Tuesday, March 19, 2024

“Under a Piaya Moon” and “Last Shift” Win Big at Inaugural Puregold CinePanalo Awards Night




Under a Piaya Moon” and “Last Shift” bagged the coveted Pinakapanalong Pelikula awards in the full-length and short film categories respectively at the inaugural Puregold CinePanalo Awards Night. Held on March 16 at the Gateway Cineplex 18, it was an emotional night as both established names as well as young up-and-comers received recognition for their exceptional efforts. 

 

In the full-length category, Kurt Soberano’s debut feature “Under a Piaya Moon” left the biggest impact as it bagged six awards including the coveted Panalong Aktor and Panalong Pangalawang Aktor. Close behind was Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s “Pushcart Tales” which left with four awards including Panalong Direktor and Panalong Karangalan Mula sa Mga Hurado.

 

Meanwhile among the student shorts, Ronjay-C Mendiola’s “Last Shift” achieved the most accolades, winning five awards through the night including Panalong Aktor and Panalong Pangalawang Aktor. Diezelle C. Masilungan’s “Kung Nag-aatubili” also impressed with a total of four awards including Panalong Direktor and a tie for Panalong Pangalawang Aktor. 

 

Award winners were selected by an esteemed jury of judges.  Victor Villanueva, Emmanuel dela Cruz, Lito Zulueta, served as the jury for the short film category while Jeffery Jeturian, Mae Cruz-Alviar, and June Kim served for the full-length category. Festival directors Ivy Hayagan-Piedad and Chris Cahilig alongside Republic Creative’s Lyle Gonzales served on both juries.

 

Representatives from festival partners MTRCB and Mowelfund were also in attendance to award special prizes to exceptional film entries. 

 

“Smokey Journey,” “Tiil ni Lola,” and “Kung Nag-aatubili” received first, second, and third prize respectively in the MTRCB Responsableng Paglikha short-film category, while “Under a Piaya Moon” took home the award in the full-length category. 

 

Mowelfund also gave out special citations for “Ka Benjie” in the short film category and “Under a Piaya Moon” in the full-length category. They also gave away scholarships to ten of the most promisingstudent filmmakers to participate in the festival.

 

Screenings of the festival films will also have an extended run at Gateway 2 Cinemas starting on March 20, Wednesday. 

 

The full list of award winners is as follows:

 

PINAKAPANALONG PELIKULA

Full-length: “Under a Piaya Moon”

Short Film: “Last Shift”

 

ALWAYS PANALO FILM

Full-length: “A Lab Story”

Short Film: “Smokey Journey”

 

PANALONG DIREKTOR

Full-length: Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, “Pushcart Tales”

Short Film: Dizelle C. Masilungan, “Kung Nag-aatubili”

 

PANALONG AKTRES

Full-length: Shamaine Buencamino, “Pushcart Tales”

Short Film: Jade Mary Cornelia, “Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366”

 

PANALONG AKTOR

Full-length: Carlos Siguion-Reyna, “Pushcart Tales,” and Jeff Moses, “Under a Piaya Moon”

Short Film: Jules Azaula, “Last Shift,” and Cristmer Valencia, “May Kulay Rosas Ba sa Bahaghari?”

 

PANALONG KARANGALAN MULA SA MGA HURADO

Full-length: “Pushcart Tales”

Short Film: “Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366”

 

PANALO SA MGA MANONOOD

Full-length: “A Lab Story”

Short Film: “Saan Ako Pinaglihi?”

 

PANALONG PANGALAWANG AKTRES

Full-length: Nicole Omillo, “Boys at the Back”

Short Film: Maila Rediang, “Repeater si Peter”

 

PANALONG PANGALAWANG AKTOR

Full-length: Joel Torre, “Under a Piaya Moon”

Short Film: Vince Macapobre, “Last Shift,” and Aiskhylos Akiyama, “Kung Nag-aatubili”

 

PANALONG KWENTO

Full-length: Raynier F. Brizuela, “Boys at the Back”

Short Film: Ronjay-C Mendiola, “Last Shift”

 

MOWELFUND SPECIAL CITATION

Full-length: “Under a Piaya Moon”

Short Film: “Ka Benjie”

 

MOWELFUND SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Kent Michael Cadungog, “Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366”

Jenievive B. Adame, “Smokey Journey”

Daniel Gil, “Distansya”

John Llever Sucaldito, “Tambal nga Sabaw”

Reutsche Colle Rigurosa Lima, “Till ni Lola”

Alexa Moneii Agaloos, “Ka Benjie”

John Pistol L. Carmen, “Repeater si Peter”)

Dizelle C. Masilungan, “Kung Nag-aatubill”)

Joshua Andrey A. Doce, “I Am Mutya and I Thank You!”

Marian Jayce R. Tiongzon, “May Kulay Rosas Ba Sa Bahaghari?”

 

MTRCB RESPONSABLENG PAGLIKHA

Full-length: “Under a Piaya Moon”

 

Short Film

1st Place: “Smokey Journey”

2nd Place: “Tiil ni Lola”

3rd Place: "Kung Nag-aatubili”

 

PANALO SA CINEMATOGRAPHY

Full-length: Nathan Bringuer, “Under a Piaya Moon”

Short Film: Anton Acosta, “Kung Nag-aatubili”

 

PANALO SA PRODUCTION DESIGN

Full-Length: Kurt Soberano and Jed Sicangco, “Under a Piaya Moon”

Short Film: Mikaela Ganaden, “Remedy Soup”

 

PANALONG AWITIN

Full-length: “Mahal Kita” by VJ Mendoza, “Road to Happy”

Short Film: “Balik” by Dixzie Dione Cruel, “Tiil ni Lola”

 

PANALONG ENSEMBLE

Full-length: “Pushcart Tales”

Short Film: “Smokey Journey”

 

PANALO SA MUSICAL SCORING

Full-length: Owa Marquez, “Boys at the Back”

Short Film: Bernie del Carmen, “Smokey Journey”

 

PANALO SA EDITING

Full-length: Kurt Soberano and Rodney Jarder Jr., “Under a Piaya Moon”

Short Film: Reutsche Colle Lima, Nyle Justin Bacolod, and Elj Seth Tababa, “Tiil ni Lola”

 

PANALO SA SOUND DESIGN

Full-length: Nioki Aquino, “Pushcart Tales”

Short Film: Kzee Flores, “May Kulay Rosas Ba sa Bahaghari?”

 

PANALO SA FILM POSTER

Full-length: “Boys at the Back”

Short Film: “Last Shift”

 

 

 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

RITA available for streaming on Vivamax this March 22, 2024




On Vivamax this March, meet “Rita”, a newly married woman who easily breaks her vow of fidelity the moment she gets lonely.

Christine Bermas plays the title role in this movie directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng. Rita has left her job as a bar girl now that she’s the wife of an OFW. But that also means she has a lot more time on her hands as her husband Ariel is away. Rita is left alone with her younger brother (Gold Aceron). Their parents are both deceased, so Rita lacks the guidance to steer her away from temptation.

Victor Relosa plays Ariel who gets a job as a driver abroad. He captured Rita’s heart because of his kindness, helpfulness and perseverance, not to mention his burning passion for her. Ariel knew that being far from Rita would be difficult, but something happens that will make it even harder and life-changing for him.

In the two years that they’re apart, Rita turns to Royce, Ariel’s best friend, for sex. Played by Josh Ivan Morales, Royce is addicted to gambling. When Ariel returns, Royce extorts money from Rita in exchange for his silence about their affair.

As time is the ultimate truth-teller, find out how Rita’s infidelity will be exposed. How will Ariel take it? If a person’s weakness can lead to destruction, to what extent will Rita’s weakness wreck her life?

Full of twists, turns, and titillating moments, “Rita” is a movie not to be missed. Available for streaming on March 22, 2024. It also stars Gold Aceron as Marlon, Rita’s brother, and Sahil Khan as Ariel’s Arab boss.


Subscribe to Vivamax at web.vivamax.net or download the app and subscribe via Google Play Store, App Store, or Huawei App Gallery.

For payment thru website, you may choose from EC Pay, 7 Eleven, All Day, All Day, Pay Mongo, GrabPay, GCash, or PayMaya. For payment thru app, you may choose from Globe, Smart, GCash, Paypal, Visa, or Mastercard. For payment thru Ecommerce, you may choose from Lazada, Comworks, Clickstore, or Paymaya. For payment thru authorized outlets, you may choose from Load Manna, Comworks, Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Express, and Load Central. VivaMax’s cable partners are SkyCable, Cable Link, Wesfardell Connect, Fiber, BCTVI, Cebu Cable, Zenergy HD, Cotabato Cable Television Network Corporation, and Concepcion Pay TV Network, Inc.

In UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar, Vivamax can be accessed for only AED35/month. In Europe, Vivamax can be enjoyed for only 8 GBP/month.

Vivamax is also available in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Brunei, Macao, Vietnam, Maldives, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada.

Vivamax, atin ‘to!

InLife Sheroes shines the spotlight on Filipino women as it celebrates 5th Anniversary; launches the InLife Sheroes Awards



InLife Sheroes shone the spotlight on women, led by Executive Chairperson and InLife Sheroes prime mover Nina D. Aguas, and InLife Dreamweaver, Megastar Sharon Cuneta, in an afternoon program that celebrated its achievements in the last five years.

Aside from Ms. Cuneta, other performers included veteran actress, singer and comedienne Mitch Valdez, multitalented performer Aryn Cristobal , Stand-up performer Nicki Morena. Versatile comedienne KaladKaren hosted the event.

Ms. Aguas recalled how from a goal of reaching one million Filipino women three years after its inception in 2019, InLife Sheroes, now 5 years old, has reached more than 6.5 million Filipino women through various on-ground and online activities.

“InLife Sheroes will reach out to more Filipino women so that they become empowered through financial education and inclusion. This will be done through various digital/online and on-the-ground initiatives nationwide coupled with partnerships with various like-minded organizations.”

InLife Sheroes, InLife’s flagship program for women empowerment, was established in partnership with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. It aims to reach out to the relatively untapped segment of the women in the Philippines, especially women entrepreneurs who need life and health protection as well as financial solutions to expand their businesses. InLife Sheroes’ four focus areas are financial literacy, health and wellness, women-specific solutions, and access to social and business networks.

In order to exemplify these, InLife forged strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations such as the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment, the University of the Philippines – Manila’s Mu Sigma Phi, I Can Serve Foundation, Imaginable Impact, For The Women Foundation, Connected Women and major hospitals in the country among others, aside from its bancassurance partner UnionBank of the Philippines, associate Insular Health Care, and social commitment arm Insular Foundation, Inc.

Recently, InLife launched a critical illness life insurance plan called Resilience Female Cancers, aimed at providing coverage for women who would suffer from nine kinds of cancers such as: breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer; uterine sarcomas, malignant mixed mullerian tumors, malignant germ cell tumors, fallopian tube cancer and leiomyosarcomas.

Meanwhile, Ms. Cuneta, a Shero herself, launched a video series on her YouTube channel, with the first episode discussing the importance of choosing a healthier lifestyle and preparing for the financial impact of health emergencies.

During the anniversary show held at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula on March 12, InLife also launched the InLife Sheroes Awards. The Awards Program will honor Filipino women who embody the four pillars of InLife Sheroes: champions of financial education, advocates for physical and/or mental health and wellness, accomplished women who work for the benefit of women and business leaders whose products and services address women’s needs. Nominations should be accompanied by a 500-word write up on the nominee’s profile, explaining her advocacies and endeavors, and must be sent to inlifesheroes@insular.com.ph from March 12 to August 15, 2024.


For more information on the InLife Sheroes, visit https://www.inlifesheroes.com/.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

MAPANUKSO is available for streaming on Vivamax this March 15, 2024




Five macho dancers who have mastered the art of seduction give in to temptation in “Mapanukso”, a Vivamax original movie starring Sean de Guzman, Itan Rosales, Marco Gomez, Mon Mendoza, and Calvin Reyes.





Sean de Guzman plays Carlo. He is not ashamed of his job at The Den, a private club for rich women looking for some sexy time, buthe doesn’t plan on staying there. His ultimate goal is to be a chef and migrate to Canada. Naturally kind and helpful, Carlo offers to help a troubled young man to get a job at The Den.

Itan Rosales plays Angelo, 18 years of age, and reminds Carlo of his younger brother who passed away. Angelo starts out as a propsman at The Den, but the lure of bigger pay makes him decide to perform on stage just like the other boys. He’ll just save up for his schooling, he tells Carlo, but being introduced to a life ofaffluence makes it harder for Angelo to walk away from this job. His client, Bianca (Tiffany Grey) offers him a rent-free stay at her penthouse in exchange for sexual favors.

Marco Gomez plays Primo who hides his insecurities by acting tough and combative, especially towards Carlo. The only person he is submissive to is Tanya (Ataska), his sugar mommy who is wild and manipulative. Primo feels threatened by Angelo as he observes that Tanya is getting interested in him.

Mon Mendoza plays Benjie, a sweet guy who doesn’t want a commitment. He is constantly seeing Abby (Thia Ledesma), a sugar baby to a congressman. Abby wants them to be officially together, but Benjie doesn’t believe that a relationship between a macho dancer and a sugar baby would go anywhere.

Calvin Reyes plays Jason, married with children. His family is in the province, so he’s able to keep his job a secret. His sugar mommy, a very rich businesswoman (Cath Ventura), is head over heels in love with him, but wants his complete honesty. Jason chooses to lie about having a family. 

Carlo, Angelo, Primo, Benjie, and Jason are benefitting a lot from their job, but being involved with powerful women has complications. Soon, each of them will be dancing with danger.

Directed by Abdel Langit (Young Critics Circle and Cinema One Originals awardee) “Mapanukso” is available for streaming on March 15, 2024.


To stream, subscribe to Vivamax at web.vivamax.net or download the app and subscribe via Google Play Store, App Store, or Huawei App Gallery.

For payment thru website, you may choose from EC Pay, 7 Eleven, All Day, All Day, Pay Mongo, GrabPay, GCash, or PayMaya. For payment thru app, you may choose from Globe, Smart, GCash, Paypal, Visa, or Mastercard. For payment thru Ecommerce, you may choose from Lazada, Comworks, Clickstore, or Paymaya. For payment thru authorized outlets, you may choose from Load Manna, Comworks, Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Express, and Load Central. VivaMax’s cable partners are SkyCable, Cable Link, Wesfardell Connect, Fiber, BCTVI, Cebu Cable, Zenergy HD, Cotabato Cable Television Network Corporation, and Concepcion Pay TV Network, Inc.

In UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar, Vivamax can be accessed for only AED35/month. In Europe, Vivamax can be enjoyed for only 8 GBP/month.

Vivamax is also available in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Brunei, Macao, Vietnam, Maldives, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada.
Vivamax, atin ‘to!

Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival officially partners with MTRCB




The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has officially partnered with the inaugural Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival. The renowned regulatory board has supported this landmark initiative in the Philippine film industry.

Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Senior Marketing Manager at Puregold, emphasized the significance of this collaboration. "We are thrilled to partner with MTRCB for the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival. Together, we aim to present a lineup of uplifting films that families and individuals will enjoy." The MTRCB will oversee the suitability of each film entry, ensuring that they meet the legal standards required for local films.

MTRCB Chairperson Lala Sotto highlighted the board's commitment to supporting the creative industry. "Our developmental and regulatory agency role extends beyond providing age-appropriate ratings. We actively support the creative industry by collaborating with organizations like Puregold Price Club, Inc. on initiatives like the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, which contribute to the revitalization of the national economy," she stated.

Chairperson Sotto added, “Our partnership with Puregold aims to inspire Filipino audiences to support films that promote positive cultural values, contributing to the vision of a unified and prosperous New Philippines."

The Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival will showcase new feature-length works from six acclaimed directors: Kurt Soberano, Sigrid Bernardo, Raynier Brizuela, Joel Ferrer, Carlo Obispo, and the late addition "Producer’s Choice" Eugene Torres. Additionally, the festival will feature 25 short films produced by exceptional student filmmakers selected from a large pool of applicants.

Short and full-length films will be eligible for recognition at the Puregold CinePanalo Awards Night, scheduled for March 16th at Gateway Cinemas. The MTRCB, as an official festival partner, will also present special citations to films in both categories during the awards ceremony.

The films featured will be screened from March 15-19, 2024, at Gateway Cineplex 18.


For more updates, like @puregold.shopping on Facebook, follow @puregold_ph on Instagram and Twitter, and @puregoldph on TikTok.