Filipino-produced docu on Paco Larranaga, "Give Up Tomorrow," wins at Tribeca Filmfest

A documentary on Paco Larranaga's plight with the Philippine justice system, "Give Up Tomorrow," wins big at the 10th Tribeca Film Festival in New York city. The movie, which documents Paco's conviction and "wrongful" incarceration for the rape and murder of sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong in 1997, bagged the Heineken Audience Award and brought home $25,000 in cash prizes. The film is directed by Michael Collins and produced by Filipino Marty Syjuco who is Larranaga's brother-in-law.

The Heineken Audience Award is chosen by the audience themselves, completing a nomination ballot after viewing of films participating in the Festival.

A description of the film is found in the Tribeca Film Festivalwebsite:

In 1997, Paco Larrañaga was arrested for the murder of sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong on a provincial island in the Philippines. Though 35 witnesses could attest to his obvious innocence, Paco and 6 co-defendants were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Their sentence was raised to death by lethal injection in 2004 until the Spanish government (Paco was a dual citizen of Spain and the Philippines) intervened and helped abolish the Philippine death penalty entirely. Over the next 13 years, his case became the highest profile in the nation's history, and the focal point in a far-reaching exposé of gross miscarriage of justice. Paco spent 12 years in a Philippine prison before being transferred to Spain in 2009. He remains imprisoned there today.

In 2004, filmmakers Michael Collins and Marty Syjuco quit their jobs and flew to the Philippines to tell Paco's story in Give Up Tomorrow.

read more...

From "Here Comes the Boom" to "Miss Saigon," Charice "might" play Kim

Philippine international singing and YouTube sensation "might" bag the coveted role Kim breathed to life and popularized by Lea Salonga in the award-winning musical "Miss Saigon." Lea Salonga went on to win various international awards too, an Olivier and a Tony statuette among them.

Charice might play Kim as it is rumored that a movie version is in the works for the beloved Asian-fronted musical. The director of the "upcoming" film is said to be Lee Daniels of the "Precious" fame, the movie highly supported by media mogul Oprah Winfrey. Oprah also highly supported Charice and was paramount in Charice's break into Hollywood following the latter's appearance on Oprah's show and her introduction to record producer David Foster.

If Charice gets Kim's role, this just might be her biggest break. Charice has been making waves in the international scene, bagging Sunshine Corazaon for "Glee" and a number of Hollywood movies, "Here Comes the Boom" opposite Salma Hayek coming soon, and a string of hits in the music charts, "Pyramid" a noted single.

read more...

Jericho's international movie "Subject I Love You" screens tomorrow at Regency Lido Theater for annual film fest

Young Filipino thespian Jericho Rosales' Hollywood movie will be screened tomorrow at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the only movie from the Philippines to be included in the roster of international flicks shortlisted for the yearly event. A total of 350 films from 40 countries take part in this annual showcase of the best in movies.

Jericho's movie will be screened at the Regency Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido,
Newport Beach, California at 5:30 PM. Accordingly, the event is sold out but interested individuals are advised to check the Box Office for availability of tickets or to call (949) 253-2880.

Jericho plays a computer whiz smitten by a girl who created a computer virus to catch the latter's attention, much like the Love Bug although a work of fiction. Jericho is looking for distributorship for this film and to hopefully break into Hollywood.

read more...

Decades' best 10 films bared by nation's oldest critics

The 10 best films of the decade, movies made from 2000 through 2009, were recently released by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the country’s oldest critics’ group. It lists films helmed by the country's best directors and new-breed of digital/independent filmmakers as follows (in chronological order): "Batang West Side" (2001) by Lav DIaz, “Tuhog” (2001) by Jeffrey Jeturian, “Babae sa Breakwater” (2003) by Mario O’Hara, “Magnifico” (2003) by Maryo J. de los Reyes, “Ebolusyon ng Pamilyang Pilipino” (2004) by Lav Diaz, “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” (2005) by Auraeus Solito, “Kubrador” (2006) by Jeffrey Jeturian, and Brillante Mendoza's “Serbis” (2008), “Kinatay” (2009) and “Lola” (2009). It is noteworthy to add that all 10 films were independently made, although a few with big studio backing (i.e. Tuhog produced by Lily Monteverde's Regal Films).

The filmmakers will be honored on May 7 through the critic's annual awards, Gawad Urian, now on it's 34th year.

read more...

Jericho Rosales goes Hollywood

Philippine matinee idol and seasoned thespian Jericho Rosales is all set to debut his acting chops in Hollywood as he lead stars in the movie "Subject I Love You" that will debut in the Newport Beach Film Festival, an annual film fest held in Orange County, California and one that will run today, April 28, through May 5.

Jericho plays a computer whiz smitten by a girl who created a computer virus to catch the latter's attention, much like the Love Bug although a work of fiction. Jericho is looking for distributorship for this film and to hopefully break into Hollywood. 350 films from 40 countries take part in this annual showcase of the best in movies.

read more...

Cee Lo's costume designer for new music video is Filipino

Cee Lo Green who made a massive hit song out of "Forget You" has chosen a top Filipino designer to custom-made his flamboyant costumes for his soon to be released music video "I Want You." The top Filipino designer who was named "Designer of the Week" at Los Angeles' Fashion Week El Paseo Palm Springs held last March is no other than Oliver Tolentino.

Oliver reportedly made two outfits for Cee Lo Green, dubbed as The Male Lady Gaga: a robin egg blue suit embellished with embroidery and Swarovski crystals with a furry’ overcoat made of Philippine raw silk cocoon from Aklan and a bright red suit embellished with gold embroidery, beads, and Swarovski crystals with a Liberace-inspired cape of peacock fabric and gold embroidery as reported by ABS-CBN. The clothes were made in the Philippines.

read more...

ESPN Magazine's Best Paid Athlete for 2010 is Manny Pacquiao

Philippine boxing great Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao was recently conferred the title of Best Paid Athlete for 2010 by ESPN Magazine for reportedly amassing $32 million, 1.38 billion in local currency, from the two matches he fought and successfully won in 2010, those against Joshua Clottey in March and Antonio Margarito in November.

The pound-for-pound boxing champ shares the number one spot with Alex Rodriguez, an American baseball player, who reportedly earned the same amount, $32 million.

Aside from juggling his passion for boxing and in serving his constituents as a Sarangani congressman, Manny also delves into local showbiz, appearing in a weekly TV show of his own and in various TV, billboard and print advertisements. He is also set to release an international single.

The "fighter of the decade" is set to unleash his boxing fury once again as he is slated to fight Shane Mosley on May 7, 2011.

read more...

Bruno Mars is one of TIME's 100 Most Influential

Filipino-Puerto Rican singer and worldwide music sensation Bruno Mars made it to Time's 100 Most Influential People list for 2011. Bruno Mars is born to Filipino Bernadette and Puerto Rican Pete Hernandez. He ranks at number 64 and joins a powerhouse list of "artists and activists, reformers and researchers, heads of state and captains of industry" and whose "ideas spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution" according to the Time website.

The 25-year-old singer-songwriter made a Billboard number one hit out of "Just the Way You Are," a song that gave him his first Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performace last February 13, 2011.

Bruno Mars has spawned other hits "Grenade" and "Marry You" and collaborated in hit song "Billionaire" with Travie McCoy and "F*** You" hitmaker Cee Lo Green for "The Other Side." "The Lazy Song" is Bruno Mars third single off his album "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" and is currently making the rounds in radio stations worldwide and charting on the US top 20 charts.

He was also recently nominated for 11 awards at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards to be aired on US channel ABC on May 22, 2011.

read more...

Charice appears on Glee for the second time

Philippine international singing and YouTube sensation wows Glee fans around the globe as she reprises her role as Sunshine Corazon on the popular musical program on US telly Glee. Charice made her second Glee appearance on episode 17 called "A Night of Neglect."

Charice belted a spot-on rendition of a Celine Dion classic "All By Myself." On said episode, Glee who is now a member of McKinley High Schoo's top rival Vocal Adrenaline, asks to perform for a benefit concert for the decathlon team with which Charice is also a member of. New Directions members agree to Charice's character joining the concert as she was to bring her many followers on Twitter.

Charice's version of All By Myself soon was released on iTunes as a downloadable single.

read more...

Indie film "Busong" makes it to Cannes

Philippine indie film "Busong" will be showcased as one of the 21 feature films at the Director's Fornight at the Cannes. The inclusion of the film was announced yesterday and it is from independent filmmaker Auraeus Solito.

"Busong," karma in a local dialect, was shot in Palawan and stars Alessandra de Rossi as Punay who is born with wounds on her feet that she cannot step on the earth. The story revolves around the search of Punay and his brother Angkarang, who carries the former in a hammock, for a healer and in the process meets different people along the way: a woman looking for her husband, a fisherman who lost his boat, and a young man who is searching for himself.

Auraeus Solito also helmed international film festival favorite "And Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros," his first and one that brought him 15 international awards.

read more...

Charice back on Glee's A Night of Neglect

Philippine international singing and YouTube sensation Charice Pempengco will once again grace the highly popular American TV series "Glee" in the show's 17th episode called "A Night of Neglect" airing on April 19 on the Fox network.

Charice will be reprising her role as Sunshine Corazon, a Filipina-exchange student that became a threat to lead glee front Rachel Berry (Lea Michelle) when she auditioned for McKinley High School's New Directions but the former changed heart and joined Vocal Adrenaline.

Charice is set to perform a Celine Dion classic, "All By Myself," and which will be released as a digital single on iTunes.

read more...

Mara Clara nominated for 2011 BANFF World Media Awards

Popular Philippine primetime program Mara Clara, a remake of the classic ABS-CBN soap opera of the same name that started airing in 1992 and made superstardom status out of Judy Ann Santos and Gladys Reyes, bagged a nomination at the 2011 BANFF World Media Awards, also known as the Rockies, under the Fiction category (Soap Operas and Telenovelas).

The current program, currently playing on ABS-CBN's weeknight lineup and topping ratings from AGB Nielsen and Kantar Media-TNS, stars rising superstars Kathryn Bernardo as Mara, previously played by Judy Ann Santos, and Julia Montes, portraying Gladys Reyes.

Other international soaps nominated are Bread, Love and Dream from South Korea (aka The Baker King seen nightly on GMA), Coronation Street (UK), Days of Our Lives (USA), Eva Luna (USA), and The Queen of the South (USA).

The 2011 BANFF World Media Awards will announce its winners on June 12, 2011 at the AOL Canada Theatre.

read more...

Filipino-Puerto Rican Bruno Mars gets 11 noms at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards

Filipino-Puerto Rican Peter Gene Hernandez, popularly known as Bruno Mars, gets a buzzworthy 11 nominations at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards to be aired on US channel ABC on May 22, 2011. The 25-year-old singer-songwriter made a Billboard number one hit out of "Just the Way You Are," a song that gave him his first Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performace last February 13, 2011.

Bruno Mars is nominated for the following categories:
Top new artist
Top male artist
Top Hot 100 artist
Top digital songs artist
Top radio songs artist
Top Hot 100 song : “Just the Way You Are“
Top digital song : “Just the Way You Are”
Top radio song : “Just the Way You Are”
Top streaming song (audio) : “Just the Way You Are”
Top pop song : “Just the Way You Are”
Top rap song : “Nothin’ on You” with B.O.B.

Bruno Mars is born to Filipino Bernadette and Puerto Rican Pete Hernandez and has spawned other hits "Grenade" and "Marry You" and collaborated in hit song "Billionaire" with Travie McCoy and "F*** You" hitmaker Cee Lo Green for "The Other Side." "The Lazy Song" is Bruno Mars third single off his album "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" and is currently making the rounds in radio stations worldwide and charting on the US top 20 charts.

read more...

Filipino Fashion Designer Michael Cinco on America's Next Top Model Cycle 16

Renowned Filipino designer now based in Dubai Michael Cinco was on the popular US reality TV program America's Next Top Model. Michael Cinco, known for his Haute Couture collections, had his creations featured on episode eight of ANTM titled "Lana Marks" aired on April 13, 2011.

His couture were made out of "safety pins, rubber bands, broken mirrors, cellophane, garbage bags and old parachutes" and was well liked by ANTM host and retired supermodel Tyra Banks.

America's Next Top Model Cycle 16 is aired on CWTV.

read more...

GMA bags 3 and ABS-CBN 2 Trophies at 2011 New York Festivals

Two of the Philippines biggest networks recently brought home accolades at the recently concluded New York Festivals TV and Film Awards Ceremony held in conjunction with the Nab Show in Las Vegas. GMA 7 went home with three awards: a bronze in the Music Video category for the cinematic version of the “Lupang Hinirang,” another bronze award in the Social Issues/Current Events category for I-Witness' “Paraisong Uhaw,” and a silver trophy in the Special Report in News: Reports/Features category for Biyaheng Totoo. ABS-CBN 2 on the other hand got a silver and a bronze medal for its Storyline under the biography-profiles and community portraits categories.

read more...

Charice collabs with Bruno Mars for Before It Explodes

Filipina international singing and YouTube sensation Charice Pempengco collaborates with half-Filipino Bruno Mars for the former's latest offering, Before It Explodes.

Before It Explodes will be released as Charice's carrier single on April 18 at Amazon and then iTunes. Louder is another song that the Filipina singer will be releasing this May.

It's worth to note that Before It Explodes was first sang by Alexandra Burke, fifth winner of the British reality TV series X Factor.

read more...

Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011 Shamcey Supsup is Magna Cum Laude

Reigning Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2011 Shamcey Supsup personifies "beauty and brains." The 24-year-old beauty queen bagged the coveted Universe crown of the Bb. Pilipina beauty tilt held last night at the Araneta Coliseum.

Ms. Supsup is a product of the University of the Philippines in Diliman where she graduated magna cum laude. Aside from her impressive scholastic credentials, she also went on to top the June 2010 Architect Licensure Examination given by the Professional Regulation Commission with a weighted grade of 86.60 percent.

Ms. Supsup will be representing the country in the Miss Universe pageant to be held in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.

read more...

Charice to star in Hollywood movie "Here Comes the Boom"?

Rumor mill has it that Filipina international singing and Youtube sensation Charice Pempengco will star alongside Salma Hayek (Frida, Bandidas), Kevin James (Hitch), and Joe Rogan (TV's Just Shoot Me) in a film to be directed by Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer). The film is rumored to be "Here Comes the Boom" and Charice is purported to play the character Malia in a film where a physics teacher "desperate to save jobs and programs at his fiscally challenged high school, begins moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter" according to IMDb.

The film is expected to be released sometime June of 2012.

read more...

Fil-Am Thia Megia gets booted off American Idon Season 10

Filipino-American singer Thia Megia was booted off the American Idol Season 10 on its elimination episode. Her Idol journey ended on the 31st of March, alongside that of Naima Adepapo. Two contestants were eliminated because the previous week, where the contestants sang Motown, fellow Idol finalist Casey Abrams was saved by the judges. On "Elton John" week, Thia went back to her semi-acoustic ballads and sang Daniel but the American viewers were obviously not drawn into her performance.

Thia Megia is not new to big-stage competitions as she belted her way into the quarterfinals of another popular American reality TV program America's Got Talent in 2009.

read more...