The Daily Tribune <<< Without Fear or Favor >>>

»HEADLINES

»NATION

Liberating indie film

BUZZSTATION
Edgar Cruz

07/10/2010

With the theme Liberating the Indie Film 2000-2009, 24 films will compete in the sixth Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival to be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines from July 9 to 19. Buzzstation highly recommends the following:

Sampaguita, National Flower

This Francis Pasion (Jay) film chronicles the lives of children whose lives are entwined with the national flower of the Philippines. Ronalyn is a sampaguita harvester in Floridablanca, Pampanga. She is about to leave her ailing mother to study in Manila. Reynalyn is a sampaguita vendor in Quiapo and wants to go to an orphanage to leave her abusive mother. Marlon is a sampaguita vendor in Tomas Morato, who just wants to buy a cake for his birthday. All children in the film are actual sampaguita harvesters and vendors. The story dramatized in film is based on actual interviews with them. Sampaguita, National Flower premieres on July 12 at 6 p.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater.

Magkakapatid

A film by debuting director Kim Garcia was inspired by real events from a rural place in Batangas, Magkakapatid explores how the members of a kindred divided by socio-economic status convene to find their way back home on that fateful day when their journeys are guided by a murder, a funeral and a wedding. The intertwined narratives of these three events that take place in the same day tell how the past keeps on finding a way to hunt the present and the struggle of the kindred’s members to change the future.

The funeral starts Maria’s (Racquel Villavicencio) journey of erasing the memory of her adulterous dead husband Alfonso, Adore’s (Julio Diaz) brother, but her daughter Christina’s (Banaue Miclat) unwillingness to mourn keeps her from doing so. Their journey becomes an emotional rollercoaster ride as one tries to remember the joyful past while the other keeps on remembering their pain and anguish.

The wedding starts Adore’s battle with uncertainty and negativity. Having seen what has happened with his older sister Adeling (Ces Quesada) in the past, and her older daughter Clarissa (Mercedes Cabral), he is deeply troubled with what might happen to her younger daughter Desiree (Kathlyn Castillo) as she walks towards matrimony. But he cannot show any weakness, because being the leader of the barangay requires him to be strong and certain.

The murder starts the narrative of the financial struggle faced by Adeling and her two sons, Caloy (Nico Antonio) and Lito (Jerald Napoles), brothers whose personalities are completely opposite from one another. Caloy’s schizophrenic attack turns him to the murderous character of Cardo, who brutally kills his brother Lito. Blood is always thicker. The members of the kindred choose to help the weakest member of the flock. In their act of love and compassion they surprisingly find the answers to their struggles.

Magkakapatid premieres on July 11 at 3:30 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater.

Pink Halo-halo

Pink Halo-Halo is the first solo stint as screenwriter of director Jay Altarejos (Ang Lalake sa Parola, Ang Lihim ni Antonio, Ang Laro ng Buhay ni Juan). This is the story of Natoy (played by non-actor Paolo Constantino), who is just like any other child. He finds joy and excitement in the simplest things, especially in eating halo-halo filled with pink gelatin and red sago at the local halo-halo store owned by his godmother, Bing (Dexter Doria). Things change suddenly when, as he and his mother Sonia (Angeli Bayani) are watching television, a news report about the ongoing war in Mindanao shows footage of a badly wounded soldier waiting for rescue. That soldier — almost bleeding to death — is his father, Corporal Lino Bolante (Allen Dizon). This story does not just show how the war in Mindanao robs a child of his innocence, but also shows the shadows of the wars that Filipino homes confront every day.

Pink Halo-Halo premieres on July 11 at the CCP Main Theater at 6:30 p.m.

Sarah’s early birthday celebration

Fans and supporters of Judy Ann Santos and Sarah Geronimo will see a different Sarah in Hating Kapatid when it hits theaters on July 21, four days before Sarah’s 22nd birthday.

As Judy Ann Santos’ sister, Sarah holds her own in scenes with the more veteran award-winning actress. Sarah plays Cecil, the youngest daughter of OFW parents whom elder sister Rica (Judy Ann) takes care of until she graduates from college. Their bond gets tested due to the latter’s overprotective, maternal nature which goes against the former’s yearning to love and be loved by other people.

As Judy Ann and Sarah’s first team-up, the two had a grand time bonding on the set. Needless to say, the two can’t wait to see the film. “I love the challenge this film gives me,” Sarah said. “It allows me to dabble again in comedy.”

Her team-up with Luis Manzano, who plays her leading man for the first time, is also another thing to look forward to. The new team-up has the makings of a winner. Sarah and Luis’ rapport makes the screen ignite with romance.

Written by Mel Mendoza-Del Rosario and directed by Wenn Deramas, Hating Kapatid also stars JC de Vera, Gina Pereño, Tonton Gutierrez, DJ Durano and Vice Ganda.

Belo Beauty 101 airs 4th season on TFC

What are the favorite Belo treatments of the clinic’s powerhouse stable of celebrity endorsers that include couple Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong, Derek Ramsay, Gabby Concepcion and Richard Gomez, Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Dingdong Dantes and Matteo Guidicelli?

Maritoni Fernandez shares her victorious battle with breast cancer. Anne Curtis swears by the wonders of laser hair removal. DJ Mo Twister talks about Belo diet injections. Rachel Anne Go, Kyla, Jaya, Christian Bautista, Richard Poon and Pinoy Dream Academy scholars Bugoy Drilon, Liezel Garcia and Hansen Nichols share how they take care of their looks. Also featured are the beauty regimen and secrets of mother-and-daughter tandems Rosa Rosal and Toni Rose Gayda, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Karylle, Bing Loyzaga with Alyssa and Gabriella Gibbs.

Belo Beauty 101, the show loaded with more celebrity make-overs as hosted by Dr. Vicki Belo, who is also known as Doctor to the Stars, now airs its fourth season on The Filipino Channel (TFC). The 30-minute beauty and medical tele-magazine program gives viewers a peek into the world of cosmetic surgery, which Dr. Belo revolutionized for the past 20 years. She introduces to viewers the Belo clinic’s wide range of latest treatments and procedures.

For this season, Belo Beauty 101 highlights unique locations in the country, like the scenic sites of Bohol and the historical venues in Intramuros or the Walled City. In keeping with Dr. Belo’s globe-trotting reputation, the program also explores exciting destinations in New York.

Cristalle Belo Henares gets to host a regular segment for every episode and introduces the products being offered by the Belo clinic.

Belo Beauty 101 is seen in North America, Canada, the Middle East, Australia and Japan through TFC. The third season of the popular program is presently being seen on local cable via the Lifestyle Network. (Photo by Nelson Gapac)

New tech in TV Patrol and Bandila

ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs vice president Maria Ressa headed the media conference launching the new technology to be used in TV Patrol and Bandila. The country’s largest broadcast news organization brings its flagship news programs to the next level by providing in-depth news stories, empowering citizens and using state-of-the-art technologies. It will start to use of augmented reality and touch screens, which it used in its Halalan 2010 election coverage last May. They will now be part of its nightly newscasts to help make news stories more understandable to viewers.

The country’s number one newscast TV Patrol, which now returns to its original title, will continue to break important news and begin producing investigative reports, in-depth political analyses by Lynda Jumilla, and sports news. Ted Failon, Karen Davila and Julius Babao will anchor the newscast on weeknights, while Bernadette Sembrano-Aguinaldo and Alex Santos will take over on weekends.

One of the changes introduced in TV Patrol is the Bayan Mo, i-Patrol Mo segment, wherein citizens will now be involved in finding solutions to the problems in their own communities with reporter Sol Aragones. On the other hand, the late night newscast Bandila anchored by Henry Omaga Diaz and Ces Oreña Drilon will have more in-depth political stories and analysis by Lynda Jumilla and weekly consumer reports by Alvin Elchico.

E-mail your comment to edgar.cruzagc@yahoo.com.

| More