Althea Ablan shares her experience in her first movie, ‘Faney’, a tribute to Nora Aunor

Kapuso star Althea Ablan couldn’t hide her awe and gratitude as she marked a major milestone in her career — her very first movie. Speaking at the special screening of Faney, held in celebration of the late Nora Aunor’s birthday on May 21 in Quezon City, the young actress opened up about working alongside industry veterans and being part of a tribute film honoring the memory of the Philippine cinema icon herself, Nora Aunor.

“First film at ang mga kaeksena ko pa po [ay sina] Direk Laurice Guillen, Direk Gina Alajar, Angeli Bayani — lahat lahat ng veteran,” Althea Ablan shared. “Sa una po, siyempre na-intimidate po ako dahil veteran po sila. Ang tagal na po nila sa industriya na ito. Pero siyempre po hindi ko kailangan iparamdam yun sa kanila. Kailangan iparamdam ko na kaya kong gawin.”

Althea Ablan talked about the challenges of working on Faney, a film made under time pressure and without a script. As a first-time movie actress, she relied heavily on the guidance of director Adolf Alix Jr. and chose to fully trust his process. Despite the pressure, she was grateful for the opportunity to take on a meaningful role in a special tribute to Nora Aunor.

“Siyempre without Direk Adolf hindi ko naman po ito magagawa. Nandyan po siya to guide me. Kaya ang sabi ko, ‘Direk, ikaw na ang bahala sa akin,’” she said. “Sa totoo lang po, napansin niyo po ba na ito pong film na ginawa namin ay no script? Dahil nga mabilisan lang po ito pinalabas. No’ng sinabi po ni Direk Adolf yon sabi ko ‘Direk, first time ko po ‘to na walang script pero kayo na po ang bahala.’ So nagtiwala po ako sa tatlong direktor na kaeksena ko… Sobrang nagpapasalamat po ako na binagyan po ako ng ganitong character,” Althea continued. 

Althea Ablan also said she was overwhelmed and emotional seeing herself on the big screen for the first time. She found it hard to explain her feelings, especially knowing many people were watching. 

“Speechless po ako at nararamdaman ko po ngayon sa totoo lang po hindi ko po ma-explain dahil ang laki po ng screen dito,” she said. “Grabe, first time ko po makita yung sarili ko pinapanood ng maraming tao at lalong-lalo na po hindi lang basta-bastang film, pero ito po ay tribute para kay Ms. Nora Aunor — sa isang superstar po.”

Faney tells the story of Milagros (played by Laurice Guillen), an elderly woman who is a devoted fan of the famous actress Nora Aunor. When Nora passes away, Milagros is deeply saddened and wishes to say goodbye. Her daughter Babette (played by Gina Alajar) advises her not to go due to her health, but Milagros asks her granddaughter Beatrice (played by Althea Ablan) to help her secretly attend Nora’s public viewing. The film explores the profound impact idols have on their fans’ lives.

Althea Ablan stars alongside an esteemed cast including Laurice Guillen, Gina Alajar, Bembol Roco, Angeli Bayani, Roderick Paulate, and more.

Directed by Adolf Alix, Jr., Faney is produced by Frontrow Entertainment, Intele Builders, Noble Wolf, and AQ Films. While there are no confirmed plans yet for a theatrical release, the team hopes to bring the film to a wider audience very soon.