by Boy Villasanta After three years of intermittent awarding, is Philippine LEAF (Live Entertainment, Arts and Festivals) Awards breaking away? The organization which is associated with artists, television, movie and theater practitioners is reportedly on the brink of collapse or is it already falling apart? According to entertainment writer Art Tapalla, the internal conflict started when writer, stage luminary and …
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Hey, Herbert Bautista in the house
I have never imagined that one day I would find myself in the same classroom with Herbert Bautista. You read it right, folks! Herbert Bautista in the house. It was on the morning of Thursday, June 4, 2026, the commencement of the three-day Directing-Cinematography Masterclass facilitated by award-winning filmmaker Raymond Red (“Anino,” “Bayani,” “Sakay,” “Mga Rebeldeng May Kaso,” “Kamera Obscura,” …
Read More »Virgin Labfest XXI announces new aspiring playwrights to join Writing Fellowship Program
Keeping true to its commitment to nurture Filipino talent, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) proudly begins a new chapter of the Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program (VLF WFP). Now in its 15th year, the fellowship program has selected eight (8) talented and passionate aspiring playwrights to participate in the educational component of the theater festival from June 16 …
Read More »Award-winning director Raymond Red talks about the magnanimity of Piolo Pascual
It’s first time that prizewinning filmmaker Raymond Red (“Anino,” “Bayani ” “Sakay,” “Mga Rebeldeng May Kaso,” “Himpapawid,” “Manila’s Finest,” among others) and award-winning actor Piolo Pascual were together in a film. The project was “Manila’s Finest,” a Cignal and MQuest Ventures with Spring Films as joint production that was an official entry to the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival. To …
Read More »Kim Chiu, Vice Ganda lead fun-fun BingoPlus Night gala
Some of the biggest names in Philippine entertainment gathered for the recently held BingoPlus Night 2026: Step Into the Next PLUS, an exclusive gala that combined live performances, celebrity appearances, and luxury rewards for members of the BingoPlus VIP Club. The red-carpet affair, which brought together VIP members, company executives, influencers, and entertainment personalities was described by organizers as one …
Read More »Isha Ponti, new voice in OPM steadily captures hearts
By ISABELLA CUARTERO A new voice in Original Pilipino Music is steadily capturing hearts. Isha Ponti, who goes by the title, Asia’s Pop Sweetheart, Isha Ponti. The emerging singer-songwriter is set to release her first studio album, LIKAS, an emotional collection of songs that explores love, growth, healing, and self-discovery. The title LIKAS stands for Longing, Illusion, Kindness, Acceptance, and …
Read More »Pia Wurtzbach walks the 79th Cannes red carpet for Spanish film
by Boy Villasanta For the fourth time, 2015 Miss Universe and Filipina film and television star Pia Wurtzbach participated in the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes, France not as an actress but as a model to prelude not the showing of a Filipino film but a European tentpole instead. Pia recently walked the red carpet of the 79th …
Read More »My first time in Boracay
Being my first time in Boracay, it is a mix of excitement and blandness. Excited because, at last, among other things, I am able to step on the most-talked-about white sand of its beaches. Bland because I think Boracay is just as ordinary as any seascape. What adds to my excitement is the blending and the bonding with my cousins, …
Read More »Solar energy to replace genset in filmmaking?
Is the local film industry ready to embrace the idea of sourcing out renewable energy through solar power in the production of movies in the urban centers or in the remotest areas of the country where there are deficient electric supply? This is the question being posed to producers, moneyed or not, studio or independent ones. With the current fuel …
Read More »Hilda Koronel, Jessica Pica extend sympathies to fam of Ed Finlan who writes 30
Remember Ed Finlan? Ed Finlan who? Ed Finlan, the Fil-Am matinee idol who rose to fame via Lea Productions’ teenybopper films “Haydee” and “Happy Hippie Holiday” and other pop movie hits in the 1970s. Ed, Eduardo Valdez in real life, recently passed on due to still undeclared cause. Finlan’s perennial leading lady Hilda Koronel was devastated when the bad news …
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