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‘Beast:’ A children’s tale but not for kids
By Joel David To hear the cacophony of responses to Lawrence Fajardo’s Beast (written by Jim Flores) currently screening in Manila as part of the ongoing Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, would be tantamount to missing out on its laudable achievements. Directed by Lawrence Fajardo One might even be inclined to agree with its most extreme […]
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Actress Samantha Cutaran: Building a community of FilipinX Barkada in greater Hollywood
Renee arrives in Louisville looking for a fresh start after years spent caring for her mother. Jaded and emotionally guarded, she has begun to question whether life holds any greater meaning beyond simply making the best of whatever comes our way. Then she reluctantly falls in love with Sam, an astronomy professor who sees wonder […]
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Cat Rian releases ‘Family Tree:’ A rising voice in country music
If you grew up in a Filipino American household, you know the drill: If it’s a holiday, there’s karaoke. For Cat Rian, that meant singing Tracy Byrd’s “The Keeper of the Stars” with her mom at every family party. It was her parents’ wedding song. Little did she know, that was the beginning of her […]
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SexBomb concert brings back ‘Spaghetti Song’ and other beloved Pinoy pop hits
By Angelito Cabigao On a rainy October 4 evening in Queens, we saw how SexBomb, this iconic all-female group, gave fans in the NYC area a special opportunity to relive fun memories by singing and dancing the night away. SexBomb is part of Filipino pop culture history. For Filipinos who grew up in the Philippines […]
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Producer Marc Anthony Nicolas wants to open doors for Filipino brands in ‘Price Is Right’
Television producer and host Marc Anthony Nicolas has joined The Price Is Right as a producer for Season 55. Nicolas is a two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner with more than 15 years of television experience. In his role, Nicolas develops and manages partnerships that bring prizes and audience giveaways to the CBS game show. “The Price Is […]
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‘Edjop’ & ‘Silenced Nights:’ 2 tales of fascist repression
By Joel David Reality has always had a conflicted relationship with art and literature; narrative forms provide a way of promising better representation, but rare is the item that succeeds on every possible level. In two concurrent Philippine film releases, we have tantalizing cases of works based on subjects with whom sufficiently informed netizens might […]
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‘Forgotten Island:’ Where the past comes alive
By Ferlie Andong “Forgotten Island” is about two best friends, Jo and Raissa, who find themselves in a magical island, Nakali (short for ‘nakalimutan’ or forgotten), filled with creatures from Filipino mythology. To escape, they must find a way to save their friendship before they lose their memories of each other completely. The movie has plenty […]
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Sharon Cuneta finds dramatic depth in ‘Honor Thy Mother’
By Joel David Amid all the usual prestige vehicles for each and every aspiring Philippine film practitioner angling for some award or other, a pair of teaser episodes has been generating buzz of a different, implausible sort. The material is modest enough to enable most viewers to predict the moral arc that the story will […]
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Jorge Ballos (aka Justin Girard): Building a New York home for independent filmmakers
By Cristina DC Pastor For Jorge Ballos – aka as Justin Girard — the SoHo International Film Festival (SIFF) which began as an intimate weekend event has grown into an international showcase now celebrating its 17th year. At its heart, he said SIFF was meant to give filmmakers a platform and an opportunity to […]