MANILA -- Samantha Lee's sapphic sports film "Rookie," winner of the Audience Award in the 2023 Cinemalaya Film Festival, is coming to Prime Video.

"Rookie" will start streaming on October 19, Prime Video announced on Thursday.

Love can bloom anywhere, even across the court. 🏐

Don’t miss #RookieFilm, streaming this October 19 only on Prime Video!#PatTingjuy @ayafernandez_ @agot_isidro pic.twitter.com/n63vKvl9PW

— Prime Video Philippines (@primevideoph) September 28, 2023

The film, which stars Aya Fernandez and Pat Tingjuy, tells the story of a basketball player who is forced to learn volleyball after transferring to a new school that does not have a hoops team. Initially reluctant, Ace's (Tingjuy) perspective changes, due in large part to Coach Jules (Agot Isidro) and their team captain Jana (Fernandez), whom she falls for.

• Cinemalaya review: Sapphic romcom 'Rookie' brings the kilig
• 'This win is ours': Why audience award 'matters most' for 'Rookie' director Samantha Lee

"Rookie" was one of the big winners in the Cinemalaya awards night last August, taking home the Audience Choice trophy, the Best Actress award for Tingjuy, and Best Editing.

Lee said the Audience Award "matters the most to me in every festival that I am lucky enough to be in."

"I am a filmmaker who wants to please my audience; to make them feel safe, seen, heard, and validated, in a world that is still rigged against us," she said in an Instagram post. "There are lessons we learn from the films that we make and I'm lucky enough to be able to continue to learn from 'Rookie' everyday."

Meanwhile, both Tingjuy and Fernandez have expressed their gratitude for the support for the film, with most screenings sold out during its brief run in cinemas.

• 'Very, very grateful': Aya Fernandez, Pat Tingjuy in awe of support for 'Rookie'
• 'Sino ba ako?' Rookie's Pat Tingjuy reflects on first role, Cinemalaya win

"I'm just very, very grateful. Siguro reading the comments, the people sharing their reflections, sentiments … people saying that they feel seen, na sana this is the film that they wish they have seen when they were younger," said Fernandez.

"Parang, wow, I'm so honored to be part of this project, and 'yung contribution ko nga, not that I'm downplaying anything, but I really feel like all credit goes to the makers of the film," she added.

"Getting all the compliments from everyone, people messaging me and they're thanking me for representing the community, I'm so grateful for that. As in, grabe 'yung pag-share nila ng stories nila sa akin. Binabasa ko lahat 'yun," said Tingjuy, for her part.

• 'Rookie' a 'dream come true' for Aya Fernandez

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