In the Philippines, umbag means punch. It’s also the title of an independent Filipino-American movie produced by a Santa Maria resident, Rose Dumadara Koerner. Unlike traditional executive producers, she was also involved in many more of the nitty-gritty details.
After being displeased with the first cut of Umbag, which follows two estranged sisters who go head to head in the boxing ring, Dumadara Koerner took matters into her own hands by hiring a new editor in the U.S.
Catch it in theaters
See Umbag at the Regal Edwards Santa Maria on Dec. 1 and 2. Showings are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. both nights. Call (805) 478-4784 for ticket reservations. The theater is located at 100 Town Center E. in Santa Maria. Watch the trailer on YouTube, and follow the action on Instagram @umbagfilm.
“I’m part of the editing, like, ‘OK, in this part since she’s being punched by her sister, put the sound louder to touch the audience,’” Dumadara Koerner said. “Stuff like that.”
She was also responsible for the English closed captioning of the movie, filmed in the Philippines from 2022 to 2023. Umbag explores familial themes as sisters Janice and Daniela reunite but are torn apart again, struggling inside and outside of the ring for forgiveness and redemption.
Although Umbag hasn’t been released to streaming yet, it’s made multiple appearances at international film festivals and occasionally screens at theaters in California and the Philippines. The first time it was shown to an audience was in February at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Since then, it’s won the audience award for best feature at the Indie Vegas Film Festival and best action feature film at the Golden State Film Festival, among more nominations and wins.
At the Las Vegas festival, Dumadara Koerner remembered people in the audience crying as they came out of the theater. She thinks it’s because of the theme of family resilience.
“Even if you fight, at the end of the day, it’s still family,” Dumadara Koerner said. “Blood is thicker than water.”
On Dec. 1 and 2, the film will be playing at the Regal Edwards Santa Maria theater. Screenings are planned for 6:15 and 8 p.m. both nights, and proceeds will be donated to St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, Dumadara Koerner said.
Growing up, the producer loved movies, especially the action genre, because she would watch them with her dad. She’s seen everything from kung-fu and ninja films to the work of Clint Eastwood and Jason Statham.
During movie nights, even if everyone else is already asleep, Dumadara Koerner feels the need to watch until the end. She maintains a keen eye, curious about how the film was made on the technical side. As the credits roll, she reads them all. And when she flies on airplanes, she scrolls through the foreign film section, wanting to learn how other parts of the world make movies.
“I’m a movie freak,” she said.
She didn’t expect to work in the industry until recently, but it’s been a dream for her. In 2021 Dumadara Koerner met an actress at a beauty pageant in the Philippines who connected her with a director. It made her think of her daughter, Marie, a musician who lives in Santa Maria, too.
With new connections to the film industry, Dumadara Koerner set her daughter up with music video directors. Marie filmed two videos for her own songs and then landed one of the lead roles in Umbag. Dumadara Koerner said working on the movie helped her daughter heal from the stresses of the pandemic.
For Dumadara Koerner, the film honors her hometown of Dipaculao, Aurora, in the Philippines.
“This movie, it’s made so I can help promote my province,” she said.
The producer also appreciates the community inside of a movie theater when people come to see Umbag.
“It’s an honor to be with them,” Dumadara Koerner said. “I would like them to have a great time.”
LJ Ramos, who plays Marie’s sister in the film, traveled from the Philippines to promote Umbag in the U.S. She agreed that the audience resonates with the movie because of the emotional themes.
“It’s about family, that you can forgive,” Ramos said. “The thing is, it’s not always what you see, but it’s because there’s a reason behind it.”
Though Ramos has acted in action movies for more than a decade, she’d never learned how to box. With expertise as a stuntwoman—her “passion”—she was able to take on the physical role in Umbag.
“It’s exciting, and we do a lot of trainings,” Ramos said about getting ready for the job.
Dumadara Koerner hopes that Umbag will make its way to streaming on platforms like Amazon Prime and Tubi.
“But,” she added, “our main goal is to go to Netflix.”
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 4, 2025.