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MANILA, Philippines – Upcoming Filipino biopic Edjop brings in a roster of industry veterans, rising stars, and newcomers, with young actor Elijah Canlas taking on the titular role.
Directed by Katski Flores, the film follows the life, activism, and death of Filipino activist and communist party member Edgar “Edjop” Jopson during former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law rule in the 1970s. Jopson was the president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines.
Here’s a look at the cast of the film that recently held the first of several fundraising preview screenings. Further details about the film, including its final release date, have yet to be announced.
Edgar and Joy Jopson
Canlas, who bagged the role of Jopson in February 2024, was initially set to appear as the young Jopson in just two scenes. But he ended up portraying the old Jopson as well, telling the media in a previous interview that he insisted on playing the revolutionary throughout the film.
Fascinated by Jopson’s life, Canlas said he made sure to prepare well to give justice to the role, including doing extensive research on the student leader, high school valedictorian, and Management Engineering graduate from Ateneo.
“I’m just trying to justify Edjop’s life and story in the best way I can,” he said.
Canlas’ advocacy for social justice shines through as the role also highlights how he personally uses his profession for a cause.
“Because I’m an artist and I think that’s the essential purpose of the artist — it’s to tell stories and to justify these stories…They (moviegoers) will learn from it and it will become part of their humanity,” he shared in a Nylon Manila interview.
Canlas is also an advocate of mental health. With his family, he set up the KULIT (Kalinga, Unawa at Linang sa Isip at Taglay) Foundation to honor his late brother JM Canlas, who suffered mental health issues.
The 24-year-old actor is known for his works in Gameboys (2020) and Gameboys 2 (2022) Senior High and High Street (2023-2024), and GomBurZa (2023).
His most notable performance was in Kalel, 15 (2019) where he bagged Best Actor awards from local and international bodies, including the 17th Asian Film Festival, Harlem International Film Festival, and Gawad Urian.
Opposite Canlas is Frankie Pangilinan, who plays the young Joy Jopson, the wife of Edjop and mother of their three children.
Pangilinan is the daughter of megastar Sharon Cuneta and returning senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. Her role as Joy marks her first foray into acting.
In an Instagram reel she shared after a fundraising preview for the film, Cuneta said how proud she is of her daughter’s film debut, noting how emotional she felt after the screening.
“When I came, I sat, and I watched, it still hit me when I didn’t expect it to hit, so it had such an effect on me that I cried,” Cuneta said.
Pangilinan is also known as a singer-songwriter under the name Kakie with songs such as “tyl,” “afterparty,” and “Romeo.”
In 2020, Pangilinan was the target of many trolls online due to her opposition against the proposed Anti-Terror Law. For her, the bill had the potential to be abused by the Duterte administration given their serious record of offenses in the past.
Still, Pangilinan remained steadfast in her stance against government censorship and activism crackdowns. “We would 100 percent go out on the streets and rally…Honestly, they should fear us,” she said.
The new actress is also a staunch critic of the Marcoses, especially during the 2022 presidential campaign, where her father Kiko ran as vice president alongside presidential aspirant Leni Robredo.
“We are not protesting election results, regardless of outcome. We are protesting vote-buying, vote-tampering, years of calculated, disinformation, propaganda dispersion, machine politics, and all systemic injustice that led to 30 million votes for the son of an ousted dictator,” she shared on a post on X after the 2022 election results came out.
Industry vets
Joining Canlas and Pangilinan in the cast are Jodi Sta. Maria and Cedrick Juan.
Sta. Maria’s casting was also revealed in February 2024. She will portray Joyette Jopson, Edjop and Joy’s daughter.
On an Instagram post, she said, “Filming Edjop was an experience like no other.”
Sta. Maria shared how the whole process felt like a “rollercoaster” with moments that have pushed her emotionally, physically and mentally. However, she believes that the most important thing about Edjop is that it’s a film with a purpose.
“This project was more than just a film — it was a lesson in history, resilience, and courage,” she added.
Sta. Maria is a staunch activist in animal rights and welfare. The actress has collaborated with Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in “Puso Para sa Pusa” campaign, which promotes ending pet homelessness through responsible pet parenting, compassion, and love for puspins (local cats).
The “silent superstar” is most known for her works in Be Careful With My Heart (2012-2014), and Lavender Fields (2024-2025). For film, she also starred in Aparisyon (2013) and Clarita (2023), with her latest foray into horror being Untold (2025).
Meanwhile, Juan is no stranger to biopics. He gained prominence and critical acclaim for his portrayal of Fr. Jose Gomburza in GomBurZa (2023), where he won Best Actor at the Metro Manila Film Festival 2023.
Juan’s other works include Die Beautiful (2016), The Panti Sisters (2019), and The Kingdom (2024). He also shared the screen with Canlas in Kalel, 15 (2019). His role in Edjop is yet to be revealed.
Juan has also been involved in movements for HIV Awareness. “Let’s empower communities, champion human rights, and fight against HIV stigma,” he shared on a 2023 Instagram post on World AIDS Day.
On Tuesday, July 1 a fundraising preview screening was held at WHYNoT Manila in support of the film’s completion, one of three previews the filmmakers plan to hold. – Mikay Tormon/Rappler.com
Mikay Tormon is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a Minor in Sociology at the Ateneo de Manila University.
