Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 8521

Palace approves plan to boost pork imports

A government task force on economic intelligence will go after profiteers, price manipulators, smugglers and hoarders, amid soaring prices of agricultural products in local markets. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved a plan to boost pork imports to counter soaring prices amid an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said on Thursday.

In a press briefing, Mr. Nograles said the President approved during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) recommendation to expand the minimum access volume (MAV) allocation for pork imports.

“As for the projections of pork supplies for this year, the DA estimates that with a demand of 1,618,355 metric tons and the projections of the 2021 supply, we will need to begin the process of reviewing the MAV… Given that the current MAV is 54,210 metric tons, the DA has recommended studying that the MAV be expanded just enough to cover the projected shortfall for the year,” he said in a Palace briefing.

As of Feb. 1, the national average farmgate prices of hogs is now at P171 per kilo, the DA said.

The expansion of MAV will just be “a temporary solution” to curb the rise in pork prices, Mr. Nograles said. Pork imports under the MAV enter the country at a lower tariff of 30%.

“The agency’s main priority is to help local hog raisers,” he said.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) expressed support for a “calibrated” pork importation program until the ASF outbreak is controlled and local hog raisers can resume operations.

“The risk of contamination and spread of the virus is really high because there is no available vaccine yet for ASF. A calibrated importation program is an option the government can consider to secure supply and bring down the price of pork,” PCCI President Benedicto V. Yujuico said in a statement on Thursday.

‘ECON INTEL’ TASK FORCE
At the same time, Mr. Nograles said the President approved the agency’s recommendation to create an “economic intelligence” task force to go after smugglers, profiteers and hoarders of agricultural products.

Co-chaired by the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry, the group will be composed of the Philippine Competition Commission, Bureau of Customs, Department of Justice, Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, National Security Council, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

“Pork prices should have already gone down after the holidays, but they did not. Clearly, some persons along the food value chain are making a lot of money,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a statement.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said he will direct the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe price manipulators and hoarders.

“Pursuant to that manifestation, the DOJ will issue a department order directing the NBI to gather actionable information that may be used to run after hoarders and profiteers reportedly manipulating the prices of pork, vegetables, and other basic foodstuff,” he told reporters via Viber.

Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said the DA should tap the NBI and the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to identify wholesalers behind the manipulation of pork supply.

“We raised this already. We have already written a letter to Secretary Dar to ask for the list of cold storage facilities used by meat importers. They should know these facilities and should deputize the NBI and CIDG to check,” Mr. Pangilinan said at an online briefing on Thursday.

Mr. Duterte on Monday signed an executive order imposing price caps on some pork and poultry products sold in Metro Manila for 60 days.

The implementation of the price ceiling on pork and chicken products will take effect on Feb. 8 (Monday) to give time for industry players to adjust.

Prices soared due to transportation costs as Metro Manila markets sourced meat from other islands after hogs across Luzon were culled due to the ASF outbreak.

Mr. Pangilinan said the implementation of a price ceiling on pork and chicken products is just a temporary measure for consumers.

“The measure is only for two months. It is better if we find another solution. Price ceiling alone will not work if we don’t act fast and augment supply,” the senator said. —  with Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Jenina P. Ibañez and Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Smooth transition may help BARMM Region attract more investments

By Beatrice M. Laforga, Reporter

THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Region may attract more investments if violent conflicts and political tensions continue to decline, with the infrastructure sector seen to benefit the most.

Analysts also noted the key role that intergovernmental relations will play in ensuring a smooth transition and addressing long-standing conflicts.

BARMM saw 2,655 incidents of violent conflict in 2019, 9% lower than the year prior, according to the latest report by the monitoring group Conflict Alert and the World Bank.

The report tracked conflicts in the Bangsamoro region over a nine-year period, showing 2019 was the third consecutive year of a decline in violent incidents.

Deaths due to violence also continued to fall to 851 in 2019, from 900 the year prior and 2,261 in 2017.

“However, in many pockets and corridors of the Bangsamoro, identity cleavages hardened with high incidence of clan feuding, personal grudges, and resource conflicts. Violence due to the shadow economies in illegal drugs and illegal guns surged while extremist violence remained resilient,” the report noted.

Issues involving illegal drugs topped the list of causes of conflict in the region, followed by illicit firearms, robbery, violent extremism, clan feud, illegal gambling, executive and judicial decisions, personal grudge, gender-related issues and elections.

Investments to BARMM have also been affected by the sustained tensions, but a continued decline in conflict incidents will encourage investors to enter the region,

Finance Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil S. Beltran said.

“Initially, investments will focus on basic infrastructure — power, water, telecommunications, roads and ports. Later, investments will come for tourism, construction and manufacturing,” Mr. Beltran said via e-mail.

The Department of Finance is part of the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) where BARMM officials meet with their counterparts in the National Government to address issues and help with the transition period of the new region.

For Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a lawyer and research fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University Policy Center, agriculture and tourism sectors in BARMM will likely benefit the most.

“If the BTA (Bangsamoro Transition Authority) continues laying down a strong foundation for the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament in 2022, the status of the BARMM as the poorest region in the Philippines could dramatically change within the decade,” Mr. Yusingco said via e-mail over the weekend.

“Yet this positive trajectory can still be scuttled by spoilers, the most dangerous and imminent of which is violent extremism,” he said, noting another incident like the Marawi siege could derail the region’s progress.

Preventing another wave of violent extremism should be the top priority, but Mr. Yusingco said the state is struggling to address this due to lack of cooperation and bureaucracy.

“It is worth noting that cooperation and collaboration by and between the central government and local governments have yet to be instinctively and consistently practiced despite the fact that intergovernmental relations mechanisms can be found in the nation’s charter and in various laws,” he said.

The IGRB met six times last year and has set four intergovernmental bodies needed to implement the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). These are the Fiscal Policy Board, Joint Body for Zones of Joint Cooperation, Infrastructure Development Board and the Energy Board.

Mr. Yusingco said the IGRB can also take on the responsibility of managing the National Action Plan on preventing and countering violent extremism in the region.

“The sooner the IGRB takes on this mantle, the better for the Bangsamoro people and the region’s prospects for economic development,” he added.

Republic Act. No. 11054 or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, signed July 2018, established the BARMM in a bid to sustain peace in the new region.

AC Energy sets follow-on offering of up to 2 billion primary shares

AC ENERGY President and CEO Eric T. Francia said he was looking at a P30-billion cash infusion from the company’s sale of shares this year. — BW FILE PHOTO

AC ENERGY Corp. has set a follow-on offering of up to 2 billion primary shares in a move that could raise up to P16.4 billion for the Ayala-led company with aspirations to become Southeast Asia’s largest listed renewable energy platform.

“[T]he Company’s Executive Committee approved today an FOO (follow-on offering) price range of P6.00-P8.20 per share and a primary share issuance size of up to two billion shares,” AC Energy said in a stock market disclosure on Thursday.

It added that the total offering size would include secondary shares, but the number would be determined at a later date.

Eric T. Francia, the company’s president and chief executive officer, said in a media briefing on Monday that he was looking at a P30-billion cash infusion from AC Energy’s sale of shares this year, including the P5.37 billion raised in a stock rights offering that took place from Jan. 18 to 22.

In November last year, he said in a briefing that the follow-on offering was one of the five steps that the firm was undertaking in its corporate restructuring and transformation.

The other steps are: a stocks rights offering in the first quarter; the Singapore-based GIC Pte. Ltd. private placement of 4 billion shares by the end of the second quarter; the infusion of the international energy assets; and the sale of secondary shares from parent firm AC Energy and Infrastructure Corp to GIC.

“Between the capital raising, SRO (stock rights offering), private placement and FOO, that’s a significant amount of cash that we will be raising that could reach up to P30 billion of cash infusion this year,” he said, adding that the figure was a rough estimate.

He said that “a lot of this” would depend on the size of the firm’s upcoming follow-on offering.

AC Energy aims to install 5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025, a target that it expects to exceed ahead of schedule.

Mr. Francia said that the firm projected to get to the halfway mark this year, with funding from its various capital-raising activities and opportunities in foreign markets.

“We expect to be in the two-and-a-half gigawatt mark between our Philippine and international platform[s]. Right now, we are about 1,350 megawatts (MW). We have around 900 MW in international and 450 [MW] in the Philippines, so combined renewables is 1,350 [MW],” he said.

Mr. Francia said that projects using solar and wind technologies would take up a huge chunk of the company’s capacity by 2025.

“I don’t have a specific percent breakdown between solar and wind, but what I can tell you is, solar and wind will have the lion’s share of our technology mix,” he said. “Solar is most likely going to be larger in terms of installed capacity over wind.”

During AC Energy’s five-day stock rights offering period last month, it sold a total of 2,267,580,434 common shares at an offer price of P2.37 per share to eligible stockholders of record as of Jan. 13.

On Thursday, shares in AC Energy shed 6.84% or 0.53 centavos to finish at P7.21 apiece. — Angelica Y. Yang

SEC reaches settlement with Hoton Retail and Services

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that it had reached a settlement agreement with Hoton Retail and Services, Inc. regarding the latter’s franchise partnership program.

In an order posted in its website, the corporate regulator said Hoton on Dec. 28, 2020 paid a settlement amounting to P815,000, equivalent to 50% of the penalty that can be imposed under the provisions of Republic Act No. 8799 or the Securities Regulation Code.

This is after Hoton proposed an offer of settlement, which was subsequently approved by the commission.

“The above-captioned case is now deemed settled without any determination of fault or guilt on the part of Hoton Retail and Services, Inc.,” the SEC said.

“Moreover, this order effectively lifts the advisory issued against the company,” it added.

To recall, the SEC on Sept. 10 last year posted an advisory on its website, which warned the public from dealing with Hoton due to its operation of unauthorized investment schemes.

A show-cause order was also issued by the SEC on Oct. 26 asking Hoton for an explanation as to why it should not be cited for violation of the Securities Regulation Code. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

SEC orders end to Chiyuto’s investment scheme

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered Chiyuto Creative Wealth Documentation Facilitation Services to stop soliciting investments from the public until it has secured the necessary license.

In a cease-and-desist order posted on Feb. 1 on its website, the corporate regulator said it had ordered Chiyuto to stop offering or selling securities in the form of investment contracts via a double-your-money roulette game.

According to the SEC, the order covers Chiyuto’s owner Patrocencio C. Chiyuto, Jr., nominee Judy B. Pajarillo, and alternate nominee Felomina L. Andrada.

It added that the order includes other people and entities involved with Chiyuto, namely: Maricris Can Chiyuto, Maria Christina Chiyuto Canobida, Naneth Barruela, Aureliza Apa-Ap, Capiz Buy and Sell Anything, Kiaka Avel Cho, and Santiago City Online Market.

“Chiyuto and Creative Wealth one-person corporation are further enjoined from transacting business involving funds in its depository banks and from transferring, disposing, or conveying any related assets to ensure the preservation of the assets for the benefit of affected investors,” the SEC said.

The order was issued after the commission found out that Chiyuto had been offering the public with investments that promise returns of 100% in one day, 30 days or 45 days, subject to the result of the roulette, without acquiring a secondary license.

“Under the scheme, an investor places as low as P1 to as much as P1 million. Chiyuto will then spin the roulette to select the payout schedule and issue a promissory note to the investor with the corresponding return and day when the guaranteed earnings could be claimed,” the SEC said.

“In addition, Chiyuto has offered a 5% referral commission and held raffles with brand new cars and motorcycles as prizes to attract more investors,” it added.

The SEC said that based on Republic Act No. 8799 or the Securities Regulation Code, securities cannot be sold or offered for sale within the Philippines without an approved registration statement.

Chiyuto initially registered with the Department of Trade and Industry as a sole proprietorship and subsequently with the SEC as a one-person corporation.

“However, it has never secured a secondary license from the Commission as issuer of securities or broker dealer nor registered any securities for public offering pursuant to the Securities Regulation Code,” the SEC said.

According to the SEC, it has issued warnings to the public against investing in Chiyuto and other entities involved in unauthorized investment-taking activities since Aug. 18 last year and via an investor alert in its official Facebook page on Oct. 23.

BusinessWorld sought the comment of Chiyuto regarding the SEC’s order, but has not received a response as of press time. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

RC Cola sales soar after viral ad

SALES of RC Cola Mega in the Philippines increased by 67% after its video advertisement gained online viral attention.

The video spot from ad agency Gigil was widely seen online, with the video getting 51 million views and 366,000 shares across social media platforms since it was posted online in November.

RC Cola sales spiked by the second week of December, compared with the week prior to the launch of the video in November, Gigil said in an e-mail on Thursday.

US television talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show has since featured the video in a game segment called “Ellen and Twitch Guess What’s Going to Happen Next in This Crazy Commercial,” which now has almost 500,000 views online.

The ad agency said it expects higher brand impressions made through the global audience.

ARC Refreshment Corp. is the Philippine bottler of American brand RC Cola. Its parent firm Macay Holdings, Inc. last year announced that it would acquire the biggest canteen concessionaire in the country, Artemisplus Express, Inc., also known as Kitchen City. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Get ready for Space Sweepers, Korea’s first space opera

WHAT happens when you put together a gang of misfits and have them scavenge for space junk? The first space opera of South Korea, that’s what.

Space Sweepers, which drops on February 5 on Netflix, tells the story of said misfits who stumble upon a robot disguised as a little girl who they initially decide to kidnap to get a big ransom but the little girl’s secrets leads them to save the world instead. The film is set in the year 2092.

Written and directed by Jo Sung-hee, the film was conceived in 2009 after he heard stories about space junk and space sweepers from a friend.

“Back then, the storyline was a little different from how it turned out in the final product. I was really surprised by how fresh the idea was,” Song Joong-ki, who plays the spaceship pilot Tae-ho, said in an online press conference on February 2.

Mr. Song previously worked with Mr. Jo on the 2012 film Werewolf Boy.

Mr. Song is joined by actress Kim Tae-ri, who plays Captain Jang, the leader of the ragtag band; Jin Seon-kyu as crew member Tiger Park; and Yoo Hae-jin as the robot Bubs. English actor Richard Armitage plays the villain Sullivan in the film.

“At the first meeting, Jo (the director) told me about his vision and what he pictured the film would be. Seeing how much passion he had, I immediately trusted him,” Ms. Kim, said when asked about what made her agree to do the film.

As the director of what is largely considered as South Korea’s first sci-fi blockbuster, Mr. Jo admitted that the pre-production was difficult as they had to prepare a lot of things but the main challenge was how to have the actors act while imagining the scenes since much of the film is computer graphics.

“On the set when we were shooting the actual scenes, it really required a great deal of imagination from all of us. There were definitely challenges, however there was also a lot of excitement about what this was going to look like on screen, so that really drove us,” Mr. Jo said during the press conference.

The same is true for Mr. Yoo, who plays the robot Bubs, as he admitted that playing the character challenged the 51-year-old actor.

“At first, I thought I’ll get to the set and be able to do what I always do, but it was quite challenging…I had all types of sensors attached to my body and had to wear tights. But overall, it was a fun new experience,” he said.

Mr. Jin, who plays Tiger Park, also admitted that filming took some getting used to as it requires them to use their imagination.

“But going through the whole process, I actually saw outer space with my eyes on the screen,” he said.

Space Sweepers drops on Netflix on February 5. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Grab PHL co-founder, Kenny Rogers’ director join Cebu Air

CEBU AIR, Inc., the listed operator of budget carrier Cebu Pacific, announced on Thursday the appointment of Brian P. Cu and Bernadine T. Siy as its new independent directors.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, Cebu Air said Mr. Cu and Ms. Siy were elected as independent directors on Feb. 3.

Mr. Cu is the former president of ride-hailing company Grab Philippines, which he also co-founded.

According to Cebu Air, Mr. Cu started his career as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

While in BCG, he co-founded GoJek, an on-demand and multi-service tech platform in Indonesia, it added.

Mr. Cu is also a co-founder of Zalora Philippines, an online fashion retailer.

Cebu Air described Mr. Cu as a leader who has “a real passion for building companies that deliver a positive impact in society.”

“Aside from enjoying getting into the weeds and fixing a company’s operational challenges and defining growth strategies, he also finds time to build up the next generation of entrepreneurs through mentorship or investments,” it added.

Meanwhile, Ms. Siy currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Kenny Rogers restaurant chain, which she founded in the Philippines in 1994.

Ms. Siy also brought Seattle’s Best Coffee, an American coffee retailer, to the Philippines in 2000.

She currently serves as chairperson of the board of trustees of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Cebu Air shares closed 0.43% higher at P47 apiece on Thursday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Gavel&Block holds Bridgerton-themed auction

GAVEL&BLOCK by Salcedo Auctions is riding on a trend by Bridgerton for their first auction of the year titled Art+Design: From Regency to Contemporary.

The premiere of the Netflix series late last year, about marriage prospects in a reimagined Regency-era universe, has led to an interest in the period, set from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s. The Regency area was characterized by daintiness and refinement, all the more extraordinary when one thinks of the Napoleonic Wars that wedged themselves into the fashionable era’s timeline. Gavel&Block’s catalogue for this first sale, happening on Feb. 6, is anchored by a capsule series of 19th century European and American pieces from a prolific collector.

These include a French-style sideboard with ormolu mounts (estimated at P35,000-45,000), a Venetian dressing table mirror (estimated at P18,000-P20,000), along with several framed fans in materials like mother of pearl and ivory (estimated at P7,000-P9,000. Several silver pieces are also up for (polite) grabs: teapots, trays, and candlesticks. The catalogue also takes a stab at other dainty eras of art and design: another item of interest is a Tiffany-style lamp referencing the Art Nouveau period (estimated between P5,000-P6,000). Delightful baubles can also be found at the auction, with a shower of emeralds, amethysts, and diamonds, with estimated prices well below P100,000.

Art collectors, meanwhile, are to be appeased with works by Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall (with prints estimated at P65,000-P70,000), Joan Miro (a lithograph estimated at P22,000-P24,000), Fernando Zobel (lithograph estimated at P40,000-P45,000), Anita Magsaysay-Ho (a lithograph at P80,000-P85,000), Arturo Luz (a lithograph at P18,000-P20,000), Nena Saguil (with watercolors estimated at P18,000-P20,000) Juvenal Sanso (an etching estimated at P40,000-P45,000), and National Artist BenCab (2008’s Milk Carrier, HR Chromojet on acrylic, estimated at P1.2 million -P1.3 million).

The Art+Design: From Regency to Contemporary online catalogue is available at salcedoauctions.com. The online auction will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021 at 11 a.m.

For inquiries, email info@salcedoauctions.com or contact +639178257449 or +639171075581. — JLG

GMA hopes to sell at least 500,000 units of portable TV receiver amid limited mobility

GMA NEW MEDIA, Inc., the digital media and technology arm of GMA Network, Inc., on Thursday said that while there had been reduced mobility in the country due to quarantine policies, it could still sell at least 500,000 units of its new digital TV mobile receiver this year.

“Mobility is one of our motivations for producing this product now. We are hoping that we can somehow influence the consumption of the television even outside of the home. That is one,” said Dennis Augusto “Dingdong” L. Caharian, president and chief operating officer of GMA New Media, at a virtual briefing.

GMA Now, the media firm’s mobile digital terrestrial television (DTT) receiver, will be launched on Sunday, Feb. 7.

The device, which will be sold for P649 with no monthly fees, enables Android smartphones to receive live digital TV broadcasts of GMA, GMA News TV, and Heart of Asia channels, as well as other free-to-air channels.

The product also allows users to send messages to each other while watching GMA programs, “because we saw that a lot of people nowadays actually watch TV with their handsets with them,” Mr. Caharian said. “So that is also one of the motivations.”

For the first year, the company is “within the 500,000 to a million range” in terms of the expected number of GMA Now units to be sold, Mr. Caharian also noted.

He said the coronavirus vaccine rollout and the lifting of quarantine restrictions “would definitely help” the business.

The listed media company announced recently that it had allocated more than P20 billion for capital expenditures and content cost for the current year until 2023.

GMA Network shares closed 4.48% higher at P6.30 apiece on Thursday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

UnionBank’s private bank books higher AUMs

THE PRIVATE BANKING arm of UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. saw a climb in its assets under management (AUM) in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.

UnionBank Senior Vice-President and Private Banking Group Head Arlene Joan T. Agustin said in a briefing that its private bank, which was set up in partnership with Lombard Odier & Co., saw its AUMs grow to about P40 billion at end-2020.

“In terms of AUM, for 2019, when we first started, our AUM levels back then was slightly below the P20-billion mark. But after 2020, it has grown to about P40 billion, and for 2021 we would like to bring that up further by at least 25%,” Ms. Agustin said on Thursday.

Clients may join UnionBank’s private banking unit once they have at least P10 million in their accounts, she said.

“It’s very personal, we do approach people but a lot of the success is really from the clients who refer clients,” she said.

Ms. Agustin said the pandemic has affected the risk appetite of investors as well as their attitude towards digitalization.

“At the beginning of the crisis, our clients were a bit more cautious. Of course, it’s natural and a reaction. But now, they are beginning to take on a little bit more risks,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lombard Odier Chief Executive Officer for Asia Pacific and Head of Asia Private Banking Vincent Magnenat noted that the low interest rate environment seen in many markets is likely to remain as the pandemic continues. This, he said, will challenge the traditional way of investing.

“That means that if we want to maintain returns that we saw in the past, most probably we have to take in more risks. This low interest rate environment also shows the importance to invest globally in order to take the opportunities,” Mr. Magnenat said.

A study by the two firms involving ultra-high net worth individuals found that 87% of private banking clients believe digitalization will continue to be vital in their transactions in a post-pandemic world.

However, the findings also showed 59% are keen to go back to having physical meetings with their bankers and relationship managers as opposed to just e-mail exchanges, videos, and calls.

UnionBank’s private banking arm offers wealth management expertise that touches on aspects such as succession, estate planning, structuring, and philanthropy for affluent individuals and families. The Aboitiz-led bank’s strategic partnership with the Swiss bank was forged in 2016, with the private banking arm set up in 2019.

UnionBank’s net income slid 17.4% to P11.561 billion in 2020 from P14 billion a year earlier, as the bank increased its loan loss reserves amid the crisis.

Its shares closed at P73.80 apiece on Thursday, down by P1.05 or by 1.4% from its Wednesday finish. — L.W.T. Noble

‘The table is getting longer’ as diversity rules in this year’s Golden Globe nominations

MANK, the Hollywood period drama about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz led a list of Golden Globe nominations on Wednesday that were strong on diversity and dominated by streaming service Netflix in a reflection of the upheaval wrought by the coronavirus pandemic on the movie world.

From the movie version of rap-infused musical Hamilton to LGBTQ musical The Prom and director nods for three women, the nominations — which kick off the Hollywood awards season — recognized social justice issues and performers of color in a US entertainment industry that critics have long complained is dominated by white men.

The contest for the best drama movie will also include modern Great Recession saga Nomadland, 1960s Vietnam War protest drama The Trial of the Chicago 7, #MeToo revenge fantasy Promising Young Woman, and family drama The Father about aging.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s satire on former President Donald Trump’s America, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm; Hamilton; The Prom; autism story Music; and time-loop comedy Palm Springs will compete in a separate category for movie musicals and comedies.

For television, British royal family series The Crown, whose season focused on the late Princess Diana, led the way with six nods, including for most of its main cast, followed by quirky small-town comedy Schitt’s Creek.

Nominations for Mank, The Crown, among other Netflix originals led the platform to dominated nominations with 22 nominations in film and 20 in television. The tally followed a year in which the pandemic led Hollywood studios to push back dozens of their film releases or put them on streaming services.

Amazon Studios  got seven nominations in the movie field.

Three of the five directors nominated were women, including Regina King for One Night in Miami, about a meeting of four Black icons in the 1960s; Britain’s Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman and Chinese-born filmmaker Chloe Zhao for Nomadland.

Variety calculated that a record 30% of the acting nominees in the film categories were nonwhite.

They included Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman, in his last film role, the jazz period piece Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed as a drummer going deaf in Sound of Metal; Andra Day for her role in The United States vs. Billie Holiday; and Dev Patel for his modern twist on Charles Dickens’ The Personal History of David Copperfield.

“Without question, things are changing,” said actor Leslie Odom, Jr., who performed in Hamilton, Music and One Night in Miami where he played singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. “The table is getting longer, the room is getting larger, and the lens is finding new people and new interesting stories to tell,” Mr. Odom said in a phone interview.

Foreign language film nods went to Minari, about a South Korean family trying to make it in the United States; elder love story Two of Us from France; The Life Ahead starring Italian legend Sophia Loren; Danish drinking comedy Another Round and La Llorona, a ghostly drama from Guatemala and France.

QUIRKY CHOICES
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which selects the nominees and winners, is known for its sometimes quirky choices, and this year was no exception. Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed Vietnam War drama Da 5 Bloods was shut out completely, the little-seen Music got two nods and perennial acting favorite Meryl Streep was excluded while her The Prom co-star James Corden was among the nominees.

The Golden Globes are to be handed out at a virtual ceremony on Feb. 28, hosted by actors Tina Fey in New York and Amy Poehler in Los Angeles.

“Despite a stressed pandemic year, there is a comfort of sorts in embracing traditions,” said Mank star Gary Oldman of the ceremony.

It was a good day for Mr. Baron Cohen, who won nominations both for his Borat sequel and for his supporting role as counterculture leader Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7.

“These two films are different, but they share a common theme: Sometimes we have to protest injustice with our own farce,” Mr. Baron Cohen said in a statement.

Aaron Sorkin, who was nominated for directing and writing The Trial of the Chicago 7, said the film had struck an even greater contemporary chord than he envisaged after a year of political unrest in the United States.

“This has been a film 15 years in the making,” Mr. Sorkin said in a phone interview. “I always wanted the film to be about today and not 1968. I just never imagined how much about today it would end up being.” — Reuters

1...8,5208,5218,522...14,238Page 8,521 of 14,238
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube