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Dante Balboa's 'Graduation Day' returns to theaters on Easter Sunday
Dante Balboa's 'Graduation Day' returns to theaters on Easter Sunday
Due to insistent public demand, Dante Balboa's "Graduation Day," produced by BenTria Productions, will return to theaters on Easter Sunday, April 5.
Balboa shared the good news, thanking moviegoers for their support of his directorial debut, which stars Jeric Gonzales and Elizabeth Oropesa.
"Maraming salamat po sa mga nakapanood ng Graduation Day. Dahil po sa inyo ay unti-unti pong nalaman ng iba ang pelikulang ito na tunay namang nakapagpaluha sa lahat ng manonood. Sana po may pagkakataon pa po kayong mapanood ito dahil muli itong ipapalabas sa April 5 o Linggo ng Pagkabuhay! Napapanahong po ito dahil graduation period po ngayon at siguradong maluluha po kayo sa pelikulang ito at mas lalo ninyo pang mamahalin ang mga lolo, lola at mga magulang ninyo dahil sa pelikulang ito. At higit sa lahat, mas lalo ninyong pahahalagahan ang inyong edukasyon at mas manunulat kayo sa kahangahan ng ating buhay sa mundo. Salamat po. (Thank you very much to those who watched 'Graduation Day.' Because of you, I've been watching this movie for a long time. Hopefully, you will have more fun because it will be back on April 5 or Easter Sunday! This is postponed because it is graduation season, and you will surely miss this movie; you will especially love your grandparents because of it. And most of all, you will appreciate your education more and be more intelligent about your life in the world. Thank you.)," said Balboa in a text message.
On April 5, "Graduation Day" will be shown at Vista Taguig, Vista Evia, Vista Bataan, Vista Pampanga, Vista Dasma, Vista Malolos, and Vista Nomo.
In March, the movie 'Graduation Day' received accolades from the Gintong Parangal 2026 awards: Oropesa, best actress; Gonzales, best actor; and Balboa, best director.
Before stepping behind the camera, Balboa had made a name for himself appearing in bold and sexy films. But his ambitions stretched far beyond the screen.
He eventually made a pivotal shift into academia, lending his knowledge and experience to students at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the University of Makati, and Far Eastern University. It was in the classroom, he says, where he truly found his calling—convinced that he was born to be a teacher.
Now, Balboa channels all of that lived experience into his latest project—the drama film "Graduation Day."
The director, who carries himself with the quiet confidence of someone who has reinvented himself more than once, revealed that the story draws heavily from his own life, making it a deeply personal work.
"I'm a simple person. Gusto ko yung may maiiwan akong marka. As a writer-director, gusto kong mag-iwan ng pelikulang tatatak. Yung hindi ka mapapahiya sa pelikula mo dahil may kapupulutan ka ng aral. Gusto ko ng mga philosophical movies" (I like movies that leave a mark. As a writer-director, I want to leave a lasting impression. Movies that you won't be ashamed of because they teach you something. I like philosophical movies.)," said Balboa about his film.
Balboa, known in real life as Elmer Anisco, has proven he is indeed the “Educated Hunk” of Philippine showbiz. He completed his master's degree in two and a half years with a high overall average of 1.13, equivalent to summa cum laude, despite a hectic schedule of tourism advocacy, teaching, showbiz events, theater, modeling projects, and managing his food business.
“Actually, I've spent 34 years of 'continuous' or 'non-stop' years of studying. Ten years in elementary and high school, 17 years in undergraduate studies, and five years in BS Architecture at PUP.
"Then I pursued my studies at UP Diliman, completing an additional two years each in BA Film and Audio-Visual Communication, BA Anthropology, and BA Philosophy, and an additional one year each in BS Landscape Architecture, BA Communication Research, BA Linguistics, and BA Psychology. I also pursued an MA in Anthropology and an MA in Philosophy for three years.
"I went back to PUP. I completed an MA in English Language Teaching and an MA in Communication (non-thesis) over four years, followed by an MA in Filipino (including a thesis) over 2.5 years. I even took plenty of certificates and short courses every semester break,” Dante also revealed.