Philippine Asian News Today Vol 21 No 01 | Page 32

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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY January 1 - 20, 2019
Brillante Mendoza’s acclaimed ‘Alpha’ arrives in cinemas
The “Alpha” team, led by Mendoza
and actors Allen Dizon, Elijah Filamor,
and Baron Geisler, came in full force
to support the film that had brought
honor to our country in international
film festivals.
FDCP Chairperson Liza Dino,
Solar Entertainment General Manager
Butch Ibanez, SM Cinema VP for
Corporate Marketing Ruby Reyes,
Senior Vice President for Marketing
Millie Dizon also graced the event.
Director Mendoza was awarded
SM Cinema’s Plaque of Recognition
for his significant contribution to
Philippine Cinema.
A joint project of Solar
Entertainment,
Centerstage
Productions, and SM Cinemas, the
launch gave guests an exclusive
private screening of Mendoza’s latest
masterpiece. It also gave guests a
glimpse of The Podium’s three newly
opened Director’s Club cinemas and
introduced the premium service the
theaters offer.
Directed by Brillante Mendoza
and written by Troy Espiritu, “Alpha:
The Right to Kill” is set against
the backdrop of the Philippines
government’s crackdown on illegal
drugs. It follows the story of Police
Officer Espino (Dizon) and Elijah The Philippine premiere of internationally acclaimed filmmaker Brillante
(Fillamor), a small-time pusher Mendoza’s “Alpha: The Right to Kill” was held recently at the new Director’s
turned informant who provide Club Cinemas at The Podium. The film, which won the Jury Prize at the San
the intelligence to the police. Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain in 2018 opens in the Philippines
Unfortunately the operation quickly nationwide starting today, January 16.
escalates into a violent and heavily-
armed confrontation in the slums
set off a dangerous series of events, Tokyo Filmex, Busan International
between the SWAT and Abel’s (Geisler) both of them risking their reputations, Film Festival in South Korea, Cairo
gang. But before the investigators families and lives in the process.
International Film Festival in Egypt,
arrive at the crime scene, Espino and
“Alpha”
also
joined
other Minsk International Film Festival in
Elijah walk off with Abel’s backpack full international film festivals and was Belarus, 36th Torino Film Festival
of money and methamphetamine.
part of the Official Selection of in Italy and Shaken Aimanov
This act of survival for one and Warsaw Film Festival in Poland, 2018 14th International Film Festival in
corruption for the other will soon Singapore International Film Festival, Kazakhstan. (Malaya)
Chavit says he owns PHL ‘Miss Universe’ franchise
And the Universe continues to
evolve and this time, businessman
and politician Chavit Singson gave his
side of the story on who now owns the
coveted Philippine franchise of Miss
Universe:
“The franchise is already with me,
but it has not yet been announced.”
This was Singson’s revelation
in an interview with Philippine
Star columnist Wilson Lee, amid
speculations he had already acquired
the Philippine franchise of the
international pageant.
Chavit said his acquisition of the
beauty pageant would be announced
this January or February, once Catriona
Gray comes back to the Philippines
for her homecoming. “Binibining
Pilipinas Universe will be replaced
with Miss Universe Philippines,” he
shared, “Noon pa binibigay sa akin
‘yan, because I’ve been helping them
since 2016.”
He further disclosed he already
gave the initial payment to the Miss
Universe organization. “Instead of
talking to many companies before,
they just talked to me and I then gave
them a non-refundable deposit of
$1 million. Who would disagree
to that, non-refundable? I gained
their trust. Before the signing in
2016, they even first asked me to
pay $12 million,” he said.
Chavit’s statement is contrary
to the claim made by Binibining
Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI)
earlier this month that the franchise
is still with them. “It’s still with us. If
some people are saying something
else, let them talk about it,” Stella
Marquez-Araneta, BPCI chair, said
in a previous interview. (JM Felipe,
Malaya)
Exciting year ahead for Julie Anne
JULIE Anne San Jose’s own
Lani Mercado is the perfect role
model as the patient and supportive
wife. Her husband, Bong Revilla,
acknowledges this.
“Habang nasa Camp Crame
ako for four and a half years, siya
ang tumayong ina at ama ng aming
tahanan,” says Bong. “Nakita ko kung
gaano niya ako kamahal dahil hindi
niya ako iniwan sa lahat ng laban
ko. Masasabi ko talagang hindi ako
nagkamali na siya ang piliing maging
rendition of the Parokya ni Edgar
song, “Your Song,” has reached
15 million views on You Tube. Her
version shows how good a singer she
is so some folks are suggesting she
should focus on her singing more
as this is where she’s really good at.
Early last year, she staged an intimate
solo concert at Music Museum called
“#Julie” where her songs represented
the various stages of love. It was a
huge success and a good way for to
start the year right.
She then returned to acting in the
musical series, playing Celina in “My
Guitar Princess,” an aspiring singer
where she’s paired with Gil Cuerva
and Kiko Estrada. Every Sunday, you
can watch her doing musical numbers
with top singers in “Studio 7” and in
the country’s number one musical
comedy show, “Sunday Pinasaya.”
She is also in the sitcom “Pepito
Manaloto.”
Her first single with Universal
Records, “Nothing Left,” hit it big
in the music charts while her OPM
single “Tayong Dalawa” debuted at
the number one spot 30 minutes
after its release. She then launched
her new album, “Breakthrough,”
that remained at the top of iTunes
Philippines All Genre chart for one
week, a rare accomplishment for
The Revillas re-election bid
asawa ko.”
Despite the trials their family has
faced, Lani remains so lovely, fresh
and young looking.
“Hindi biro ang pinagdaanan
namin, talagang very stressful,
but all throughout, hindi nawala
ang pananalig ko sa Diyos na
malalampasan namin lahat ng
pagsubok,” she says.
“Nang makalaya siya, parang
nabunot ang sibat na nakatarak sa
dibdib ko. Napulitika lang ang asawa
ko after magdeklara siyang balak
niyang tumakbo sa presidency.
But God gives certain events in
our lives for certain reasons. I really
told our children, we should give our
total surrender sa Panginoon kasi we
have no one to turn to but God.
I now realize, more than ever,
that the Lord is using to make us
instruments in helping people, in
touching their lives, especially the
poor and the needy.”
This coming election, Lani will
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OPM albums.
This 2019, she headlines “The
Sweetheart and the Balladeer: Fun
Night Only” with “Asia’s Romantic
Balladeer” Christian Bautista. The
concert tour kicks off on January
27 at the Iloilo Convention Center,
Mandurriao, Iloilo City, with a next
show lined up on February 10 at The
Atrium, Limketkai Center, Lapasan,
Cagayan de Oro.
Julie Anne is off to more exciting
things this 2019. But although her
career is doing really well, her fans are
sad because it is common knowledge
she has called it quits with Benjamin
Alves.(M. Bautista, Malaya)
be busy campaigning for reelection
as mayor of Bacoor. Son Jolo is also
seeking reelection as Cavite vice
governor and their brother Strike
Revilla is again running as Bacoor
representative. How about Bong?
“Sana hindi na muna siya tatakbo.
But sa surveys, laging number 7 or
number 8 siya, so ibig sabihin naroon
pa rin ang tiwala sa kanya ng mga
tao.”