# Yellow Rose (2019 film)

Yellow Rose is a 2019 musical drama film co-written and directed by Diane Paragas. An international co-production film among the Philippines and United States, it is produced by Cecilia R. Mejia, Diane Paragas, Rey Cuerdo, Orian Williams, and Jeremiah Abraham. The film stars Eva Noblezada, Dale Watson, Princess Punzalan, and Lea Salonga. The plot follows Rose, a Filipina undocumented immigrant, who dreams of leaving her small town in Texas to pursue her country music dreams. Her plan is put on hold when her mother is taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Rose is forced to flee to Austin, Texas.
The film premiered at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on May 2, 2019 and received positive reviews. Stage 6 Films acquired the film and released it on October 9, 2020.

## Cast

* Eva Noblezada as Rose Garcia
* Lea Salonga as Gail Garcia
* Dale Watson as himself
* Princess Punzalan as Priscilla Garcia
* Gustavo Gomez as Jose
* Libby Villari as Jolene
* Liam Booth as Elliot Blatnik

## Production

In May 2019, it was announced that the film would premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) on May 2, 2019. Director and screenplay writer Diane Paragas told reporters that the film has been in the works since 2004. It was also announced that Paragas would sing on the soundtrack as well as Eva Noblezada, Lea Salonga, and Dale Watson.
Principal photography began in Austin, Texas and Manila, Philippines on August 17, 2018. Filming wrapped in January 2019.

## Soundtrack

The soundtrack of the film was released by Sony Music Masterworks on October 9, 2020.
All tracks are written by Christopher Hoyt Knight except where noted

## Release

Yellow Rose premiered at the LAAPFF on May 2, 2019. It was screened at several other film festivals internationally. It won thirteen film festival awards, particularly praising Paragas' directing and Noblezada and Salonga's performances. Though the film's theatrical release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released on October 9, 2020. The film is one of the first Filipino-American films to be released by a major Hollywood studio for theatrical release.

## Reception
### Box office

Yellow Rose opened in 9th place at the US box office, taking in $150,000 in 900 theaters over its opening weekend.

### Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 87% based on 55 reviews, with an average of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A coming-of-age story with a timely twist, Yellow Rose offers a fresh -- and sweetly rewarding -- perspective on the immigrant experience." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Writing for The Philippine Reporter, Ysh Cabana wrote "Yellow Rose is the Filipino-American filmmaker’s response to the harsh reality of 21st Century America’s anti-immigrant policies."
A film critic for Minorities Report Film wrote "Yellow Rose is a much needed film that reminds everyone that we are surrounded by people that might be living in sorrow and pain"
New York Times said Paragas "spins a story that is both politically timely and personal...the music has the greatest staying power..."

### Accolades

| Year | Association | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2019 | Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival | Best Breakthrough Performance | Eva Noblezada | Won |
| 2019 | Bentonville Film Festival | Best Competition Narrative | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Asian American International Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | CAAMFest | Best Narrative | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Urbanworld Film Festival | Best Film | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Urbanworld Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Austin Film Festival | Marquee Feature | Yellow Rose | Nominated |
| 2019 | Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature Film | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | San Diego Asian Film Festival | Audience Award | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival | Menkes Audience Choice Award | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival | Fasken Martineau Best Feature Film | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Vancouver Asian Film Festival | Best Overall Feature | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2019 | Hawaii International Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2021 | Houston Film Critics Society Awards | Texas Independent Film Award | Yellow Rose | Won |
| 2021 | Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $5 Million | Yellow Rose | Nominated |