The new iWant app officially launched on November 17 and subscribers are in for a treat as they will get access to various original movies on the app. One of the breathtaking films that they will be able to watch is the horror movie MA directed by Kenneth Lim Dagatan.

In an interview with Cinema One, Kenneth shared that MA is actually inspired by a true story.

“Actually, It really happened. When I was 8 years old I think? Our neighbor was stabbed to death. That’s where the idea came from. Not the whole thing though, just the idea of the woman being stab. It scared the hell out of me when I saw some police officers carry the dead body. After getting that idea, elements start to come to that idea and it grows throughout the years while writing the concept. Lots of the ideas are inspired by some of my favorite films and some bible references. And Dodo – my co-writer, really helped me a lot fleshing the ideas out, to make it unique,” Kenneth shared.

MA is Kenneth’s debut movie and he remarked that he really enjoyed making the film. “We really had fun shooting the film! Everyone in the team is easy to work with! And I’m very lucky to have Bianca, Bradley and Iana – my producers, and their team who helped me out throughout the creative process in making the film,” he said.

If there was one particular thing that he found challenging during filming, it was the limited shooting time of his child actors. “I think the hardest part of shooting the film is directing the kids and the animal and knowing that the kids have shooting-time limit and we need to finish the scene before 10PM,” he said.

MA received rave reviews at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival, where it was screened before it was launched on the iWant app. Kenneth said that he was really surprised by the great reviews. “The funny thing is, I walked out from the cinema, just seeing the first shot and nervously waited outside the cinema – walking back and forth. I was anxious, thinking if our film works. And surprisingly, after the one-time-screening, almost everyone loves the film. And I was happy that the everyone’s hard work paid off,” he stated.

Now that MA is streaming on the iWant app, Kenneth remarked that the app will truly help more filmmakers to expand their craft.

“Personally, I think what iWant is doing is really good for the industry especially for the filmmakers – having another platform to tell their unique stories. And Filipinos will be exposed to different kind of stories, different from what they’re used to see in cinemas. And they will enjoy it more because it’s for free,” he said.

Watch MA now streaming on iWant app.