Regal Studio Presents: My Love Across The World
A 29-minute sci-fi romance that trusts its grief more than its premise
Regal Studio Presents: My Love Across The World is a short film about a skeptic and an alien who fall in love while searching for rocks from space — and somehow that setup actually works. Matthew Uy plays Benjie, a young man whose parents were both scientists before they died, leaving him with their books, their obsession with the cosmos, and a life that's been quietly orbiting the same spot ever since. Waynona Collings is Stella, his new neighbor, who walks up to his door one day and says she's from another planet the way someone might mention they're from the next town over. She needs his help finding mysterious space rocks. He doesn't believe her. He helps anyway.
That tension — skepticism and cooperation running in parallel — is where the 29-minute runtime does its best work. The film doesn't spend energy convincing you that Stella's telling the truth. Instead, it lets Benjie's disbelief and his willingness to help coexist. That's harder to pull off than it sounds, and it's what keeps the story moving.
Why this matters: Filipino anthology shorts are quietly doing something different
Regal Entertainment has been one of the Philippines' longest-running production houses for decades, and over the last few years it's been experimenting with short-form storytelling through its Regal Studio Presents anthology format — compact films designed for streaming from day one, not theatrical releases squeezed into the wrong format. My Love Across The World is part of that 2026 lineup.
The thing is, these films don't get the promotional machinery that feature films do. They sit on YouTube channels and streaming platforms without much fanfare, which means good ones disappear if you're not actively looking. This one premiered on Regal's YouTube channel on May 31, 2026, under a slightly different title — My Love Across the Universe — suggesting it may have been retitled for broader distribution. Hard to say if that was a regional distinction or an early working title, but the story stayed the same.
What's striking is how much the premise could have gone wrong. A 29-minute sci-fi romance with an alien neighbor and a grieving protagonist is the kind of logline that invites eye-rolls. But the execution leans into sincerity instead of camp — and that's a choice. A deliberate one.
The cast: Uy carries the weight, Collings keeps the mystery alive
Benjie's backstory could easily tip into melodrama. Orphaned by science, left with a passion and a void where his parents used to be. But Uy doesn't play it that way. His skepticism toward Stella reads as self-protection rather than dismissal, which gives the relationship somewhere real to go even within a tight runtime.
Waynona Collings has the harder job. She's playing someone who may or may not be telling the truth, in a story that doesn't fully tip its hand early. The balance she strikes — earnest but slightly off, warm but purposeful — is what keeps you wondering whether she's genuine or just very committed to a story. That ambiguity matters. It's the whole film.
The science fiction elements are light. There's no spectacle here. The space rocks feel less like a plot device and more like an emotional excuse — a reason for two people to spend time together. Honestly, the film plays closer to magical realism than hard sci-fi, which suits Regal's house style. If you've watched Filipino romance productions before, the tone will feel familiar even if the premise isn't.
Where to watch and what to expect
The film is currently streaming on major OTT platforms, though availability varies by region. Check Movie OTT's streaming tracker to see which services carry it where you are — saves you from checking five different apps. Since short-form anthology titles don't get the same promotional push as feature films, that tracker's actually useful here.
Runtime: 29 minutes
Released: 2026
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Cast: Matthew Uy, Waynona Collings
Production: Regal Entertainment, GMA Network, GMA Entertainment Group
This isn't a film that demands a full evening. It's built for people who want something warm without the time commitment — grief wrapped in a light sci-fi shell, anchored by two leads doing careful work with limited screen time.
Who should actually watch this
You'll want to watch My Love Across The World if you're drawn to Filipino romance storytelling, or if you just want something that doesn't overstay its welcome. It won't be for everyone — some people need bigger emotions, louder plots, more resolution. But if you're the kind of viewer who doesn't need a film to be epic to be worthwhile, this one earns its 29 minutes.
If you liked the intimacy of indie romance films or the magical realism tone of films like Always Be My Maybe, the vibe here will click. And if you're curious about what short-form anthology work looks like when it's done with actual care, this is a solid entry point into what Regal's been building.
Start here, then browse Movie OTT's collection of other Regal Studio Presents entries if you want more. The format's worth exploring.
