The 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival has awarded its much-revered Balanghai trophies to the winning entries in a program held at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo last August 14.
The Baseball Player by Carlo Obispo was named Best Film, Best Screenplay for Obispo, Best Editing for Zig Dulay, and Best Actor for Tommy Alejandrino, who starred as a Moro child soldier dreaming to become a baseball player.
Meanwhile, the box office hit Blue Room by Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan took home the Special Jury Prize, as well as the Best Direction for Dagñalan, Best Cinematography for Neil Daza, Best Supporting Actor for Soliman Cruz, and Best Production Design for Marxie Maolen Fadul. Blue Room follows the members of the indie rock band Rebel Rebel who are arrested for drug possession and must decide if they would use their privilege to get away with it.
Other winners of this year’s Cinemalaya include Max Eigenmann who won the Best Actress award for her performance in 12 Weeksby Anna Isabella Matutina, which also won the NETPAC Award; Ruby Ruiz winning the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Christian Paolo Lat’s Ginhawa; Kargo by TM Malones won the Audience Choice Award; Pepe Manikan for Best Sound in Bula Sa Langit; and Isha Abubakar of Retirada for Best Musical Score.
Meanwhile, here is the list of winners for the Short Film Category:
Best Short Film & NETPAC Award – Zig Dulay’s Black Rainbow
Best Direction & Special Jury Prize – Gabriella Serrano’s Dikit
Audience Choice Award – Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras (The Dreams That Are Written On The Sand) by Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico
After two years of streaming online due to the pandemic, Cinemalaya officially returned to onsite screening this year. Twelve finalists from the pool of 2020 and 2021 Cinemalaya entries competed for the full-length category and 12 films also competed for the Short film category.
The Cinemalaya finalists will continue to screen in select partner cinemas nationwide until August 16. The festival will also go to Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte on September 9 to 15, followed by its online run in October via the CCP Vimeo Account.
For more information, visit the CCP and Cinemalaya websites.
Filmmaker Jordan Peele, also known for Get Out and Us that disrupted and redefined the horror genre, reinvents the sci-fi horror genre this time in his latest film Nope. Shot with large-format and IMAX cameras, Peele, along with the film’s director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema (whose work includes Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Tenet) teamed up to capture the impossible on camera. A Universal Pictures release, Nope opens in local cinemas on August 17.
Jordan Peele was eager to expand his cinematic canvas and embraced a new challenge unlike any in his filmmaking career so far and tackle the granddaddy of genre movies: the summer event film. ‘Nope’ is both a spectacle and an examination of how spectacle shapes cultures and ideas of ourselves. The film puts siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood back together (played by Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) when their legendary father dies and leaves them the ranch estate to manage, known for training horses used in big Hollywood productions. As they delve deeper in managing the ranch, both notice something unusual – something is in the sky and it is abducting people and animals, and the Haywood siblings are determined to uncover the mystery behind it.
A man of few words but noble actions, OJ is the moral center of the film. Although he works in Hollywood, his world is mostly isolated to the Haywood Ranch in Agua Dulce, and he’s most comfortable doing his work and keeping his head down. When his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) returns to the ranch, some old tensions and wounds begin to surface. “What I love about Jordan’s films is that they’re hard to describe,” Kaluuya says. “They have to be experienced. There’s always a real eternal premise and then a real truth in the middle of it. I always lean in when I don’t know what something is,” Kaluuya continues. “But I can only lean in when I know that the director is passionate about it, that they understand it, that they feel it. And that’s always true of Jordan.”
Keke Palmer
An aspiring actor, singer and stuntwoman, Emerald Haywood, played by Keke Palmer, seems, at first, to be the opposite of her brother OJ in fundamental ways. A defining moment from her childhood forever shaped her relationship with OJ and their father. She has a tight bond with OJ, despite her avoidance of her role in the family business. For Palmer, the experience of making Nope and working with Peele inspired her to reflect on the state of our culture and ourselves. “For me, the film is about chasing something far outside of yourself and chasing it to such an extent that you don’t realize, until it’s too late, what you already had,” Palmer says.
Daniel Kaluuya
“Nope was written in 2020 during the pandemic,” Peele says. “It was this crazy time. In a lot of ways, the film is a reflection of all the horrors that happened that year and are still happening.” As for the title, he says, “Nope means a lot of things. I always love to get into the head of my audience. I was inspired by the feeling of existential helplessness in us all, then this idea of spectacle, to bring people out to the theatres and help invigorate their love for the cinematic experience, and at the same time I asked myself the reason why we are obsessed with spectacle.”
A Universal Pictures release, Nope opens in local cinemas on August 17.
The beloved sports anime Haikyu!!is set to wrap up in the 2-part feature film Haikyu!! Final which has released its first trailer.
The finale for the anime will feature Karasuno and Nekoma’s volleyball teams going against each other at the Tokyo Nationals Tournament, as well as the final arc for the series as seen in the manga. Watch the trailer for Haikyuu!! Final below:
The successful anime franchise ended its fourth season in 2020, and while it was not followed by a fifth season, fans will finally see the ending for the beloved anime, not just on their small screens but on the big screen.
While there is no release window yet for Haikyu!! Final, a kick-off event for the films is scheduled for August 2023. For more details, you can check out the announcement made by Crunchyroll.
Haikyu!! is a slice-of-life, sports anime series by Haruichi Furudate which begins with Shoyo Hinata joining the volleyball team of Karasuno High. Here, he gets teamed up with the prodigy setter Tobio Kageyama, who he considers a rival. Despite their differences, Shoyo and Kageyama would soon become a promising duo that could help Karasuno redeem its reputation as a powerhouse school for aspiring volleyball players.
Emmy-nominated actress Nathalie Emmanuel is best known for her remarkable performance in the role of Missandei in the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones. She also made a mark as Ramsey in the seventh and eighth installments of the blockbuster film series Fast and the Furious. Now, Emmanuel stars in the lead role of Evie in Columbia Pictures’ new horror thriller The Invitation.
After the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie (Emmanuel) takes a DNA test…and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, she’s at first seduced by the sexy aristocrat host but is soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family’s history and the disturbing intentions behind their generosity.
Nathalie Emmanuel in Screen Gems THE INVITATION (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
Emmanuel was attracted by Evie’s story being given a modern point of view. “Marriage can be a beautiful thing, but if you think about it, a long time ago, marriages were made so that two families could further their prosperity, in money or land,” says Emmanuel. “We’re making that modern. Times have changed and Evie has real power and agency. When things take a turn, she is going to fight back.”
Emmanuel’s portrayal of Evie is as a very compassionate person, in a way that doesn’t fit in with her newfound family. “When she gets to the castle, she introduces herself to the maids, she gets to know their names and who they are as people – to the horror of her aristocratic English family,” says director Jessica M. Thompson. “She sees humans as humans, and not as a class or status. And she maintains that throughout the film – if she’s going to go down, she’s going to go down fighting for these women, to save them from her fate.”
Nathalie Emmanuel in Screen Gems THE INVITATION (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
For producer Emile Gladstone, part of the key was setting up Evie as a character yearning for something. “There really isn’t a nightmare unless there’s a dream first,” he says. “It starts off Gatsby-esque and inspirational: Evie goes to this incredible wedding and finds this incredible guy, and finally thinks the worm has turned for her. And then the penny drops, and the dream turns to nightmare.”
“Nathalie has a beautiful presence,” shares Thompson. “She’s the most empathetic person – she really feels deeply for her characters and finds the humanity in them. All of the nuances – from the way she wears her clothes, to the way she creates her art, to the way she honors her mother… all of those little details give Evie so much breath and life.”
In Philippine cinemas August 24, The Invitation is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #InvitationMovie
The Filipino dating scene is all about wooing the other person with your best foot forward. Dressing up to the nines, putting on alluring makeup, or donning the trendiest hairstyle can pull the right people in any room you walk in.
In a post-pandemic world, social distancing will put everyone in a caution to flirt and socialize. But to really grab attention, one needs an intoxicating scent to maintain a magnetic kind of interest to pull your target in without them even realizing it.
Gayuma-like fragrance with Avon Attraction Sensation
The thrill of the chase and the exhilaration of seduction is no easy feat to achieve. To reel in their person of desire, some have gone as far as resorting to classic folklore in the form of the mystical love potion known as gayuma.
With just a whiff, one can be pulled into an unwavering attraction towards the person using it—a lingering spell that plays to the user’s desires.
AVON Attraction Sensation
In celebration of its 44th anniversary in the Philippines, Avon is bringing in a cult favorite from its world-class fragrance line: Avon Attraction Sensation, the first-ever pair of fragrances that captures the gayuma effect in a scent. Designed by two of the world’s most prestigious perfumers, Laurent Le Guernec (Avon Attraction for Her) and Michelle Defina (Avon Attraction for Him), these sophisticated olfactives are especially made for Her and for Him to awaken the five senses: Sight, Touch, Hearing, Taste, and Smell.
Floral, oriental, and fruity notes embody the Avon Attraction Sensation for Her, and the thrill of irresistible attraction begins when you breathe in this new intoxicating scent. The body reacts instantly to Spicy Ginger and Oriental Mandarin. The heart beats faster with the alluring Jasmine. Orris and Midnight Freesia create a hypnotic feeling. With Bold Leather accord, it connects you to your partner with an intensified and intoxicating scent.
Meanwhile, Avon Attraction Sensation for Him is an Oriental Fougeré that pulls the ladies with the magnetic force of spicy seduction induced with top notes of spicy Black Pepper and Ginger Oil that increases the heart rate. The intoxicating thrill intensifies with sensual Clary Sage and the fresh and robust Lavender Oil. Addictive Patchouli and Vetiver release a high dose of adrenaline.
Both scents are imbued with Bold Leather accord, which helps you instantly connect with your partner through an intensified sensation that is undeniably irresistible. When rubbed against the skin, this special accord is tied to memory and highlights sensuality.
Stimulate the senses and keep them coming back for more. It’s time to put yourself out there and use the senses to open the gates of attraction. Get the gayuma effect and be irresistible whenever you wear Avon Attraction Sensation.
Visit avonshop.ph to purchase the Avon Attraction Sensation or contact your trusted Avon Representative to get your hands on this product.
Square Enix London Mobile has soft-launched the new open-world mobile game Avatar: Generations, based on the hit Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The game has now been soft-launched in Canada, Denmark, South Africa, and Sweden, and is set to expand territories in the following months. Available on both Android and iOS, Avatar: Generations is a free-to-play tactical RPG that explores the beloved stories of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Appa, and Momo, in their globetrotting quest to fulfill the Avatar’s destiny. Moreover, it also teases future expansions which will follow Avatars Kyoshi, Korra, Roku, and more.
The adventure game is set to feature squad-based battles with deep upgrade and party customization systems. Players will also be able to play fan-favorite locations, stories, and events in this open-world game, which also adds some brand new stories expanding the Avatar universe.
Further details on the game’s global launch have yet to be announced. For more information about the game, visit its official website, avatargenerations.com.
Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a world where people can “bend” or manipulate the elements. The series follows the Airbender Aang, who must restore balance in the world as the Avatar, the master of all four elements, and put a stop to the Fire Nation and their tyrannical Fire Lord Ozai who wants to take over the world. A live-action adaptation of the animated series led by a Filipino-Canadian actor is also in the works on Netflix.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest news on film, TV, and more updates around the city!
Despite being a comedian, Jordan Peele has been under the radar of horror movie fans ever since his successful directorial debut with Get Out which won him multiple Oscars. Now, Peele’s third horror film Nope is finally coming to Philippine theaters this week!
Nope follows siblings OJ and Em who inherit a ranch of horses in Hollywood that are being used for film and television productions. Meanwhile, the former child star Jupe who is running a nearby theme park called Jupiter’s Claim, plans to buy the ranch from OJ. Things get bizarre when an unknown flying object begins to appear in the sky, but the siblings and Jupe find this as an opportunity to profit off of the flying saucer and the mysteries surrounding it. Watch Nope‘s trailer below:
Before you see Nope on the big screen this week, here are some fun facts about the movie you might want to know about!
1. Daniel Kaluuya and Jordan Peele are back.
Daniel Kaluuya won an Oscar for Best Actor in Peele’s first film Get Out, and now the two are back together for the director’s new movie. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the director shared that Kaluuya is his “favorite actor in the world.”
“I couldn’t wait longer to work with him again. One of the things I admire most about him is his powerful stillness. Nobody else has it. He doesn’t need words to communicate his thoughts or emotions. In the scariest and quietest moments, you know exactly what he’s feeling and experiencing just by looking at him, and that’s so powerful. His big eyes, his body language—he brings so much emotion,” the director explained.
2. Jupiter’s Claim has become a real Hollywood attraction.
Jupiter’s Claim, the theme park that Jupe has built to earn from his childhood tragedy, was rebuilt in real life to become part of the iconic Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. In an interview with Forbes, Universal Creative’s Vice President Jon Corfino shared that they were given access to Peele’s set for Nope to further understand how the set works.
“It’s unique to go out to a set and be there while it’s filming, to partner with Jordan and the production team, and get into the filmmaking process,” said Corfino. “We were allowed excellent access to help understand the film and figure out how we could do it. Usually, the movie is out, and you can tailor what you want to add from an attraction or backlot basis. Being there in real time was very different and very exciting. Jordan was so welcoming, and when I first went out there and saw him, he got very excited. That got me even more excited. It was one of those times when you think, ‘Oh boy. Don’t we have the coolest jobs in the world?’”
3. The film tackles the “wrong spectacle”
Peele is known for injecting commentaries in his films, like racism in Get Out and America’s fear of “outsiders” in Us. This time, Peele is inspired the “dark time” we find ourselves in.
“I wrote this movie in a dark time that still exists. We are obsessed with the wrong spectacle, and it distracts us from what we really need to focus on,” said Peele in the same interview. “The movie is a reflection of all the awfulness and the spectacular horrors that we’ve been living through.”
Photo: ‘Nope’ trailer
In an interview with CBC News, Peele also revealed that he was partly inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs.
4. Peele made an intro for the fictional sitcom ‘Gordy’s Home’.
In the film, the child star Jupe is introduced as part of the fictitious sitcom Gordy’s Home. The sitcom ended tragically, however, when the show’s chimpanzee murdered its cast members, leaving Jupe as the lone survivor. Peele has released the intro clip for the sitcom within the movie, which you could watch below:
Here’s another bonus fact about the tragedy that transpired on the set of the fictional show. Peele tweeted back in 2014 a dream that he had which is very similar to the young Jupe’s experience in the film. This most likely inspired Jupe’s subplot in Nope.
Dreamt that a baby chimp attacked some people then ran to me and hugged me all scared. I woke up with tears streaming down my face. #bruh
5. Gordy is made with CGI and acted by a “The Planet of the Apes” actor.
The chimpanzee that made the opening of Nope nightmarish is actually CGI created with motion capture used in The Planet of the Apes trilogy. The chimp was even played by one of the trilogy’s actors, Terry Notary, who starred as Rocket.
Nopeopens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.
vivo has been on top of its game when it comes to launching smartphones that meet the users’ digital needs — from entry-level to flagship, vivo ensures that there’s a vivo smartphone perfect for its fans from all walks of life — and the innovation never stops.
Report has it that vivo is gearing up to launch yet another entry-level smartphone that is said to be the successor of the vivo Y01 — the vivo Y02s.
This new addition to the vivo Y series smartphone line is rumored to house a 5000 mAh battery and is allegedly the thinnest design ever in its price range with only 8.15 mm thick. If that’s the case, users can expect a slim vivo Y02s that will surely offer a comfortable grip with an immense battery capacity.
Based on the leaked photos, the vivo Y02s comes in two stylish colors: Flourite Black and Vibrant Blue, and already supports a USB Type-C port. It is also tipped that the upcoming vivo Y02s is powered by MediaTek Helio P35 chipset which will offer consumers a smooth performance and might come paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM, allowing users to save more photos and files without hassle.
vivo surely knows how to combine style and quality together without breaking the pocket of its consumers. vivo is yet to disclose the official price of the vivo Y02s but it is expected to launch in the Philippines soon! Stay tuned for more details.
Visit vivo’s official website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels to receive real-time updates about vivo’s newest products and offers.
Directed by Real Florido Cast: JC De Vera and Janine Gutierrez My Rating: BUY TICKETS
This is the fourth movie I’ve seen Janine Gutierrez in and I’m now convinced she can nail any role that is thrown at her. She brings so much honesty into her performances that you forget she just played a different character in her last movie. There’s a very lived-in, natural way about her portrayals that makes her characters seem so real. In ‘Bakit ‘Di Mo Sabihin?’ she expands her range even further by playing the deaf and mute artist Nat with such bravura that I was absolutely transfixed.
Unfortunately, the film’s narrative structure takes on a non-linear form, which conflates the movie’s story and makes it feel incohesive. There’s the story of the challenges of a deaf-mute person, the toxic relationship she has with her husband Migs (a solid performance by JC De Vera), and the feminist undertones that come from having such an oppressive husband. The narrative jumps in and out of flashbacks and certain narrative points come at a much later time than when they are needed.
Because certain backstory elements aren’t revealed until much later, what we experience in this film is the drama, the after effects, and these don’t grip us or hold on to us because they feel unmotivated. Why are the couple breaking up? How did they get to this point? Was Migs always this controlling? The answers come so much later that by the time that they do, I have already made judgments on certain characters that weren’t warranted or I’m totally disconnected from other characters completely.
The non-linear structure (which is very reminiscent of the film ‘Blue Valentine’ to me) feels more cosmetic than functional. And there are certain storylines that I feel could have been explored (the world and struggles of the deaf and mute community) and a subplot with a farmer’s son, who is also deaf and mute, that Migs wants to teach sign language. While it shows Migs’ savior complex at work, it never really goes anywhere narratively and never really completes that it feels out of place.
There’s a lot of promise in this film but it needs to be able to take all the story elements and bring it back to what seems like the main point of the film, which is to fully explore the deterioration of this couple’s marriage. The film is a great showcase for its two lead actors, though, of how much they can convey without speaking one line of dialogue. If anything, watch it for their performances.
Directed by Roman S. Perez Jr. Cast: Coleen Garcia, Queenzy Calma, Karl Medina My Rating: BUY TICKETS
‘Kaluskos’ is a horror film about a separated couple fighting over custody of their daughter. Career woman Rebecca (Coleen Garcia) has sole custody of her daughter Amaya (Queenzy Calma), which her ex-husband (played by Karl Medina) is fighting to overturn. Rebecca, who is dedicated to her job, is not at all connected to Amaya but will fight tooth and nail to keep her out of spite as her ex-husband cheated on her. But Amaya has begun to exhibit violent tendencies and strange behaviour and Rebecca is discovering that being a mother is a lot harder to do alone.
Director Roman Perez Jr. is in quite a rush to get to the horror that he never really settles down to establish the setting, the characters, and the rules of this world.
We never really get to know Rebecca’s job or how hard she works (it’s always mentioned but we never really get to see it) and because Rebecca never seems to really connect with her daughter, it’s hard for us to believe she really loves her when things start to go awry. We have no idea what Amaya was like before so when she starts acting strange or violent, we don’t know if this is due to the custody battle or if the child had always this issue growing under her, or if this is the effect of some supernatural element that is hinted upon in the film.
In fact, the film is in such a rush to get to it that there are scenes when foreboding music is already at play in some normal, mundane scenes. In other moments, the camera is already angled in a peculiar way to suggest someone is watching, hidden, but the scene doesn’t really call for it.
Without grounding the film in its setting and its world, Rebecca’s descent into madness feels rushed and not properly motivated. There are also quite a number of imagery and narrative elements that seem arbitrary. There’s a dream sequence of Rebecca on a boat, floating near the shore and she sees her daughter under the water but this image has no real connection to the story or the supernatural element that is uncovered as the story unfolds.
The world seems small, operating only within the mechanics needed for the film to move forward and this is what makes ‘Kaluskos’ struggle to find its fear factor. I don’t see this happening to me or anyone around me. Detached from the real world, ‘Kaluskos’ seems to be an isolated story that is just there for Rebecca and Amaya. It never really turns their custody battle or Rebecca’s maternal issues as something universal and it makes the film feel small.
—
Cinemalaya 18 runs until August 14, 2022. at the CCP, and will hold screenings at select Ayala Malls Cinemas and SM Cinemas until August 16, 2022. Online streaming is scheduled for October 2022.
Call Me By Your Name star Armie Hammer and the men of his family are the subject of the upcoming Discovery+ documentary House of Hammer.
In the first trailer for the series, we get a closer look at the sexual abuse claims against the actor. Not only that, but the documentary also reveals that this dark and twisted behavior seems to run in the men of the family, and has been going on for five generations already.
Watch the trailer for House of Hammer below:
As Discovery+ teases, House of Hammer will contain a trove of archives and interviews from both survivors and family members of the powerful Hammer family, to reveal the twisted secrets and scandals of the men of this dysfunctional dynasty. As Armie’s aunt, Casey Hammer put it, “Magnify Succession a million times, and it was my family.”
House of Hammer will start streaming on Discovery+ this September 2. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest news on film, TV, and more updates around the city!
