The Gawad Urian of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP) is a rare film recognition event in show business. Every year, the awards night of this group of critics is something to look forward to. Since the Urian’s inception in 1976, the state of the local movie industry has always been the central and confining...
Author: Boy Villasanta (Boy Villasanta)
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The Santacruzan as a year-round spectacle
This isn’t a stale story or one may say, news. As a matter of fact, it is still taking place, and there’s no off-season. Consider this perhaps an extension of Mayflower festivities prevalent in the month of May. No matter, however; even though it’s already June, others may argue this is timeless. Rain or shine,...
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What went wrong with the ‘Eddie Garcia bill’?
After third and final reading at the Senate, the “Eddie Garcia bill” was sent in April to the Office of the President for signing. No action has been taken so far. Meanwhile, certain quarters in the local entertainment industry have spoken about some questionable provisions in the final form of Senate Bill No. 2505, or...
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Our acting workshop was a sad-funny experience, but we never say die
I’ve discovered that traveling the extra mile to Isabela to conduct a theater and acting workshop on my own initiative for a planned film is not a walk in the park. Even looking for three girls to play the children of a mother who is also a herbalist and healer did not come easy. Such...
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Stardom, solitude, and Jaclyn Jose
By this time the ashes of actress Jaclyn Jose, who died at 60 early this month, would have been laid to rest at the Garden of the Divine Word Columbarium in Quezon City. Her older sister, the semi-retired actress Veronica Jones, believes that she is a pure soul. Indeed, she was a kind person, a...
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The mission of Artist Inc. Center and the gains of community theaters
When the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) presented Edward Perez, head of its national committee on dramatic arts, at a press conference in January to announce the launch of National Arts Month (NAM) in February, I was both proud of and excited for him. Perez spoke about his flagship projects, zeroing in on...
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‘What film can do more than what film can say’
What’s on the world cinema landscape this year? The prevailing temperament, style and substance of filmmakers and markets in the Asian capitals, including Manila? Writer-producer Roger Garcia, who was born in Hong Kong but grew up in England, is one of the best resource persons to talk about movies. He is the executive director and...
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All the past Presidents (but one) and Club Mwah
Name any past Philippine president since the 1986 Edsa Revolution. All except one went and watched the shows at Club Mwah in Mandaluyong City during their incumbency. They visited the glittery entertainment venue and enjoyed the world-class performance of its stars in colorfully designed costumes and sets. It was only Rodrigo Duterte who didn’t experience...
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Imelda Papin on being a Marcos loyalist
There are many ways to view Imelda Papin, who is regarded as “Asia’s Sentimental Songstress.” From the sociopolitical standpoint, she is not a turncoat. The public moves she makes all seem to involve her political alliances—win or lose—particularly when she sought public office in Camarines Sur and in Bulacan. She has never turned her back...
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Coming soon: the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival vs livestreaming
At the rate things are going, with most local movies screened in theaters ending up in the doldrums, what fate awaits the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)? Ten official entries will be shown in cinemas all over the country starting on Dec. 25 until Jan. 7, and elsewhere like Los Angeles, California, from Jan....