Benilde Film alumnus competes at Sine Kabataan with new short

A recent graduate of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Film program has come up with a new short film which tackles an unwritten set of expectations that comes with growing up, and how these standards often carry an unbearable weight.

“Hindi Pa Nag-aagahan si Tau” (String Bean Boy), the latest film of writer-director John Laurian “Janno” Pelias, steps into the fragile world of childhood body insecurity using the absurdities of elementary school rituals to unpack a deeply personal struggle.

Selected as an official entry for Sine Kabataan 9, the 18-minute coming-of-age comedy-drama follows nine-year-old boy Tau, a chubby grade-schooler desperate to fit into his assigned string bean costume for his school’s Nutrition Month presentation.

What starts as a child’s frantic attempt to shrink himself down in time for a stage performance quickly turns into a poignant examination of early body consciousness, social pressure, and conditional belonging.

For Pelias, whose debut documentary “Sa Wakas, Kasama” won Best Documentary at Sinag Maynila 2025, the narrative hits painfully close to home. Reflecting on his own childhood, the filmmaker recalled how early teasing changed his relationship with food, turning even his favorite home-cooked meals into sources of guilt.

“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 revealed.

“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, also a Benilde Film alumnus whose recent short “Papa Xerox” earned accolades at Pelikultura: The CALABARZON Film Festival 2025 and Rolling Stone Philippines, resonated instantly with the script’s quiet vulnerability.

Having collaborated with Pelias since their first year in college, Bigay saw the project as a necessary warmth for anyone who ever felt unseen or out of place. “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, starring veteran actress Meryll Soriano and young talent Stephen Wardell Dizon, brought together cinematographer Kara Moreno, LPS, production designer Mar-ian Ejandra, editor Kriztyle Sihiyon, and sound designer Mikko Quizon.

The crew also prioritized well-being behind the scenes by bringing on a dedicated mental health coordinator John De Guzman.

Co-produced by Malaking Mata with ORIG na Sine, Unitel Straight Shooters, 901 Studios, Malas Malas, Warak Sound Studios, Gilid Studios, and Popple Pictures, “Hindi Pa Nag-aagahan si Tau” premieres this September at Sine Kabataan 2026, which runs from September 18 to 26 as part of the Philippine Film Industry Month celebration.

Sine Kabataan is an annual short film competition and development program, organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, featuring works created by young Filipino filmmakers.