Gamers and movie enthusiasts found a way to come together in one roof at the exclusive block screening of the movie “GG (Good Game)” over at Cinema ’76 Movie Society, hosted by Gamer Girls Philippines, a community dedicated to bringing together female hardcore gamers and game enthusiasts together.

The event, co-presented by Bewell C and SEAesport, was a way for the members of Gamer Girls Philippines to talk about their mutual love for games and gaming culture under one roof: the quaint Cinema ’76, located at the corner of Tomas Morato Ave, Diliman, Quezon City. Members of the group were able to enjoy the event free of charge as a perk of being part of such a cool collective and were even treated to fun freebies which included sticker packs including one that features the characters of GG and various references to the movie as well as a cute Pixel-themed mini tote bag to carry all of them in.

To celebrate the occasion, a few words were given by Courtney Sayson and Abby Lampa, founding members of the collective. There were also the surprise guests of the night: actors Kaleb Ong and Johannes Rissler, whom also expressed their gratitude to the attendees and their brand partners as the audience gave gleeful cheers as we all got together and got ready to watch “GG”.

Now, “GG” or “Good Game” is essentially about Seth as he navigates through life trying to reestablish his bond with his mother Iya and pursuing his dreams as a professional gamer and lead player of an esports team. All the while juggling his family and school, Seth lives a double-life as ‘Es|<ape’ (pronounced Eskape), the leader and star player of an e-sports team.

With the bonus of it being the first e-sports movie in the Philippines, “GG” is really a heartwarming tale about the things that tie us together and drive us to our passions. The movie is clearly made with care and passion from all fronts, with Donny Pangilinan and Maricel Laxa, a real-life mother-and-son duo who give a heartwarming performance as Seth and Iya. Notable highlights also include Baron Geisler, who plays Coach Kurt; the coach of the protagonist team ‘Tokwa’t Bad Bois’ as well as Boots Anson- Roa who plays Seth’s grandmother and the late Ronaldo Valdez, who plays Seth’s grandfather.

The movie perfectly captures the rush of e-sports gaming; the tension of tactical gameplay and the frustration of incorrect execution of first-shooter commands and calls. Despite the movie featuring a fictional game called ‘Requiem,’ it also manages to capture the camaraderie of players universally. It also helps that the movie uses authentic social media platforms such as Discord, including a choice sequence of characters being in a somewhat pixelated environment to convey their connection via their computers; an artistic choice that pays off in spades. My personal favourite scenes in the movie in no particular order is a montage scene between the ‘Tokwa’t Bad Bois’ set to a bop, an exploration of where their esports team name came from, which features a delightful cameo that I will not be spoiling and the plot twist of the movie, which did manage to tug at my heartstrings quite a bit.

To end the event, attendees got to experience the perk of being part of the Gamer Girls Philippines community with a giveaway. Two lucky members received another goodie bag of treats and the event was capped off with a group shot of all the attendees with happy faces and fun all around.

Overall, good times was had by all and to take a page from Seth / Es|<ape: GG.