Limelight

By Alvin I. Dacanay Ever since he attained stardom in the 1990s with such hit films as Bad Boy, Anak ni Baby Ama, and Maging Sino Ka Man, Robin Padilla has made a name for himself as one of the Philippine movie industry’s most mercurial rebels, both onscreen and off.

Tabsing Kolektib, an independent theater guild founded by University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) alumni and students in 2012, is set to stage this week Kasaray Duma: Mga Supling ng Sigwa (Kasaray Duma: Children of the Storm), written by Eljay Castro Deldoc and directed by Prof. Jeremy dela Cruz, in celebration of October as National Indigenous Peoples Month.

Thanks to a rich selection of content made available to Filipinos since Netflix was introduced early this year, fans were able to discover shows to fall in love with and enjoy—from old favorites, such as Gossip Girl and Suits, to new and original programs Narcos and Orange is the New Black. But with so much to watch, how long does …

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is accompanying 10 Filipino films in the 21st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which opened on Oct. 6 and runs until Oct. 15, to support the directors behind those movies and celebrate their works as these are screened to an international audience.

Did you know that Nadine Lustre has been bringing a “third wheel” to her dates with boyfriend James Reid for months now? No, it’s not a chaperone or a dutiful friend. And no, it’s not JC Santos, their equally handsome co-star in the hit ABS-CBN telenovela Til I Met You. 

To further reinforce the power and immense value of Philippine regional cinema, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), led by Chairwoman Liza Diño, has been busy lending ears and hands to our filmmaking and film-appreciating brothers and sisters in the regions. 

The Theater House of Black, whose members recently staged a new Filipino adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s classic play The House of Bernarda Alba, seems to have a penchant for houses that are shrouded in mystery, for its next production is #14 Leandro Road, an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s celebrated 1839 short story “The Fall of the House of …

Story and photo by Alvin I. Dacanay  Blockbuster biopic Heneral Luna crushed its competition at the 34th Luna Awards of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) on Sept. 18, garnering all but one of the 11 trophies it was up for during a ceremony that marked the end of the protracted movie-awards season for 2015. 

One week after Ladies Who Launch’s Never Again: Voices of Martial Law and Artist Playground’s Lagablab (Conflagration) opened, two more Filipino productions are set to debut this weekend, proving once more the vibrancy of the Manila theater scene, as well as the rich and varied options now available to faithful theatergoers. 

If you’re the type who thinks 1960s British rock music and buddy-cop movies and television shows are the best in entertainment, consider yourself lucky. Why? Because last week saw the local debut of a documentary about an iconic band and the small-screen version of a successful Hollywood franchise that may give you a nostalgic fix.