"Hari ng Tondo" by Carlos Siguion-Reyna & Bibeth Orteza | 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival

Haring Tondo, written by Bibeth Orteza and directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna, is an official entry to the 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival under the Directors Showcase Category. The festival runs on August 1-10, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It will also be showing in 4 Ayala Malls, namely: Greenbelt 3 Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces.

The other films of the same theme/title made in the past were all action films. This Cinemalaya film is not an action story as many had thought of, including myself, but a family drama. Screenwriter Bibeth Orteza realized, "Marami palang mukha ang Tondo. I remember Nick Joaquin and Francisco Arcellana talked about Tondo [in their stories]... Names from Philippine History also lived in Tondo..." This is why they want to show the different side of Tondo, not the kind full of notoriety and gangsters. This is also what makes this film interesting to watch - a story about compassion, humility, love for the family, justice, fairness, acceptance, repentance, vindication, contentment and hope.

Geonee Elife S5.5, world's slimmest smartphone debuts in the Philippines

International mobile brand Gionee is now making raves at the launch of the World's Slimmest Phone declared by CBS Interactive ZOL - the ELIFE S5.5.  It boasts of amazing features and carries a handful of world records in the smartphone category.

The Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014 candidates presented at The Zen Institute

* click the image for larger view *

Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014 held a press conference last July 24, 2014 at The Zen Institute medical spa in Quezon City. The two frontrunners in Beauty Tourism presented 30 lovely candidates to vie for the coveted title, including candidates (with Filipino lineage) from other countries. This year's theme is "Where Beauty Begins."

On its 46th year, the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014 Grand Coronation Night will be held on August 8, 2014 at the Solaire Resort & Casino in Pasay City. It will be aired on GMA-7 network at 12nn on August 10, 2014, before the Sunday All-Stars variety show.

"Sundalong Kanin" by Janice O'Hara & Jerry O'Hara | 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival

Sundalong Kanin written by Jerry O'Hara and directed by Janice O’Hara is an official entry to the 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival under the New Breed Category, released by Front Media Entertainment. The festival runs on August 1-10, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It will also be showing in 4 Ayala Malls, namely: Greenbelt 3 Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces.

Having been raised by parents and uncles who worked in the film industry, Janice O’Hara’s wish to direct comes as no surprise. She started out writing for television, under ABS CBN, then later on ventured into writing for films. She is the writer of Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio, a film directed by the late Mario O’Hara for Cinemalaya 2011.

9 Works Theatrical's "The Last 5 Years" at RCBC Theater | August 9-31, 2014

9 Works Theatrical invites you to look back, and move forward, with one of the greatest and most poignant musicals of all time, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years happening on August 9-31, 2014 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium (RCBC Theater) at RCBC Building in Makati City.

For the much-awaited return to the Philippine stage after more than a decade since it was last performed at the RCBC Theater, 9 Works Theatrical welcomes a new Jamie and Cathy in two of Philippine theater’s brightest young stars – Nikki Gil and Joaquin Valdes.

Search for Miss Tourism World Philippines 2014

The Miss Tourism World Philippines Foundation Inc. is inviting all Filipino Female from all cities and provinces in the country to join the 2014 Miss Tourism World Philippines Pageant. Screening will be on August 2, 2014 (Saturday) from 1pm to 4pm at Third Floor, Mirax Building, 2270 Don Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati City (near Alphaland Mall at MRT Magallanes Station). You must be single, 18-25 years old and with good moral character. 

Miss Tourism World Philippines will be the first in the history of Philippine pageantry and in the rest of the world to give away 10 International Titles and an opportunity for its candidates to go abroad all expenses paid and compete on international beauty pageants representing the Philippines.  

Yahoo Celebrity Awards 2014: Full List of Winners

Yahoo Philippines announced the winners in the Yahoo Celebrity Awards 2014 (formerly known as the Yahoo OMG! Awards) on July 18, 2014 (Friday) held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

On its 4th year, the Yahoo Celebrity Awards has 28 winners from 28 categories (with 140 nominees in all). The program was hosted by Robi Domingo and Maxene Magalona.

By popularity, the winners were determined based on the number of votes made online by fans. The 5 nominees in each category were determined based on popular search via Yahoo search engine.

This year, ten (10) new categories were added, namely: Celebrity Couple, Celebrity Family, Male and Female Hothletes, Band of the Year, Male and Female ‘Kontrabida,’ Emerging Band, Song of the Year and Social Media Star.

Kacy Catanzaro, first woman to advance to the American Ninja Warrior Finals

Photo courtesy of Daily News

Kacy Catanzaro is the first woman in history to complete the course of the American Ninja Warrior and first ever to advance to the finals. Simply amazing!

Digital Leaders Bootcamp Training | July 26, 2014

Join the Digital Leaders Boot Camp – a leadership workshop online (#digitalleaders) to be conducted by E-commerce expert Janette Toral happening on July 26, 2014. It is a great venue for insights and lessons learned sharing designed for the aspiring start-up entrepreneur or marketer with minimal resources and plenty of challenges including dealing with people (politics, relationships, misunderstandings).

The first face-to-face session will take place at Best Western – Antel Hotel, A. Venue, Makati Avenue, Makati City from 1 pm to 5 pm.

The 4th Wall Theater holds auditions for "Singapura the Musical" | July 25-26, 2014

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DLS-CSB Technical Theater Program reinterprets Floy Quintos' "Fluid"

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Technical Theater Program Batch 111 proudly presents a reinterpretation of the Palanca Award-winning play, Fluid, written and directed by Floy Quintos. It will be held at 5/F SDA Theater, School of Design and Arts Campus.

62nd FAMAS Awards: Full List of Winners (2014)

Photo courtesy of Rappler

The films On The Job and Boy Golden: Shoot To Kill won big at the 62nd Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards Night held at Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City on July 13, 2014. KC Concepcion won Best Actress award while ER Ejercito won Best Actor both for the same film, Boy Golden: Shoot To Kill, a Metro Manila Film Festival entry for 2013.

On The Job clinched 6 awards, while Boy Golden: Shoot To Kill also received 6 recognitions. 10,000 Hours won 2 awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor trophies.

Casting Call for the feature film, "Bitukang Manok" | July 18-19, 2014

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Call for Submission: Film Scripts for 3Js Productions

3Js Productions is calling for scripts for mainstream films. Language should be Tagalog/Filipino only. Story Genre is open.

Email your stories and scripts to marketing.3jsprod@gmail.com and production_3js@yahoo.com.ph. For more info, send a PM in their Facebook Page. Deadline of submission is until August 30, 2014.

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DLSU Green Archers Basketball Coaches wearing green pants at UAAP Games

Photo courtesy of Rivals

The basketball coaching staff of the DLSU Green Archers headed by Coach Juno Sauler donned a very unique and unusual coaching uniform at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) on its opening day last July 12, 2014 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Faithful to their alma mater color, Jun Limpot, Juno Sauler and Allan Caidic wore a dashing green pants and a green necktie - with white polo, white jacket, black socks, and black leather shoes.

Americans try Filipino Street Foods

Photo courtesy of Bubblews

This BuzzFeed video shows you how Americans react when served some of the sumptuous Filipino street foods, namely: 

1. Fish Balls (deep dried fish paste) - this is best eaten when newly cooked and still hot, dipped in a special  kind of sweet or spicy sauce.  

2. Turon (sweet banana spring roll) - it is highly recommended that the "saba" kind of bananas (called "cardava" in English) are already ripe before cooking. Brown sugar is then melted in the pan with oil.  

Ida del Mundo's "K'na the Dreamweaver" | 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival

Indie film K'na the Dreamweaver, written and directed by Ida Anita del Mundo, will premiere in the 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival happening on August 1-10, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It will also be showing in 4 other venues, namely: Greenbelt 3 Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces.

Inspired by the arts and culture of the T'bolis of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, K'na the Dreamweaver is del Mundo's debut film. It was shot on location in South Cotabato and entirely in the T'boli language. It is an epic love story that showcases the magnificent Lake Sebu and the vibrant arts and culture of the T'boli people.

UAAP 77: Men's Basketball Eliminations (Round 1 Schedule)

This is UAAP Season 77's Schedule for Men's Basketball Round 1 Eliminations from July 12 to August 10, 2014 happening at Smart Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena.

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10th Cinemalaya Film Festival in 5 venues | August 1-10, 2014

The 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition, dubbed as Cinemalaya X, marks a breakthrough in independent films as it opens on August 1-10, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (main venue), and at satellite venues in Greenbelt 3 Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces (the newest Cinemalaya satellite venue) in Quezon City.

In 2013, Alabang Town Center was added as the 4th venue of this film festival. This year, Fairview Terraces was added as the 5th venue to make the Festival more accessible to the growing number of audiences that attend Cinemalaya each year. 

The achievements of Cinemalaya over the past ten years are summed up in the Festival’s theme: A Decade of Connecting Dimensions. The theme highlights Cinemalaya as a flourishing network of individuals, groups and institutions with a common goal of developing and promoting Filipino independent filmmaking. Cinemalaya X was launched on July 9, 2014 at CCP.   

National Search for Mister Earth Philippines 2015

For its first year, the 2015 Mister Earth Philippines will be having its National Search for qualified candidates. The pageant night is slated for April 22, 2015 in celebration of Earth Day.

UAAP Season 77: DLSU Basketball Game Schedules

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"1st Ko Si Third" by Real Florido | 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival

1st Ko si 3rd written & directed by Real Florido is an official entry to the 10th Cinemalaya Film Festival under the New Breed Category. This is a story of love in the time of retirement. The festival runs on August 1-10, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It will also be showing in 4 Ayala Malls, namely: Greenbelt 3 Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces.

Reality of things compels us to live life as it unfolds. We move with the times and work with what's on hand. This is often the way we create the story of our lives. There's a chance to leave a supposed love story behind to settle with the more obvious life offerings, forgetting what could have been and then one day after many years of work and family life, fate brings back a chance for the heart to open up a space for love again.

Eugene Domingo takes on a powerful role in Jun Lana's "Barber's Tales"

After the critically-acclaimed film Bwakaw comes another powerful suspense drama, Barber's Tales written and directed by Jun Robles Lana. Barber’s Tales is a period drama, structurally a narrative made up of tales from the barbershop, vignettes about Filipino rural life held together by themes that have personal resonance, including sexuality, identity and self-liberation.

Barber's Tales is an old screenplay that Direk Jun had been developing when it won in a national screenwriting competition in 1997. Unlike Bwakaw, which is a very personal and intimate story of an old man, Barber's Tales covers the tumultuous years of the Marcos dictatorship.

The film is structurally a narrative made up of tales from the barbershop (popularly known as "kuwentong barbero" - stories being told and passed on in a barbershop), vignettes about Filipino rural life held together by themes that have personal resonance, including sexuality, identity and self-liberation.

Lunar Saints Productions holds casting calls | July 3-11, 2014

Lunar Saints is looking for fresh and interested Artists, Talents, Actors and Performers. Casting call is on July 3-4 & 10-11 at Unit 428, Cityland Paong Tamo Tower 2210, Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City. The group is also updating its Talents database. Please contact 822-22221 or 09173920331 for more info.

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Pilipinas Men's Fashion Week Season 4 | July 10-13, 2014

The creations of the MEN'S WEAR DESIGNERS will be presented in the most anticipated male runway of the season. The Pilipinas Men's Fashion Week Season 4 (Fall/Winter 2014) will be held on July 10-13, 2014 at Robinsons Place Manila in Ermita, Manila.