Hot on the heels of its November 12 media launch—attended by lead stars Andrea Brillantes and JC Santos alongside director Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo—the Philippine drama LAYA has scored a major international victory. Brillantes won Best Acting Performance at the 2026 Women and the World International Film Festival in London, where the film also held its international premiere as the sole Southeast Asian entry in the Feature Fiction Competition.
Watch the announcement here:
Hosted in London, the Women and the World International Film Festival spotlights independent cinema from the UK and across the globe. Its curated lineup of feature films, documentaries, shorts, and broadcast reports examines women’s evolving roles in modern society through stories centered on conflict, security, leadership, and contemporary life.
“Portraying Sab challenged me to explore the complexities of being human,” Brillantes shared. “Her journey is a mixed bag of pain, forgiveness, and finding the courage to choose compassion, which ultimately brings her to what she’s looking for in her life. Being recognized in a city like London is a milestone for me, and I’m grateful to Director Sigrid, our producers, and the production crew for helping me become Sab. I hope audiences will resonate with Sab’s story as much as I did.”
LAYA follows Sab (Brillantes), a woman who arrives in a quiet seaside town with a single objective: to exact revenge on Tuki (JC Santos), a reclusive former convict she holds responsible for her father’s death. Sab ingratiates herself into Tuki’s life to get close enough to strike, but as an unexpected bond forms between them, her resolve begins to waver. Torn between vengeance and newfound empathy, Sab must decide whether to carry out her retribution or break free from the cycle of violence trapping them both.
Written and directed by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo, LAYA is produced by Rein Entertainment Productions with backing from the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ CreatePH Large Budget Production Grant.
“LAYA is one of those difficult stories about being human,” said Bernardo. “It presents the complexities of how one can achieve freedom, how we can be freed from the weight of our past and the expectations imposed on us, and how we fight against societal restraints. To have our woman-led story recognized on this international platform, and to see our female lead receive such acknowledgement, is in itself an achievement for the entire cast and crew, and for Filipina cinema.”
Fresh from its London festival debut and Brillantes’ acting triumph, LAYA brings its moving story of liberation, second chances, and grace home to local audiences.
LAYA opens in Philippine cinemas nationwide on November 25.