Limelight

Award-winning actor John Arcilla rarely talks but when he opens his mouth, he means business. John is very observant and critical of the current situations in the country like his thoughts on the treatment of crooked politicians to the Filipino people. “Masyado nang gamit na gamit yang salitang ‘Sambayanang Pilipino(The use of the phrase ‘sambayanang Pilipino,’ translated as ‘Filipino people,’ …

by Boy Villasanta With a merry and thought-provoking press conference held Wednesday noon at the Shangri-La Grand Atrium, the hierarchy of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the 2026 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival announced that the most awaited film event of the year will kick off on August 6, 2026 during its opening at the cinemas of …

The Fantastic Film School (FFS) of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in Bucheon City, South Korea is one of the most established and credible film academies in Asia or even the world although I haven’t been to other international film festivals with schools on filmmaking. The Philippines has been very visible in the annual genre film school. For …

by Boy Villasanta The Supreme Court has issued a show cause order from lawyers Jesus “Bong” Suntay, Congressman of the Fourth District of Quezon City and Ferdinand Topacio in relation to their misogynistic comments on actress Anne Curtis last March. The highest tribunal has also directed the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to resolve the pending cases of Suntay …

by Boy Villasanta The worries and anxieties of major local film productions are over about their entries to the 2026 Metro Manila Film Festival. The hierarchy, management and staff of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) through its Chairman, Don Artes, has finally announced the first four official entries to this year’s fiesta of Filipino films. The announcement, which was …

by Boy Villasanta Although his malady or not even his diagnosis is mentioned, singer and actor Dingdong Avanzado has been going back and forth to a still undisclosed hospital. This was announced by Dingdong’s wife, singer-actress Jessa Zaragoza on his digital world territories. “Since Father’s Day, June 22 we’ve been going back and forth to the hospital, as Dingdong’s been …

Translating the intricate language of the human soul into words requires an insurmountable amount of dedication and courage. The process is not for the faint-hearted, as it often makes writers shed blood, sweat, and tears for simply wishing to execute a vision that has been haunting them for days, months, or years. The Virgin Labfest (VLF), the country’s pioneering theater …

There’s no better way to get to the most professional level of one’s career than to earn a college degree no matter if one is a superstar in show business. This was recently achieved by singer Angeline Quinto when she graduated after completing her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration major in Marketing Management at Immaculada Concepcion College in …

This year marks an important milestone for Cinemata as we host our first-ever community convening, bringing together filmmakers, curators, educators, technologists, researchers, advocates, and cultural workers from across the Asia-Pacific. Held alongside the Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC26) in Manila on June 10 to 11, 2026, the gathering served as a space for dialogue, exchange, and collective planning around the …

New actors Benedix Ramos and Justin Paul Basobas might be greenhorns in the field of cinema but they have shown what real pros are in their film project “All the Things I Leave You” whose subtitle “Patawid” makes it more special and worthwhile. The movie is entirely Ilocano dialogues that make Benedix and Justin Paul more appealing and wonderful. Although …