Award-winning documentary premieres at Cinemalaya
THE AWARD-winning documentary feature Delikado focusing on environmental crusaders who risk their lives protecting the rainforests of Palawan will premiere on Cinemalaya 18. The 96-minute documentary directed by journalist Karl Malakunas will be screened at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theater on Aug. 13 at 3:30 p.m. It will be among the closing films of the 18th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. In Delikado, Mr. Malakunas, the former Manila bureau chief of Agence France Presse, shies away from the tropical paradise angle and instead shines the light on environmental defenders who are fighting to preserve their natural resources from big developers, politicians, illegal loggers and others who threaten the Philippines’ “last ecological frontier.” The film follows Robert “Bobby” Chan, lawyer and executive director of the Palawan NGO Network Inc., former El Nido mayor Nieves Rosento, and land defender Efren “Tata” Balladares. Another participant was “Kap” Ruben Arzaga, one of the volunteer leaders, who was killed in an anti-logging operation in 2017. For details, visit delikadofilm.com or https://www.facebook.com/DelikadoFilm. For advance tickets visit https://culturalcenter.gov.ph/event/cinemalaya-18-philippine-independent-film-festival-2022.
ASEAN music fest unveils all-star multi-genre lineup
THE ASEAN Music Showcase Festival (AMS) will be holding its first in-person showcase since its founding in 2020, bringing together some of Asia’s most exciting music acts for its 2022 edition on Sept. 10 to 11 in Singapore. Each country in the ASEAN will be represented by a mix of established and emerging artists performing various music genres. The performers are: hip-hop star VannDa and fellow labelmates from Baramey Production (Cambodia); singer-songwriter Pamungkas, rapper Basboi, jazz-funk trio Mad MadMen, ambient artist Logic Lost, indie-rock soloist IQIF, electronic pop act LONE, and electronic jazz band Littlefingers (Indonesia); Cheats, alternative band SOS (formerly known as She’s Only Sixteen), rapper-producer kiyo, electro R&B act Fern., dream pop band KRNA, rapper Young Cocoa, and pop-R&B act Ace Banzuelo (Philippines); a hip hop label showcases from YUPP! artists AUTTA featuring Flower.Far, AINN, and FIZZIE; HYPE TRAIN label artists, singer-songwriter Alec Orachi from NewEchoes, and pop acts from HIGH CLOUD Entertainment’s BOOM BOOM CASH and PUN (Thailand); post-rock band Amateur Takes Control, DJ-producer Fauxe, rapper Bgourd, indie pop act Pleasantry, four-piece math rock band cues, and pop-R&B artist ffion (Singapore); electro-R&B act NYK, rock duo Jemson, “fractional math rock” quartet The Filters, city pop act Babychair (Malaysia); Thinlamphone and ZamioP (Laos); and OAK Soe Khant and Velocity (Burma) with the latter’s set available online only. Guest acts outside ASEAN will also be making appearances including Taiwanese indie act indie rock bands Huan Huan and I Mean Us, and another act to be announced later. Indian jazz-rock fusion band Jatayu will also perform. AMS will also host a virtual showcase, with the lineup to be announced soon. This year’s in-person showcase sets in Singapore and the virtual showcases will be broadcasted live via AMS’s official YouTube channel on both days. Tickets to ASEAN Music Showcase Festival 2022 are now available to purchase online via Sistic at https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/asean0922.
Kroma boosts studio production
KROMA Entertainment, Inc. is introducing its creative business units: ANIMA (formerly Globe Studios) as its film production studio, and Secret Menu as its audio-centered division. ANIMA boasts of films such as Fan Girl, Kuwaresma, Last Song Syndrome (LSS), Hintayan ng Langit, Dead Kids, and GOYO: Ang Batang Heneral, all of which leverage on being creator-focused and bold. Recently, ANIMA brought Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether The Weather is Fine), which earned plum awards at the 70th FAMAS Awards on July 30. The 2022 Cinemalaya Philippines Film Festival’s opening film was ANIMA’s Sundance award-winning film Leonor Will Never Die while ANIMA Short Film Lab’s City of Flowers will compete under the festival’s short film category. For its audio-centered division, ANIMA Podcasts, an extensive network of creators, brands, and platforms, come together to develop engaging audio series that cater to different audiences. Its current roster of regular shows include Spotify Exclusives Paano Ba ‘To?! by celebrity host Bianca Gonzalez; The Karen Davila Podcast, a limited series by news anchor Karen Davila; and The Linya-Linya Show, a comedy talk show with Ali Sangalang. Other names in its podcast roster include film director Quark Henares, writer Ramon de Veyra, host and radio DJ Riki Flores-Reyes, and YouTube K-content creator Kring Kim. Finishing off the brand’s transformation is the full-service creative video agency Secret Menu, whose content spans all aspects of video content creation. Its services include branded content solutions, commercials, live videos, event coverage, and music videos. For more information, visit KROMA Entertainment’s official website at www.kroma.ph.
Prime Video increases investment
GLOBAL video streaming service Prime Video will increase its investment for customers in the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. Beginning August, customers will find a localized content slate and user experience (in local language) on Prime Video and the Prime Video app. The streaming service also revealed its first local original, Comedy Island: Philippines, and exclusive licensing deals for local, Korean, and animé titles. Prime Video offers a selection of entertainment, from original productions created by local production companies, local licensed top titles, Korean content, global Amazon Original movies and TV series, and popular Hollywood titles.
Pinoy animated short sweeps int’l film fest awards
TELLA, a short Filipino animated film about a mysterious girl and a misplaced star, has recognition in different film festivals across the globe. The 12-minute piece follows the journey of a little girl who is woken up by a fallen star that wishes to return to the night sky. The short was written and directed by Filipino animator Zachary Conlu, who honed his skills under the Animation Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. With the help of fellow Benildeans Pauline Jan Villanueva, who composed the musical score, and Anthony Tobias, who was tapped for sound design, Conlu’s Tella has bagged numerous awards. These include Best Soundtrack at the Reale Film Festival Italy; Best Original Score at the Vesuvius International Film Fest Italy, Venezia Shorts Italy; Best Original Score, Best Animation and Audience Awards at the Feel The Reel International Film Festival UK; and Best Sound Design Award at the International Cosmopolitan Film Festival in Tokyo, Japan. Villanueva was also hailed as Best Composer at the Toronto Indie Shorts in Canada. The film was included as an Official Selection at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival, Spark Animation and Around International Barcelona, where it bagged the Best Animation. It was recognized with the Best Animation Award from Kalakari Film Festival in India. Honorable Mentions for Best Animation were granted by the Long Story Shorts International Film Festival Romania and ARFF Paris Film Festival. In local shoes, Tella was nominated for Best Director and Best Editing and won Best Sound Score and Best Sound Design titles at the CineANIMO Film Festival.
