BL icons Khalil Ramos and Ian Pangilinan finally come together in supernatural romance film “Patay Gutom”
Khalil Ramos, who starred in the acclaimed queer coming-of-age film “2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten,” and Ian Pangilinan, who became a BL favorite as Vlad in the hit series “Gaya sa Pelikula,” are joining forces for “Patay Gutom,” a supernatural BL romance competing at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival.
For Filipino BL fans, the pairing alone is a major feat.
Khalil and Ian come from two landmark projects released at diverse periods in the evolution of queer storytelling in the Philippines. And they meet in a love story that literally straddles the realms of life and death.
TWO QUEER SCREEN FAVORITES, ONE UNUSUAL ROMANCE
In “Patay Gutom,” Ian plays Tristan, a grumpy and withdrawn delivery rider who makes one very unfortunate mistake: he eats a food offering left at a grave. The offering belongs to Arturo “Art” Aquino, a lonely ghost played by Khalil.
That errant bite suddenly grants Tristan the ability to ‘see’ Art, sparking a relationship neither one of them had expected. What starts as an eerie haunting gradually deepens into intimacy as they uncover family secrets, confront shared heartaches, and develop a connection made difficult by a complication—one of them is already dead.
The film also stars screen veterans Agot Isidro as Yolly and Cris Villanueva as Ruel.
FROM ‘GAYA SA PELIKULA’ TO ‘PATAY GUTOM’
Ian became a recognizable face of the Philippine BL wave through “Gaya sa Pelikula,” where his portrayal of Vlad opposite Paolo Pangilinan’s Karl earned a passionate following.
“Patay Gutom” brings him back to queer romance, but with an entirely different challenge. Ian is not only playing Tristan—he is also making his feature directorial debut alongside acclaimed animation filmmaker Carl Joseph Papa.
In an Instagram post announcing the project, Ian described the process of developing the film with Papa as “a fun rollercoaster ride.”
His description of the movie itself was even simpler: “A story about love and grief.”
KHALIL RETURNS TO QUEER ROMANCE
Khalil, meanwhile, has his own important place in contemporary Philippine queer cinema.
He starred as Felix in Petersen Vargas’ “2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten,” the acclaimed 2016 coming-of-age film that explored desire, masculinity, and obsession years before the Philippine BL boom burst into the mainstream.
A decade later, Khalil stars in another queer romantic story—but this time as a ghost.
Art also exists in animated form while Tristan inhabits a live-action world, making “Patay Gutom” a hybrid of animation and live action. This lends another layer to their romance: the two characters not only come from different circumstances but occupy different dimensions as well.
For Khalil, the film also marks a return to CinePanalo after winning Best Actor for “Olsen’s Day” in 2025.
A BL PAIRING YEARS IN THE MAKING
Putting Khalil and Ian together evokes a sense of nostalgia for audiences who have followed the evolution of Filipino queer stories onscreen.
One came from an acclaimed queer film that preceded the local BL phenomenon. The other became a star of one of the genre’s most beloved series during its breakthrough era.
“Patay Gutom” brings the tandem to an unlikely romance involving a delivery rider, a hungry ghost, Philippine folklore—and the possibility of falling for someone you were not supposed to meet.
“Patay Gutom” is one of seven full-length films competing in the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, running September 23 to October 4 at Gateway Cineplex 18, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay and Market! Market!.
Regular tickets are ₱250, while discounted tickets are ₱200 for PWDs, senior citizens, students, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Perks cardholders.
A ₱2,000 festival pass provides access to all seven full-length films and 19 student shorts. Festival passes will be available starting September 22 at Gateway Cineplex 18, and from September 23 onwards at Gateway Cineplex 18 and TriNoma.
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