Netflix has acquired the quirky Filipino rom-com The Girl Allergic to WiFi (Ang Babaeng Allergic Sa WiFi), which proved a hit domestically with its tale of a lovelorn teen whose medical condition prevents her from using the internet.
Directed by acclaimed author-turned-filmmaker Jun Robles Lana (Die Beautiful), the film is centered around the hardships in life and love faced by a young girl diagnosed with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Disorder (EHS) — meaning she has to rid herself of all electronic gadgets.
The movie stars Sue Ramirez, Jameson Blake and Markus Paterson and is set for an Aug. 21 global release.
“I am excited that our film will reach the diverse audience of Netflix,” Lana said Tuesday in a statement. “The younger viewers will see themselves in the characters and perhaps wonder what it’s like to be suddenly disconnected from the digital world. Older viewers, meanwhile, will see the nostalgia and see how life, and love, survived without technology.”
The Girl Allergic to WiFi was produced by Cignal Entertainment, October Train Films and The IdeaFirst Company, and received its first run during the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ 2018 Pista Ng Pelikulang Pilipino film festival. That event showcases local independent films with an average budget of $150,000.
The acquisition is Netflix’s latest move to deepen its catalog of Southeast Asian, and particularly Filipino, content. Other Filipino films acquired by the streaming giant in the past year year include the Yam Laranas-directed thriller Aurora, Mikhail Red’s domestic box office smash Eerie and last year’s star-studded actioner BuyBust, from Erik Matti.
