Did You Know? "Call Me Mother" Is the First Asian Movie to Film at Disneyland
Starring Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre, the MMFF entry is one of the only movies to have shot scenes with Mickey Mouse and his peers!
by Em Enriquez
Published on Dec 8, 2025
As the holiday season takes its course, the 51st edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival nears. Among the entries in this year's roster is Call Me Mother, a dramatic comedy that stars powerhouses Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre. Directed by Jun Robles Lana, who Vice has collaborated with prior in 2024's And the Breadwinner Is..., the film tackles themes of motherhood through its lead stars.
Ahead of its premiere, Call Me Mother enticed viewers with a trailer that depicted both lighthearted moments and emotionally-charged confrontations. Something viewers can look forward to is a dream sequence featuring Twinkle (Vice) and and her adopted son Angelo (Lucas Andalio) exploring Disneyland—a location that required a pretty rigorous process to secure.
"We are the first movie in Asia na pinayagan mag-shoot sa Disneyland," Vice proudly declared during the movie's media conference last December 5.
The trailer opens with Twinkle and Angelo entering a completely empty Hong Kong Disneyland. The two have moments of merriment with the "Fab Five"—namely, Disney's most recognizable characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy. Twinkle is brought back to reality when Angelo reminds her that he doesn't have a passport, hence making it impossible for him to visit the theme park.
Speaking of the literal dream, director Jun shares that," Nung kinukuhanan namin yun, naiiyak ako. At may oras na bingay sa amin. [We had] 15 minutes." As of the time of writing, only four other films have filmed scenes inside Disneyland, all of which were produced by companies outside Asia.
As one can imagine, enlisting Mickey to make a cameo doesn't come easily. Copyright protects anything Disney from making appearances in any form of media, and securing such requires having the right connections.
Jun states that Perci Intalan, film producer and president of The IdeaFirst Company, made use of his past work experience with Disney to make the shoot happen. "Parang ka talagang nakikipagtrabaho sa superstars," Jun says of the experience filming with the mascots. "Hindi lang namin basta ginamit yung Disneyland as a location. We had the fab five. Hindi biro makuha sila Mickey Mouse!"
Vice adds that she had spent one whole day filming in Hong Kong, while the rest of the crew shot for an additional day. "Binigyan kami ng time [na] exclusively for us. Tapos sinabay kami sa [time] na andoon yung mga tao. Hanggang sa nagsara sya, nandoon kami," she narrates.
Aside from the cartoon mouse, Call Me Mother has a star-studded line-up of actors bringing its story to life. Joining Vice, Nadine, and Lucas are veterans Chanda Romero, Carmi Martin, and John "Sweet" Lapus, comedy staples MC Muah and Iyah Mina, as well as Pinoy Big Brother alumni Brent Manalo, Mika Salamanca, Esnyr Ranollo, Klarisse De Guzman, Shuvee Etrata, and River Joseph.
Call Me Mother is an official entry to the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival and will hit cinemas on December 25. Watch its official trailer here.
Em is queer and probably daydreaming somewhere. They're Preview's associate entertainment editor who's often spotted in cowboy boots and lemon-tinted sunnies.