iACADEMY

A Filipino film has quietly secured a place in global cinema history after becoming the first Asian production and only the third film worldwide granted permission to shoot inside Disneyland in Hong Kong. The milestone was achieved by Call Me Mother, the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival entry directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jun Robles Lana, proving that Philippine cinema is now operating on a scale once thought impossible for local productions.

Principal photography for Call Me Mother was primarily held across Metro Manila, but one of its most talked-about sequences was filmed inside Hong Kong Disneyland, where the production was given rare access to the world-renowned theme park.

The achievement signals more than just an impressive location credit. It reflects how Filipino filmmakers are increasingly gaining the trust, network, and production capability needed to mount globally competitive projects. For years, access to exclusive international filming locations has been reserved for major Hollywood and select international studios. Call Me Mother breaking into that space marks a significant leap for the Philippine film industry’s credibility, scale, and creative reach.

As Philippine cinema continues to expand its global footprint, milestones like this also raise the bar for the next generation of storytellers who aspire to work on productions of the same scale. This is where institutions like iACADEMY play a vital role in shaping future-ready creatives. Through its Film and Visual Effects program, students are immersed in cinematic storytelling, production design, editing, and visual effects workflows that mirror the demands of today’s evolving film industry.