Entertainment News (04/14/26)

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Free film screenings for Food Month

A RICH collection of films which explore the concept of food as art, ecstasy, and power will be screened for free this April. This is an initiative by MCADxMoving Image, a program of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The selection was curated by Sam Marcelo, the head of publications of MCAD. First is Babette’s Feast (1987), a romcom by Danish film director and actor Gabriel Axel, which will be screened on April 22. Next is Japanese comedy Tampopo (1985) by actor and screenwriter Jûzô Itami, on April 23. Finally, there’s the romantic drama Like Water for Chocolate (1992) by Mexican filmmaker and actor Alfonso Arau, on April 24. MCADxMoving Image is free and open to the public. It is held at noon on the scheduled dates at the 5th floor auditorium of the Benilde Taft Campus Duerr Hall along Taft Ave., Malate, Manila. Interested participants may register through tinyurl.com/MCADxMovingImageAprilScreening.

Cup of Joe headlines Tang Refreshing Rave in La Union

ON April 17, Tang is bringing a new beach experience to La Union with Tang Refreshing Rave, a free event set along the shores of San Juan town and headlined by Cup of Joe. The event features live performances, free-flowing Tang mixes, and interactive activities. There will also be a special meet-and-greet with the band on April 17 at San Juan Beach Front, in front of Laud Lounge and Monaliza Surf Resort. Gates open at 3 p.m.

BINI debuts at Coachella Festival

P-POP girl group BINI took to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival stage on April 11, marking a landmark moment for OPM on the global stage. Their fans, called Blooms, showed their support by joining watch parties across Metro Manila and nearby cities, arranged by the fan group BLOOM Philippines. The group performed 10 songs during their 45-minute set at the Mojave stage of the festival in Indio, California, that drew music fans from all over the world. BINI’s performance can be watched on the Coachella YouTube channel. BINI will return to the Coachella stage on April 18.

Viki drops two Korean titles

FROM anonymous love texts to a decades-old murder mystery, Rakuten Viki is lining up two Korean titles this April. One is Heart Signal 5, back after a three-year hiatus. It is a slow-burn romance and interactive guessing game. Meanwhile, new crime thriller The Scarecrow, inspired by a real-life case, dives into a tense investigation led by Squid Game’s Park Hae-soo. Both titles highlight Viki’s push to expand beyond traditional dramas, offering a mix of reality and high-stakes storytelling. Heart Signal 5 premieres on April 16, followed by The Scarecrow on April 20. Both will be available on Viki across Southeast Asia, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East, and India.

Music Travel Love adds CDO tour stop

THE Philippine tour of Music Travel Love has added an additional stop at The Atrium, Limketkai Center, in Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City on June 26. This new show joins their previously announced performances in Cebu on June 27 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, and in Manila on June 28 at the New Frontier Theater, Araneta Center, Quezon City. Music Travel Love is composed of Bob and Clint Moffatt, a Canadian brother duo who have been performing from the age of four with over 6,000 live performances. Tickets for the Cagayan de Oro show will go on sale starting April 14, noon, with tickets ranging in price from P850 to P4,790.

5-week screenwriting workshop for beginners

THIS SUMMER, The Mad Goats Inc. (TMGI) — a creative partnership between filmmakers Katski Flores and Michiko Yamamoto — is launching “The Mad Goats WIP Series: Screenwriting for Beginners,” a five-week program designed to guide aspiring writers from concept to a fully developed, pitch-ready project. Opening in May, it is a hands-on program over five consecutive Saturdays, each session running for four hours. Unlike traditional lecture-based workshops, WIP is designed as a working lab where participants will be actively developing their own material throughout the course. Slots are limited, and interested participants may inquire and reserve their seats via the sign-up sheet on the website, www.themadgoats.com, or e-mail admin@themadgoats.com for details.

Pinoy short film on disinformation competes in Italy

OUT OF over 1,800 global entries, Richard Soriano Legaspi’s short film Panulukan (Crossroads) was recently selected to compete at the Grifo International Film Festival in Italy. The film, which tackles themes of disinformation and the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, was screened at the Teatro Comunale Tullio Giacconi in the town of Chiaravalle, in the province of Ancona, Italy. It follows four strangers traveling home to Manila who discover they are on entirely opposed paths. Two are paid trolls defending the state’s brutal campaign, while the other two are staunch critics of the violence. The film was developed as a competitive grant recipient of EngageMedia’s Tech Tales: Films about Digital Rights in the Asia-Pacific in 2021.

Mark Carpio releases new EP

OPM SINGER Mark Carpio has dropped his new EP, Huling Pag-ibig, released under EMPIRE.PH Music and ONErpm. A milestone in his 10-year career, the four-track EP weaves themes of love, loss, and emotional closure into one cohesive package. The title track, produced by RJ Pineda, draws inspiration from Adele’s sweeping ballads but is reimagined through a distinctly Filipino lens. “Ayaw Mo Na,” co-written with Ethan Loukas, taps into a more organic folk direction. The focus track, “Paalam Na,” produced by Line In Productions’ Nikhil Amarnani, has more alternative pop/rock sensibilities. Huling Pag-ibig is out now on all digital music streaming platforms.

Bicolana rapper XYVRL releases remix

BICOLANA rapper XYVRL has dropped “Scottie T (Remix),” featuring Ivo Impreso of PLAYERTWO. Building on her earlier single “Scottie T,” the remix elevates the original’s competitive energy with a harder edge and a wider perspective, built on sharp hip-hop production and basketball-inspired wordplay. “Scottie T (Remix)” by XYVRL featuring Ivo Impreso is now streaming on all major digital platforms.

John Rex drops new single

KAPUSO pop singer and The Clash Season 5 Grand Champion John Rex is back in the spotlight with a revival of the hit ballad “Umaasa Pa Rin” under GMA Music. Originally a rock-infused track by The Mike Bon Gang and the theme song for the Philippine TV airing of the Koreanovela Reply 1997 on GMA, “Umaasa Pa Rin” has transformed to showcase Mr. Rex’s signature vocals, trading the original’s grit for a slower, more emotional ballad arrangement. “Umaasa Pa Rin” is now available on digital platforms worldwide.