that tests their bond. The movie will see them "navigate adulthood, love, friendship, chosen families, and everything in between."
The announcement of their casting created quite a buzz back in May, and the cast appeared together at the "Lov3Laban sa Diliman" in June not only to promote the film, but to share a space with the community that they would soon represent on-screen.
READ: Stars of 'Open Endings' embrace responsibility, privilege of portraying queer women on screen
A couple of months later, upon the release of the teasers, Salvador says all four of them are "bursting with excitement" as the Cinemalaya film festival draws closer and closer. "Walang-wala pa 'yun," she says of the brief snippets. "Noong nakita namin 'yung teaser, parang sabi namin, 'Grabe. Grabe, grabe.' Sobrang excited kaming apat for you guys to be able to see everything."
That Salvador is so excited for "Open Endings" is understandable. It is, after all, a project that is more than two years in the making for her -- a project that she asked for multiple times, including very publicly at last year's Pride March.
"It's been years din naman since I've been speaking up about this. I've been learning a lot din, educating myself and I've been getting more vocal about it," she said.
"So getting this project, finally, parang I've always wanted to -- not just because I want, na gusto ko lang makakuha ng role for the experience lang," she stressed. "It's very, very personal din to me, especially growing up in an all-girls school. I grew up in this environment."
While the film is something that Salvador manifested, the role is one that she had to earn. Even after being offered the role, she still had to audition for it -- a process that she welcomed, and one that all members of the cast willingly went through.
"I didn't hesitate at all," she said of having to go through the audition process, of having to do a chemistry read with the other members of the cast. "It was something that I really wanted to do. I was actually excited pa, noong sinabing, 'O mag-aaudition ka, mag-rereading ka.' Sabi ko, 'Ooh, okay, when?'"
"Sobrang excited ako kasi I really, really wanted to do a Cinemalaya project. And alam ko na 'yun talaga 'yung proseso 'pag papasok ka sa Cinemalaya. Hindi pwede 'yung ika-cast ka lang, ganiyan. Maga-audition ka talaga and I'm willing to do that," she said.
'IT'S A DREAM'
When Salvador speaks of "Open Endings," she lavishes praise not just on the story that they are telling or on her co-stars, with whom she formed a close bond that has already gone beyond work. She reserves her most profuse compliments for the production -- for how they created a safe space for the artists and for how they put women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community both in front and behind the camera.
"I always say that what I really appreciate about this set is that they got people talaga from the community, even off-cam. It's mostly women. Like, it's a woman-powered set," said Salvador.
"It felt like a safe space for the four of us lalo. Especially with the scenes that we had to do. There are some very sensitive scenes, so it's nice that we felt like we were all safe, and we really just felt like we were playing around. It was fun, it was really fun," she added.
There was obvious care in how the production went about the movie. Not only did the entire cast and crew undergo a SOGIE and queer presentation seminar before shooting started, they also conducted an intimacy workshop to ensure that everyone involved felt safe, and that boundaries were set and respected.
"I just felt like, getting into this project, the whole team knew what they were doing. They knew exactly what they needed, what they want, and I felt that. So, getting into it was not hard. We felt safe talaga," said Salvador.
And so, while the wait may have been long for Salvador, it was worth it for this project that truly ticked off all of the boxes for her -- a queer film in the Cinemalaya film festival that made sure to do it the right way.
"Being able to be a part of a film like this, na talagang well-handled, alam kung ano 'yung gustong ipaglaban, it's a dream," she said. "Ito talaga 'yung role and 'yung project na hinihintay ko, na sinasabi ko ngang ma-represent nang tama 'yung community."
"So finally, this is it."
So happy is Salvador about this project that the recent controversies involving her personal life -- some of which have threatened to overshadow the film -- have barely fazed her.
READ: Amid recent controversies, Janella Salvador says she is 'happy and content'
"Whatever you see, hindi naman ako nagtatago. I'm not hiding anything. I'm not guilty of anything rin," Salvador said in a recent interview with MJ Felipe. "So kung ano 'yung nakikita niyo, 'yun na 'yun."
"[I am] at peace, happy, and content," she also said.
MORE TO COME?
(L-R) Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Leanne Mamonong, Klea Pineda, and Janella Salvador at a fundraising event for their Cinemalaya film "Open Endings," September 13, 2025 in Quezon City. Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News
While she has already gotten the sapphic role of her dreams, Salvador has no intention of stopping at just one. The actress believes that there are plenty of stories to tell, plenty of voices to uplift, and plenty of work to do to make sure that women who love women are given the space they deserve.
"Sobrang dami pa ring voices na nasa-silence sa community. Maraming istorya na hindi maikwento dahil nga malala pa rin 'yung oppression, basically. Lalo na sa mga babae," she said.
She hopes that the movie will open more doors, not just for her, but for the local showbiz industry in general. It's a tall task: Salvador is the first to acknowledge how difficult it is for a sapphic project to get a green light.
READ: 12 years on, Sigrid Bernardo reflects on impact of 'Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita'
"Hindi siya basta-basta naa-approve. Madaming doubts, madaming questions bago siya maikasa talaga, mailabas," she noted. "So, kaya nga, parang we only get this kind of project every once in a while. So, sana ma-enjoy niyo and ma-appreciate niyo 'yung experience 'pag pinanood niyo."
But this early, she has already received offers for more sapphic roles, and Salvador is hopeful that they will push through. She also has a story in mind, a role that she wants to portray on screen -- be it on television or in film.
"I think it would be interesting for me to portray … I've always thought na it would be interesting for a period lesbian role," she said. "Like how were they in the olden times -- pero in the Philippines. 'Di ba? Parang interesting."
For now, Salvador is proud to bring life to Charito Lyn -- the "baby girl pero strong" whose greatest fear is being alone, whose favorite ulam is "hotdog and egg," and who checks the Shopee app as soon as wakes up.
"[Sa] mga marurupok katulad ni Charito Lyn, ayan. Makaka-relate kayo," she says.
"Open Endings," directed by Nigel Santos and written by Keavy Vicente, is part of the 2025 Cinemalaya Film Festival that runs from October 3-12.