Filipina-Mexican-American actress-singer Eva Noblezada shines in her debut feature film role in “Yellow Rose”. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions

MANILA—Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) on Thursday announced it acquired worldwide rights, excluding the Philippines, to the Filipino movie "Yellow Rose."

The film, which tells the story of a Filipino-American teen who dreams of becoming a country music star while facing the threat of deportation, is the first Filipino film acquired by Sony for theatrical release in the US, the company said.

"'Yellow Rose' has been a labor of passion for over 15 years and I’m thrilled that we can now share this very relevant story with the world," said its director, Filipino-American Diane Paragas.

"We have the added honor of representing the real experiences of Filipino-Americans, Asian-Americans and all immigrants seeking a better life in America."

"Yellow Rose" stars 2-time Tony Award nominee Eva Noblezada, Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, Princess Punzalan, Dale Watson, Gustavo Gomez, Libby Villari and Liam Booth.

The film also features original songs developed for the film, written and composed by Watson, Paragas, Noblezada and Thia Megia.

"Yellow Rose" premiered at this year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival where it received the grand jury award and breakout performance award for Noblezada. It will also screen at Austin Film Festival on Oct. 28 and Hawaii International Film Festival in November.

The film, an ABS-CBN Cinematografo Originals seed grand winner in 2017, will be distributed in Philippine theaters by ABS-CBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment organization.