METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL 2017 PARADE OF STARS

Massive crowd lined up the streets of Muntinlupa as MMFF 2017 kicks off with a grand parade of stars in Muntinlupa yesterday.  It was the first time the parade was held outside Manila.  

Stars of the 8 film entries, riding on their respective floats,  waved to the fans amidst sprinkles of rain showers. Among those who attended the parade were beauty queens: 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, 2016 Miss International Kylie Versoza and Bb. Pilipinas International 2017 Mariel de Leon.  Pia is in the cast of Vice Ganda starrer "Gandarapiddo: The Revenger Squad" while Kylie and Mariel are both in the cast of "Ang Panday."  

The entries for this year's film festival are "Ang Panday," "All of You," "Deadma Walking," "Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad," "Siargao," "Haunted Forest," "Ang Larawan," and "Meant to Beh."  All the films will open on Christmas day.

Here are some of the photos at the MMFF 2017 Parade of Stars as shared on Instagram by Star Cinema and Philstar.com.  Thanks to Kriz John Rosales of Philstar.com and Joey Vierneza for sharing his pictures.

 

BB. PILIPINAS 2018 WISH LIST

Bb. Pilipinas is now accepting applicants and the deadline for submission is January 8, 2018 which is fast approaching.  In this context, people are speculating that the Philippines might host the 67th edition of Miss Universe next year and will probably be held earlier than expected. Miss U officials were in the country earlier this month including the current title holder Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa.

This early, people are talking about the possibility of two well-known personalities joining next year's Bb.Pilipinas pageant.  I am referring to Catriona Gray and Michelle Marquez Dee.

Catriona competed in 2016 Miss World and placed 4th but suffice it to say, Filipinos weren't contented with her placement and they say she should have placed higher or even the Miss World crown.  Catriona is now 23 years old and stands 1.78m (roughly 5'9"). She has a Masters Certificate in Music Theory from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Her exposure in Miss World will certainly boost her chances of winning the top plum in Binibining Pilipinas.

Michelle Marquez Dee is the daughter of 1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez (from previous marriage to Businessman Derek Dee).  Michelle is long legged like her mom.  She's now 22 and stands about 6 feet tall.  She is currently completing her BS Psychology course at De La Salle University. Michelle  has been visible in the modelling circuit of recent  and is an endorser of HerBench clothing line.

The question remains, will they join Bb. Pilipinas next year?  If ever both decide to   join,  it's definitely going to be a tough competition and for sure both wants the Bb. Pilipinas Universe title.

CEBUANA ARTIST IS MAKING WAVES IN THE MUSIC SCENE

Give way for this 22 year old Cebuana girl Karencitta who’s making waves in the music scene giving her hometown a much deserved attention.  Her hit single “Cebuana” is currently no. 3 at Myx Top 10 chart and went top 1 most viral music on Spotify PH on November 27, 2017.  The song was released on Facebook and had reached 1 million views in 24 hours.and her video on YouTube has now reached more than 600k views.  There may be Cebuanos who have made a name in local showbiz but not quite in the music scene in recent times.  Karencitta is slowly but surely getting there.  She is slated to perform at New Year Countdown 2018 at Eastwood with Gloc 9, KC Tandingan, Sam Concepcion and Moiresette and some other popular artists.  

On her website she shared her story how she came up with the song.   Excerpts:

Quote:

“Cebuana” is a personal piece of art that I wrote produced by Tc-5, a 14-year old Austrian boy and my good friend, Jon Ingoldsby— the Grammy Award Winner Producer & Engineer for Madonna’s “Ray of Light” album and currently the Songwriter and Producer for Eminem’s upcoming album.

Over the phone, Jon and I were discussing how we could build leverage from the demo I made for “Cebuana”. He suggested that I check Tc-5’s song on Soundcloud called “Alkaline”. It was an immediate decision to have Tc-5 on the team. I was intrigued by the way he structured “Alkaline” for it was not repetitive. It was not just “Verse 1, Hook, Verse 2, Hook, goodbye”. I mostly gravitated towards the violin elements he used because I grew up playing the violin and I suddenly felt excited for Tc-5. I believe he’s gonna be the next Martin Garrix if he continues to persevere in the business.   Unquote.  (www.karencitta.com)

"BIRDSHOT" FAILS TO MAKE IT TO OSCARS BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM SHORTLIST

Mikhael Red's "Birdshot" ends Oscar journey and fails to make it to the shortlist of Best Foreign Language Film category for the 90th Academy Awards,

Here's the complete list of the shortlisted films that will advance to the next round of voting:

      CHILE, A Fantastic Woman, Sebastián Lelio, director;

      GERMANY, In the Fade, Fatih Akin, director;

      HUNGARY, On Body and Soul, Ildikó Enyedi, director;

      ISRAEL, Foxtrot, Samuel Maoz, director;

      LEBANON, The Insult, Ziad Doueiri, dirctor;

      RUSSIA, Loveless, Andrey Zvyagintsev, director;

      SENEGAL, Félicité, Alain Gomis, director;

      SOUTH AFRICA, The Wound, John Trengove, director;

      SWEDEN, The Square, Ruben Östlund, director.

The final 5 nominees will be announced in January 2018. A total of 92 films were submitted from various countries for the Best Foreign Language Film category, The 90th Academy Awards will be held 2018 Academy Awads on March 4, 2018 while the nominations will be announced on January 23

Synopsis of "Birdshot":

"Birdshot" is a mystery-thriller film that tells a story of a young Filipina farm girl who wanders into the boundaries of a Philippine reservation forest. Deep within the reservation she mistakenly shoots and kills a critically endangered and protected Philippine Eagle. As the local authorities begin a manhunt to track down the poacher of a national bird, their investigation leads them to an even more horrific discovery.

The movie won the Best Picture in the Asian Future category at the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival. It's female lead star newcomer Mary Joy Apostol also won the Best Actress award in the recently concluded 1st ASEAN Film Awards in Da Nang, Vietnam held last month.

I have seen this movie only a few days ago at '76 Cinema in San Juan. This is the first Mikhael Red movie that I have watched and I actually like it. The film was  beautifully shot in lush countryside surrounding a sanctuary for Philippine eagle. Even though it failed to make it at the Oscars, I consider "Birdshot" as one of the best Filipino films I have seen in recent years.  We certainly want to see more of Mikhael Red, he's definitely one of the best new breed of young filmmakers today.

 #Birdshot

FOREIGN YOUTUBER MEETS FANS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Canadian Traveller Kyle Jennermann A.K.A. “Kulas” is probably one of the most popular Youtubers in the country, There's also Will Dasovich and Daniel Marsh.  Surely these vloggers rings a bell but there’s a new vlogger who has captured the hearts of Filipino fans online but unlike Daniel or Will, he’s not half-Pinoy or half-whatever; his name is Finn Snow from Iceland. Finn has visited many places in the Philippines; name any popular places in the country, he's probably visited them all.  He has also explored remote islands to as far as the Kalanggaman Island, the Gigantes Sur to the Naked Island in Siargao and some more that even the locals probably never heard of.  

Besides his fascination for the country, there's more to this charming gentleman from Iceland.  He’s also involved in a charity foundation called C.U.R.E. (Club in Unity of Restoration thru Empowerment) helping abused children and carrying out feeding programs in Central Visayas.  He’s also visited the refugees’ camp in war torn Marawi with nothing in his hands to share except his sincere goodwill.  He was in fact in Mindanao when Martial Law was declared by President Duterte and worried about his safety, he decided to go back to his home country for a while.  Now he’s back in the Philippines and had a meet and greet event in Manila and Cebu recently to meet his YouTube Channel subscribers. 

Finn is still in the Philippines, exploring more of the country and at the same time making a difference. He’s been contacted by the D.O.T. for future collaboration to promote Northern Mindanao as a major tourist destination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCHgqau4_a8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBeOQVq4954&t=433s

 @finn.snow

INDONESIA CONTINUE IT'S WINNING STREAK

Known for her creepy ghost-like appearance and dramatic twitchy movements, Indonesian illusionist The Sacred Riana romp away with the grand prize of US$ 100K in the second edition of Asia’s Got Talent held in Singapore Thursday night.  Sacred Riana beat other 8 acts from across Asia including two other heavy favorites from the Philippines (DMC hip-hop dancers and Beatboxer Neil Rey Llanes) who placed second and third, respectively.  Since there were three Filipino acts in the grand finals it did somehow gave Sacred Riana a big edge since the votes coming from the Philippines were distributed to the three Filipino grand finalists. 

Indonesian beauties are also doing well in international pageants joining the so called Asian powerhouse countries like India, Thailand and the Philippines.  Indonesia’s Kevin Lilliana won theMiss International crown in Tokyo last month and another Indonesian beauty made it to the  top 10  in the recent Miss World in Sanjay, China.  However Indonesia’s representative to Miss Universe this year (Bunga Jelitha Ibrahni) failed to make the cut despite all the hypes online.  Two other Asians performed well; The Philippines Rachel Peters managed to reached  the top 10  while Thailand's Maria Poonlertlarp advanced  to the top 5.  Indonesia also won the Bangkok based Miss Grand International title last year.

The Philippines together with Indonesia and Japan will stage the first-ever multiple hosts for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023 and will see the Group Phase take place in the three countries, with the final phase to follow in the Philippine capital city of Manila.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Superstar Anggun will be performing in the Philippines in a few days (see picture for details). I wish I can see her in person but sometimes I feel lazy to go out :) and I can't bear the traffic specially during this season.

YOUTUBERS FALL IN LOVE WITH PH

Whenever I am not busy at home, I always find time to watch travel vlogs on YouTube.  This is where I got to know travel vloggers like Christian Leblanc, Finn Snow and Kyle Jennermann  A.K.A. "Kulas" to his Filipino followers.  I'm simply amazed with their dedication and passion for their chosen career reaching out  even to remote islands unmindful of their safety and the consequences that they may encounter.  These young adventurers explore the country's exotic islands in style; carrying with them state-of-the-art travel gadgets such as drones, DSRL cameras, laptops and what have you.  Some are lucky to avail sponsored trips enjoying travel perks and free accommodation; some spend their own money and quit their jobs in their home countries finding their way to seek adventure elsewhere in the world whenever they can.

Please see related article : Digital nomads in the Philippines https://nextfactorph.blogspot.com/2019/04/is-philippines-next-favourite-hub-of.html

Kulas has probably visited more cities in the Philippines than most Filipinos.  He continue to explore the country endearing the locals with his genuine love for the Filipino culture. He has been staying in the country for a few years now and has even appeared on national television.  His vlog has attracted more than 300k subscribers while his facebook page #Becoming Filipino has reached more than 600k followers to-date.  He wears a self-made headband all the time showing four colors of the Philippine flag. 

Another Canadian vlogger who has been visiting the country is Christian Leblanc. He's been to Boracay, Bohol, Palawan and other places but if there's one island that struck him is no other than the Virgin Island of Cresta de Gallo, a hidden piece of land just south of Sibuyan Island which he describe as the most beautiful island in the Philippines. He related on his vlog how he reached the remote island under circumstances braving bad weather conditions and sleeping on the sands and interacting with strangers.

Another Vlogger who is fast catching up is Finn Snow. This charming blue eyed adventurer from Iceland has traveled to remote islands in the country that even Filipinos probably never heard of. The Department of Tourism has contacted him for joint collaboration in promoting tourism in Northern Mindanao.  Just like Kulas, his sincerity and genuine fascination of the Filipino culture  is what sets him apart from the rest.  His drone shots of the islands he'd visited are simply breathtaking and mind you, he has had two meet and greet events for his fans, one in Cebu and one in Manila.

In addition to the three travel vloggers mentioned above, two half-Pinoys have found their niche in vlogging.  I'm referring to Wil Dasovich and Daniel Marsh. These dudes have also conquered local showbiz even before they shifted to vlogging.  Will has appeared in some local shows including the reality show "Pinoy Big Brother" and he also bagged the "YouTube Influencer of the Year Award" in Influence Asia 2017, the region's largest social media awards based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  His YouTube channel is close to reaching a million subscribers and he is probably the highest paid YouTuber in the country. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with colon cancer a few months ago and currently undergoing treatment in San Francisco.  Pinoy-Irish Daniel Marsh  has  appeared in the defunct TV show called "Juan Direction," a lifestyle-documentary show featuring five bi-racial boys as they discover their Filipino roots.  Just like Wil Dasovich, he is very popular to millennials.  His vlogging style is very contemporary and visually stunning to reckon with.

We often hear Foreigners say that Filipinos are the most genuinely accommodating and friendliest people on the planet and this is what probably endears them and keeps them coming back to the country.  Foreigners are amazed not only with the beauty and breathtaking scenery of the Philippine archipelago but more importantly the distinct and warm hospitality of the people.  Many foreigners chose to stay in the country for good and seemingly found the Philippines as their new home.

NOTE:  PLEASE CHECK THIS ARTICLE ON THIS BLOG : 
https://nextfactorph.blogspot.com/2019/04/is-philippines-next-favourite-hub-of.html

MU BEAUTIES SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THEIR VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES

The 4 day visit of Miss Universe beauties concluded last Saturday at a gala night billed as "Women of Significance" at Sofitel-Manila prepared by the Department of Tourism.  

Newly crowned Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and the other beauties including 2016 Miss Universe Iris Mittenare have already left the country last Sunday but three of them stayed behind and flew to Siargao Islands for an extended tour (sponsored by Skyjetair).  They are Kara McCullough (Miss USA), Lauren Howe (Miss Canada) and Samantha Katie James (Miss Malaysia).  Miss Philippines Rachel Peters plays host to the three beauties as they explore the islands.  If you've watched the the 2017 Miss Universe finals, this is the same island that Rachel mentioned in her video profile where she opened her coffee shop.

Siargao Islands is a tear-drop shaped island situated 800 kilometers of Manila in the province of Surigao del Norte.  The island is fast becoming a top tourist destination known for it's surf spots where big international surf contest are held every year.

Beauties share their thoughts on social media:

FILMS TO WATCH AT THIS YEAR'S MMFF

At last year's MMFF, I watched only 3 films - all in one day.  These were  “Seklusyon,” “Vince, Kath & James” and “Die Beautiful.”  This year I’ll probably watch 3 or more films.  

On top of my list this year is “Siargao” starring Jericho Rosales, Erich Gonzales and Jasmin Curtis-Smith, directed by Paul Soriano.  The movie has been graded “B” by the Cinema Evaluation Board and this is also Paul Soriano's first foray into romcom genre.  The movie was shot entirely in the tear-drop shaped island of Siargao touted as the surfing capital of the Philippines. 

Next is the comedy-fantasy movie starring Vice Ganda, Daniel Padilla and 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach.  I love comedy films but I guess I’m done with Vice Ganda’s styIe of slapstick brand of comedy; I am going to watch the movie because of Pia.  

The third movie that I will watch is Regal Films' horror flick entry this year “Haunted Forest” starring Jameson Blake, Jane Onieza, Maris Rascal and Jon Lucas.  This is Jameson's first mainstream movie after starring in 3 Indie films ("2Cool 2B 4Gotten," "Nay," and "Nabubulok").  I’ll probably watch “All of You” and “Deadma Walking” at a later date but it all depends.  

Two other entries "Larawan" and "Deadma Walking" merited "Grade A" ratings from CEB.  An "A" rating qualifies for a film for a 100% tax rebates while "B" rating gets 60%.,

MISS UNIVERSE 2017 MANIA CONTINUES IN MANILA

(1) Top left: Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere, Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach.  (2) Top middle picture:  Miss Singapore, Miss USA and Miss Korea.  (3) Top right:  2014 Mr. International Neil Perez and 2017 Miss Universe.   (4) Miss Philippines Universe titleholders (Bianca Manalo-2009, Venus Raj-2010, Mary Jean Lastimosa-2014, Rachel Peters-2017, Shamcey Supsup-2011, Ara Arida -2013 and front girl - Maxine Medina -2016)

Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (photo credit: OMPB Worldwide)

As expected Miss Universe beauties led by the current titleholder Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and 2016 winner Iris Mittenaare enjoys media mileage from the local press and the netizens.  Accordingly, authorities are talking about the possibility of holding the 2018 Miss Universe pageant in country.  In the event that it push through it will be the Philippines' 4th time to host the pageant.  The beauty queens were invited by the Department of Tourism as part of its "Bring Home a Friend to the Philippines" campaign. 

DOT has lined up various activities for the international beauties including visit to some of the country's top tourist island destinations like Batanes, Camiguin and Bohol and a fashion show attended by three Miss Universe titleholders and local beauties was held at Dusit Thani Hotel. To wrap up their tour, a gala night billed as "Women of Significance" is set on the December 9 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Manila.  

MISS UNIVERSE 2017 DEMI-LEIGH NEL-PETERS VISITS THE PHILIPPINES

Top (reigning Miss Universe is flanked by two former Miss Universe titleholders from France and the Philippines).   Bottom pic- 15 beauties posed for photographers on their visit to Luneta Park in Manila (from left (Canada, Spain, Philippines, USA, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, 2016 Miss Universe, reigning Miss Universe, Russia, Italy, China, the Netherlands, Great Britain and India.  Photos courtesy of Philippine Star

3 Queens: Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mettenaere, Reigning Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach meet the Press at Dusit Hotel.

 

The new Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has arrived in Manila for a promotional tour in conjunction with the Department of Tourism.  Coming with Peters is last year's winner Iris Mettenaere and 12 of this year's contestants from the following countries: Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Malaysia, China, Spain, Spain, India, Singapore,  Netherlands and the Philippines

Popular contestants like Miss Venezuela, Miss Thailand and Miss Indonesia were expected by pageant fans but for unknown reasons, they have been replaced by non-semi finalists instead. 

Miss Philippines Rachel Peters will join the beauties touring selected places in the countryside like Vigan, Bohol and the whole event will be concluded on December 9 with a Gala Night titled "Women of Significance" at Sofitel in Manila.

THREE NEWBIES WINS ACTING HONORS IN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS

Indie Actress from Sulu Laila Ulao bested competitors from China and the ASEAN region winning the Best Actress Award in the just concluded 1st ASEAN-China Film Festival held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for her performance in the critically claimed movie "Women of the Weeping River."

Two more Filipina actresses won acting honors, they are: Mary Joy Apostol and Ana Luna.  Apostol won for her performance in "Birdshot" at the 1st ASEAN Film Awards in Da Nang, Vietnam held in November while Ana Luna won for "Maestra" in Five Continents International Film Festival held in October in Anzoategui, Venezuela. It is interesting to note that all the three actresses won their first acting awards in their very first movie.

"Women of the Weeping River" is a movie about two families from Tausug Tribe confronting generations old land conflicts in remote communities in Sulu.  The movie also won 6 major awards in the 2016 Gaward Urian including Best Director for Sheron Dayoc.  Accordingly, most of the actors in the movie had no previous acting experience at all, except for the acting workshop they undertook before they started filming the movie.  

"Birdshot" is the Philippines' official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category in next year's Oscar Awards.  The movie is about a girl who unwittingly kills an endangered bird and an idealistic rookie cop who spirals into a heartless brutal executioner. "Maestra" is a tribute to modern day heroes about the struggles and triumphs of teachers and is due for local release on December 8, 2017.

2017 METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL

The line up of film entries for the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival has been announced and will hit the theaters on December 25, 2017.  The genre of the entries varies from superhero flick to romance, horror, drama, and comedy as listed below:

The much anticipated Mike de Leon film "Citizen Jake" would have been among the entries and a shoo-in for Best Picture but veteran director Mike de Leon decided not to submit the film out of principles citing alleged corruption within the MMFF committee and  the anomalous process of selection of entries favoring mainstream film producers.  "Citizen Jake" features Atom Araullo in a fictional journalist role, who criticizes politicians through his writing. 

Which MMFF films are you going to watch?  Please vote on our mini poll (can be found on the right hand side of this blog).