South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in is set to return to the big screen with “Vampir,” an upcoming mystery occult thriller directed by Jang Jae-hyun, the filmmaker behind the hit 2024 horror movie “Exhuma.” The film’s distributor, NEW, announced Tuesday that Yoo is part of the cast, marking his...
The new sensation among some Chinese moviegoers is an animated film whose characters appear to have been created with rudimentary 3D animation and have been described as “ugly” and “eerie.” But it is the scathing online reviews that seem to have prompted interest in “Niu Lai,” an...
“2 Valid IDs” is emerging as the film to beat at the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. The film, led by Pokwang, topped the box-office rankings released by Cinemalaya on August 14 across its reported Metro Manila venues. “2 Valid IDs” maintained the top spot at...
Wilbert Ross had to get used to throwing punches. Eric Ejercito, on the other hand, had to get used to making people laugh. That’s one of the amusing things we learned about “The Guardian,” a Korean-Filipino action film that finally gets a Philippine theatrical release on September 2, more...
Glaiza de Castro was visibly holding back tears as she talked about Ricky Davao after the special screening of “58th” at Cinemalaya Thursday night. The actress had just watched the film with us at Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, and she was beaming as she shared how proud she was to be...
The opportunity to experience original Filipino narratives in theaters is becoming increasingly rare, with only a handful of producers and investors willing to take a chance on homegrown productions. It is therefore encouraging to see festivals like Puregold’s CinePanalo working to bring Filipino...
In a nutshell, “Kaka sa Yawan” takes a simple idea and lets it breathe. In his first Cinemalaya feature, director Alpha Habon follows the friendship between Niko, a young man from Manila, and Ayan, a Tadyawan Mangyan boy. Played by Beaver Magtalas and Benedix Ramos, with Queenay also in the...
We came in absolutely expecting nothing much from “Dear You,” especially since its story revolves around people and circumstances that initially felt so far removed from our own. And given the current tensions in the West Philippine Sea, we were almost ready to dismiss it as another piece of...
Let us put it out there pronto: “Enjoy Your Stay” is a difficult watch. It should come with a disclaimer. Those who think they’re in for a mellifluous drama will be terribly disappointed. In fact, there are moments when you forget you are watching a movie at all. It feels like real life...
Meet Kat Hernandez, the multi-hyphenate behind Kat Out of the Box, a social media account dedicated to shedding light on what it’s like to be a wheelchair user in the Philippines. Hernandez was born with a rare disease called Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. She spent her childhood in and out...
Around these parts, it is easy to get lost in the daily cycle of politics. A new controversy trends. Another public debate takes over social media. Another headline pushes everything else aside. Thankfully, somewhere in the middle of all that noise, a healthy, happy diversion. Filipino filmmakers...
BACOLOD CITY – This highly-urbanized city officially launched the third Bacolod Film Festival (BFF) on Monday, Aug. 3, with organizers calling on local filmmakers to create original live-action films that highlight this city 's rich cultural heritage. The city government encouraged...
