NCCA, FDCP to screen Himala
THE SECOND leg of Mga Hiyas ng Sineng Filipino, a program by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) that aims to bring back the most important restored films of Philippine Cinema to the big screen, will kick off on Sept. 25. The first leg of the program last February featured the films Dalagang Ilocana by Olive La Torre, Pagdating sa Dulo by Ishmael Bernal, and Sana Maulit Muli by Olivia M. Lamasan. On Sept. 25, the Bernal classic Himala, starring National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor and written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, will be screened at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila. This will be followed by a discussion with Ms. Aunor and Mr. Lee. The exact schedules for the screening and talkback will be announced later on the NCCA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/NCCAOfficial).
GMA Regional TV rebrands newscast, expands area
AS GMA Network’s regional arm, Regional TV, continues to strengthen its news hubs across the Philippines, the producers of the local newscast GMA Regional TV Balitang Amianan rebranded the program as GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon beginning Sept. 5. GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon now services a wider coverage area — which includes the provinces of Pangasinan, Benguet, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Isabela, Cagayan, Quezon Province, and Zambales — via the channels GMA TV 10 Dagupan, GMA TV 13 Aparri, GMA TV 7 Tuguegarao, GMA TV 5 Mt. Amuyao, GMA TV 7 Santiago, GMA TV 5 Baler, and GMA TV 10 Olongapo. Viewers in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, and Batanes see the newscast on GMA TV 5 Ilocos Norte, GMA TV 48 Ilocos Sur, GMA TV 7 Abra, and GMA TV 7 Batanes. GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon airs on weekdays at 5 p.m. via GMA Regional TV channels on free TV and on GMA Affordabox and GMA Now.
Sarah Brightman coming to PHL in December
ENGLISH soprano and Grammy Award-nominated artist Sarah Brightman takes her A Christmas Symphony Tour around the world for the first time. The tour will be coming to the Philippines on Dec. 7. To be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Presented by Wilbros Live, the show will feature Ms. Brightman’s renditions of classics from the Christmas canon, along with personal holiday favorites and many of her greatest hits while accompanied by an orchestra and a choir. Known as the world’s best-selling soprano and a UNESCO Artist for Peace Ambassador, Ms. Brightman originated the role of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera on both West End and Broadway stages and has performed at such events including the Concert for Diana, The Kennedy Center Honors and the Barcelona and Beijing Olympic Games. Her most recent full-length studio album, HYMN, was released in 2018 and debuted at No. 1 on the Classical and Classical Crossover Billboard charts. Tickets to Sarah Brightman: A Christmas Symphonyin Manila will go on sale on Sept. 10, 10 a.m., via TicketNet.com.ph and TicketNet outlets nationwide. For more information, call 8911-5555.
Running Man Philippines goes to Korea
THE REALITY game show Running Man Philippinespremiered on GMA-7 on Sept. 3. It is the first co-production of GMA Network and SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System), one of South Korea’s largest networks. Glaiza de Castro, Ruru Madrid, Kokoy de Santos, Lexi Gonzales, Angel Guardian, Buboy Villar, and Mikael Daez are the runners. In the pilot episode, they fly to Seoul and arrive at the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. The runners need to find characters in the Korean alphabet hidden around the location and must spell out their names in order to earn their name tags. Later, they fire arrows at the Suwon Hwaseong National Archery Field to find out who gets to lead the two teams in the second mission, the Catch the Tail Race. The South Korean reality game show Running Man is known for its outrageous missions — wacky games and races held in different locations with runners competing to gain advantages for the final mission. Running Man Philippines airs on GMA Weekend Primetime on Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. and on Sundays at 7:50 p.m. on GMA-7.
Globe celebrates GDay
THIS year, Globe is back with a 917 GDay celebration with the G Music Fest on Sept. 17. The G Music Festis a hybrid event that will feature some of the best talents in music, entertainment, culture, and art. The live experience will be at the Globe Circuit Event Grounds, Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati, and will also be streamed online through Globe VH Metaverse. Seventeen local and international acts are slated to participate, including Thai indie-pop singer-songwriter Phum Viphurit and Kpop act BugABoo, a six-member South Korean girl group, in their first live Philippines performance. Other confirmed musical acts are homegrown talents The Juans, Kaia, Matthaios, Unique, I Belong to the Zoo, JOEM, Lola Amour, Arthur Miguel, and Paul Pablo, and some surprise guests. Globe has also invited contemporary artist-designer Leeroy New to showcase his larger-than-life art installations and the event. Festival goers will also have the chance to own their first Non-Fungible Token (NFT) through Globe’s partnership with MetaverseGo. The two brands have joined forces to create Gudi, a unique NFT in celebration of 917 #ExtraGDay which can be redeemed using Globe Rewards points. Digital natives can also try out activity booths and win vouchers from apps like TikTok, Tinder, foodpanda, and Kumu. The G Music Fest Festival Pass pre-selling period is ongoing until Sept. 9 and the regular sale period will be from Sept. 10 to 17. Festival Passes may be redeemed for 15 Globe Rewards Points via the Globe One app or for P917 via Tickelo during the pre-selling period, and 30 Globe Rewards Points via the Globe One app or P1,500 via Tickelo during the regular sale period. For the complete list of performers and activities, check the New Globe One app or visit http://glbe.co/GDay.
SB19 releases new single, to hold concert
JUST before embarking on a concert tour, P-pop group SB19 has released a new single, “WYAT [Where You At],” produced by SB19 member Pablo and his brother Josue. The new track is accompanied by amusic video that is built around the themes of time travel and connection. SB19 will kick off the WYAT [Where You At] Tour on Sept. 17 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, to be followed by a series of shows in Clark, Cebu, and Davao. The tour will go global in the coming months, with performances in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. For details on the shows, visit the group’s social media accounts. “WYAT” is available on all digital music platforms worldwide.
Cine México film fest returns to Shangri-La Plaza
AFTER THREE years, the Embassy of Mexico in the Philippines brings back the Cine México film festival on Sept. 7 to 11 at the Shangri-la Plaza’s Red Carpet. Cine México will screen six films from various genres that offer a glimpse of modern Mexican culture. It opens with La Promesa (The Promise), a 2018 production by Oscar Blancarte that was selected as the Outstanding Feature Film at the 15th Annual Sacramento Film Awards. Set in a small rural Mexican town, the film is about the bond that forms between an intelligent rebellious boy and his teacher who fell into depression after his wife left him. The other films are: the 2015 comedy Ella es Ramona (She is Ramona), directed by Hugo Rodriguez, about a woman who struggled all her life with her weight then finds magical beetles that may finally change her luck; 90 Dias para el 2 de Julio (90 Days to Election Day), a 2021 film by Rafael Martinez Garcia about a young man who hides throughout the presidential elections after his boyfriend, who is the presidential candidate of a very conservative party, asks him to; Fuego Adentro (Fire Within) is a 2020 movie by Jesús Mario Lozano about a lonely and repentant man who hides in a remote mountain village until his younger brother finds him with news, change their lives forever; El Mar entre las Casas (The Sea between the Houses), a 2020 film directed by Juan Pablo García Gordillo, revolves around a biologist who returns home after the death of his mother to settle her affairs, then meets and falls in love with his neighbor; and the award-winning Después de Lucia (After Lucia), a 2012 Michel Franco film about Alejandra who struggled to start anew in a new city with her father after the death of her mother, Lucia. All films will be screened in Spanish, with English subtitles. Entrance is free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Restored classic Kakabakaba Ka Ba? streamed
A CLASSIC Filipino musical-comedy — the digitally restored version of LVN Pictures’ 1980 film Kakabakaba Ka Ba? — is now streaming on KTX in its Sagip Pelikula Spotlight. Directed by Mike de Leon and co-written with Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo and veteran actress Raquel Villavicencio, the musical classic tells an uncanny story of two couples embroiled in a conflict between Japanese and Chinese drug syndicates. Johnny (Christopher de Leon) and his flame, the stewardess Melanie (Charo Santos), and Johnny’s friend Nonong (Jay Ilagan) and his sweetheart Nancy (Sandy Andolong) then uncover a vital malicious plot that would baffle them all. First digitally restored and remastered in 2015 by ABS-CBN Film Restoration in cooperation with L’Immagine Ritrovata, the award-winning hit from LVN streams anew alongside remastered works by Raquel Villavicencio as an homage to her various cinematic contributions. There is a pre-show interview with Film Restoration head Leo Katigbak and Ms. Villavicencio. Kakabakaba Ka Ba? and the exclusive pre-show interview are now on KTX, priced atP150 per pass and available at https://bit.ly/KKBKBonKTX. Also featured on the latest installment of Sagip Pelikula Spotlight for Villavicencio are Himala, Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit, Ikaw Pa Lang Ang Minahal, Separada, and Sukob. For more details on its upcoming film showings, follow ABS-CBN Film Restoration on Facebook (facebook.com/filmrestorationabscbn), Twitter (@ABS_Restoration), and Instagram (@abscbnfilmrestoration).
