We had high hopes for the beleaguered local film industry after the Metro Manila Film Festival’s (MMFF) sumptuous cinematic buffet last December and the CinePanalo competition in March. But in the five months that followed the MMFF, big-screen duds (like “Ex Ex Lovers,” “Everything About My Wife”) quickly outnumbered small cinematic gems like Derick Cabrido’s...
Category: Film/TV
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Lav Diaz’s ‘Magellan’ is the Philippines’ official entry to the Oscars
First, there were seven—all well-made films of different genres and themes reflective of Philippine realities. But only one could be chosen as the Philippines’ official entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the Oscar Awards. The verdict: “Magellan,” a film by Lav Diaz starring the Mexican actor Gael García Bernal and which premiered at...
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In search of the missing and to disrupt the status quo, one film at a time
“On April 28, 2007, 36-year-old Jonas Burgos was having lunch in a mall in Quezon City when six armed men and a woman, who identified themselves as police, forcibly took him, dragging him like a pig and forcing him into a vehicle. As he was being abducted, witnesses reported him shouting, ‘Aktibista lang po ako...
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‘KPop Demon Hunters’ keeps breaking records and making history
“KPop Demon Hunters” has raised the already fervent Hallyu wave, especially in the Philippines, since its premiere on June 20. The Korean-American animated film has sent explosive ripples worldwide, dominating Netflix ranks and music charts—and making history. “The Philippines loves Korea. That’s why it’s a hit,” Jacqueline Alvarez, a Filipino working mom, said of the...
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Henry Golding on making his first TV series and creating his favorite characters
Some actors are creatures of habit, so they’re often seen doing variations of the same characters and themes. But not if movie heartthrob Henry Golding can help it. Indeed, while the handsome 38-year-old British Malaysian actor is more known for his hunky leading-man roles in films like “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Last Christmas,” “A Simple Favor”...
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‘Unfailingly sweet, phenomenal’: Mark Strong on working with Dolly de Leon and Chai Fonacier
You can’t be a film buff if you aren’t familiar with Mark Strong’s cinematic oeuvre. As versatile as he is prolific, the British actor boasts a body of work that has as many award-winning films (“The Imitation Game,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “1917”) as it has blockbuster titles (“Kingsman: The Secret Service,”...
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Why Dolly de Leon sought Sister Mary John’s advice for her role in Nicole Kidman series
Dolly de Leon generated much buzz for her portrayal of an overseas Filipino worker on an ill-fated luxury yacht in Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness.” Her performance in that Palme d’Or-winning 2022 dark comedy clinched the homegrown Filipino actress a best supporting performer trophy from the LA Film Critics Association and best supporting actress nominations...
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To open a critical space, a room for everyone, in making video and film art
At a time when the world is on the verge of collapse, when news reports demonstrate the regressive directions to which many countries are turning, the necessity of creating critical spaces becomes more urgent. The latest decision of the UK Supreme Court defining women as purely biological is just one of the cultural, political and...
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Viola Davis packs a mean punch as a crime-busting US president
Long before Hollywood actress Viola Davis turned the quasihistorical 2022 film “The Woman King” into a No. 1 blockbuster, she was already looking for “Die Hard”-channeling action heroines to portray onscreen. In a statement released last week, Davis recalled meeting with the filmmakers behind “G20” for the first time in 2016. Helmed by Patricia Riggen,...
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No sophomore slump for CinePanalo film festival
Indie productions have always been a source of pride and storytelling innovation for Philippine cinema. When the mainstream industry was having a hard time keeping its head above water in the early aughts, it was indie filmmaking that lifted it out of the creative doldrums, especially after Cinemalaya was launched in 2005. Without the indies,...