"Walong Libong Piso," a film written and directed by Dr. Dante Balboa, aims for recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records due to its unique technical aspects.

In an interview, Dante revealed that the film featuring Paolo Gumabao stands out in remarkably distinct ways, each one contributing to its uniqueness and depth.

"It is a movie with one character, one sequence, one concept, one story, one setting, one location, one single shot, one shooting take, one set design, one lighting design, one central theme, one conflict, one theme song, one writer, one director, one small budget, and one adaptation," said Dante.

Released under BenTria Productions, "Walong Libong Piso" explores themes of love, lust, and power. The psychological movie runs for one hour and 35 minutes. It will be released in theaters nationwide on Oct. 22.

"This project was really intended for the movie. This project is really a movie, but we decided to launch the project through a stage play. It's like we're hitting two birds in one stone," said Dante during the media conference at the Manila Hotel.

Dante revealed that the stage rendition was crafted first, allowing the leading actor to commit the script to memory for the cinematic adaptation.

"If you watch the movie, it looks simple. But it isn't easy because the lead actor has to memorize the lines in one sequence, which will run for one hour and 35 minutes.

"In this meticulous process, even the cinematographer must master the art of capturing the film in a single, unbroken flow, understanding every nuance of how each scene unfolds without interruption," the actor-director pointed out.

Dante praised Paolo, who did not commit mistakes when the scene was shot in a single sequence over one and a half hours.

"I told our producer, Sir Benjie Austria, to make the stage version first so that the actor will be well-equipped by the time we shoot the movie version. The movie has no cuts. Paolo is good at it. It is so hard to find an actor who's as good as Paolo," he added. "If something goes wrong, we start over. Thank God there was no second take in our shoot."

If the film is considered for the Guinness Book of Records, it would bring honor to the local film industry, Dante stated.

Recently, the stage version of "Walong Libong Piso" won him the Best Theater Director Award in the recent Parangal Ng Bayan Awards 2025.

"This is truly a dream project for me that I was able to accomplish," Dante also said.

Dante's first directorial film, "Graduation Day," starring Jeric Gonzales and Elizabeth Oropesa, will be released soon.

Dante (Elmer Anisco in real life) holds a PhD in tourism and hospitality from Asia Pacific College of Theology. He is currently working on his dissertation entitled "Seks sa Literatura: Dalumat at Lapat ng Literary Kinseyism sa mga Akdang-Pampanitkan ni Ricky Lee" for his second Phd in Filipinology, Major in Literature at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Due to insistent public demand, "Walong Libong Piso" will have a rerun at Teatrino in Greenhills on Nov. 29, Dec. 5, Dec. 12, and Dec. 14. There will be two shows for every play date: 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

"Walong Libong Piso" the stage version stars Drei Arias, Paolo Gumabao, Jorge Guda, and Jhon Mark Marcia.