MMFF Names 8 Entries for First Summer Film Fest.

The Metro Manila Film Festival has officially announces the 8 movies of the first ever Summer Metro Manila Film Festival happening this April 8. 

David Licauco and Shaira Diaz heat uo Valentine’s season in “Without You”.

David Licauco and Shaira Diaz are all set to heat up the Valentine season as they star in the movie “Without You” , directed by RC Delos Reyes. 

Four years after their last big screen team, a more matured story line for a more matured Shaira and David are expected to be seen in their latest movie from Octoarts Films. 

Without You tackles “open relationship”, which means that a partner could engage with other people while they are still in a relationship. In this movie, Shaira plays a Nurse turned Call Center Agent named Ria, while David plays the role of an Engineer turned Disk Jockey named Axel. 

For seven years Ria and Axel has been in a relationship, they are living in one roof and as to what they say the couple is faced with the “Seven year itch” as Ria secretly discovered that Axel is having an affair with several women while they were still together. 

Later on, Ria finally came face to face with her fear and caught Axel red handed with another girl, there she decides to part ways with him, but couldn’t throw the love that she still have for him, will Ria can get through without Axel? 

David and Shaira admits that the character they portrayed in this movie are probably their most matured roles to date. 

Aside from the two leads, the movie also stars Cassie Banks, JB Saliba, Mark Rivera, Luis Hontiveros, Riana Pangindian, and Miss Supranational Philippines 2021 Dindi Pajares. 

Without You is set to premiere this February 15 in cinemas nationwide!  

BECOMING ICE: The 35th Anniversary Concert Goes to Cebu

 

  

 

 

After a sold-out run in The Theatre at Solaire Resort in October, Becoming Ice: The 35th Anniversary Concert will do an encore for music fans to be held at the Pacific Grand Ballroom, Waterfront Cebu Hotel and Casino in Cebu City on February 18, 2023. 

Fire and Ice Media and Productions announced the versatile performer’s milestone concert repeat fresh from the heels of its wins and nominations at this year’s Aliw Awards, where the concert bagged the “Best Stage Direction For a Concert” plum for Ice Seguerra and “Best Musical Direction” for Ivan Lee Espinosa. The event marked the multi-platinum artist’s return after a ten-year hiatus from doing major solo concerts. Its success has inspired its repeat in other venues across the country, beginning with the Queen City of the South, Cebu City. Other venues are to be announced soon.

Becoming Ice sings the songs of Seguerra’s stellar career from child actor to singer-composer, to director — the soundtrack of his journey, which also became a part of the soundtrack of many Filipinos’ lives, including the phenomenal hits “Pagdating ng Panahon” and “Anong Nangyari sa Ating Dalawa.” His thirty-five-year career in the movies and music, and now also in media production, has cemented his name as a pop culture reference and icon transcending age groups.   

Seguerra shares, “I’m very excited to go to Cebu because the last time I did a major concert was in 2014 pa. It was back-to-back with Jake Zyrus. I love the Cebuanos kasi sobrang appreciative sila for good music. Pero discerning sila kaya medyo nakakakaba din. ‘Becoming Ice’ is very personal to me because it’s really like a documentary of my years in the business but with live concert elements…kakaiba talaga.”

“For the concert in Cebu, may mga mababago ng konti sa show. It’s gonna be a different experience from the one I did in Manila. Mas localized sya. I will be performing with Cebuano musicians and artists.” 

Fire and Ice Media and Productions, led together by actress and film advocate Liza Dino-Seguerra and Ice Seguerra, will be producing the concert and promises to take the audience to an immersive experience of music and memories, and an intimate peek at Seguerra’s life from his beginnings as a child star playing in more than 60 films and television shows, his new path in music, embracing his identity and finding love. 

Becoming Ice concert series is brought to you by Fire and Ice Media and Production in cooperation with Nathan Studios and in partnership with Katinko. The event is also sponsored by Waterfront Cebu, Unilab, and Globe and supported by Sunstar Cebu, 93.9 iFM, 97.9 Love Radio, and magic 92.3 Cebu as media partners.

Ticket-selling for Becoming Ice: The 35th Anniversary Concert Live in Cebu is already open. Tickets are available at SM Tickets Online. Log on to https://smtickets.com/ and at the Waterfront Hotel ticket counter. Contact (023) 232 6888 / 09155353873.

 Ticket price starts at ₱1000 for General Admission, with ₱2000 for Silver. Reserved seating starts at ₱3000 for Gold, ₱3500 for VIP, ₱4000 for SVIP, and ₱4500 for SSVIP seats which includes Meet and Greet. 

CONCERT DETAILS:

Becoming Ice: Ice Seguerra’s 35th Anniversary Concert Live in Cebu

Pacific Grand Ballroom, Waterfront Hotel, and Casino, Cebu City

February 18, 2023, Saturday, 8:00 pm

SM - https://smtickets.com/ / 0917870-2222 and (02) 8470-2222

Waterfront - (023) 232 6888 / 09155353873

 

#MMFF2022 Deleter

Deleter: 

Mikhail Red

Nadine Lustre, Louise Delos Reyes

Viva Films 

Ignore. Delete. These are the two trademark words of Deleter. Ignore the unnecessary ones and delete the most inappropriate.

Content Moderators are a new thing to all of us. It is honestly my first-time hearing about this job, which is unbelievably true. And it is surprising that we get to know about it all because of a local film─a win-win situation to both the Filipino Film Industry and this profession we once had no idea before.

Deleter was surely a visually appealing and aesthetically pleasing movie, the cinematography was on point, color grading gave that heavy tone for the movie, Nadine Lustre delivering the character of Lyra with flying colors, everything seemed to be perfect for this movie except for the story. 

I felt that the story of the movie was half baked, it tried to be different, it tried to be edgy, it tried to be psychological, but the story did not deliver, there were moments that I felt it was draggy already and even there were scenes that left me hanging. 

To be frank, Nanahimik ang Gabi deserves a better acknowledgement as it is a better entry, at least for me. 

I guess one factor that made Deleter the #1 in the box office is because of Nadine’s popularity which then resulted to a fewer cinemas that shows Nanahimik ang Gabi and other entries as well. It is just utterly sad that Nanahimik ang Gabi was overshadowed, yet it is a more polished and scarier picture than that of Deleter’s. But without a doubt, Deleter is still a satisfying movie and I’m proud of how far it went.

Rating: ⅗ 

#MMFF2022 Nanahimik Ang Gabi

Nanahimik Ang Gabi

Shugo Praico

Ian Veneracion, Heaven Peralejo, Mon Confiado

Rein Entertainment 

Silent night, holy night. Not a blockbuster hit, but probably the best entry in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2022. 

Nanahimik Ang Gabi follows the story of secret lovers trapped in a secluded place far from the city. Surprises and unexpected revelations await both as the night deepens and this is where the exciting factor of the film happens. I assure you nothing can prepare you for how they introduce the premise up to the conclusion of this wonderful masterpiece. 

Really a ‘Promising-Young-Woman-like’ motion picture.

The ensemble is crazy. The film only has 3 main characters moving in a single setting, but they still managed to carry the story on a completely different level. Let’s say it was definitely a roller coaster ride whilst watching the movie, it will leave you at the edge of your seat trying to guess what will happen next or what horrifying scenes will unfold, the scare level would surely eclipse that of the horror movies. 

Ian Veneracion lying on the ground delivering his terrifying lines while covered in blood was astounding, Heaven Paralejo being so emotional and profound was so outstanding she deserving of a Best Actress award, and oh, don’t get me started with the great Mon Confiado’s character who was so terrifying and startling that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Imagine with just a minimal character and a minimal set everything went just so perfect about the movie, and I want to give the biggest appreciation to the director, Shugo Praico, whom I barely knew until now.

Nanahimik ang Gabi is probably my best entry amongst all Metro Manila Film Festival entries this year. It has put the local thriller and action genre on a pedestal that is hard to reach. Something that we should all be proud of.

Rating: 4.5/5

 

#MMFF2022 Partners in Crime

 Partners in Crime

Cathy Garcia Molina

Vice Ganda, Ivana Alawi 

Star Cinema. 

Oceans 8 with a little bit of Knives Out, that is Partners in Crime. This is by far the most decent Vice Ganda movie compared to all his recent films in the past years. Director Cathy Garcia-Molina really did a splendid job for making a picture as good as their promotional materials, the official poster said so. Molina’s directing prowess can be seen throughout and I bet that Vice’s followers can easily determine how Partners in Crime was a set-apart from Vice Ganda’s filmography.

Ivana Alawi was a surprise, it was my first time seeing her act and I must say she effectively brought her character to life as Vice’s counterpart. Vice and Ivana both have that admirable sense of theatrics and bond that is entertaining enough to move the moviegoers and being a comedy film, Ivana didn’t find it hard to keep up with Vice’s humor which is great and just proves herself that she is a flexible amateur actress, she wasn’t left out with the comedic antics of her co stars who were all veterans when it comes to comedy. 

Comparing this to Vice Ganda’s past movies such as The Revengers Squad, Fantastika, and The Mall, The Merrier. Partners in Crime delivered a more solid storytelling despite some weird production designs using chroma. 

The brand of comedy used in this movie wasn’t a hit, maybe on a scale of 1 to 5 the level of laughter it gave was just a 2.  

I think Vice needs new materials for his next movies, probably a dark comedy ala Die Beautiful or a comedy family drama that has a concrete storyline.

Rating:2/5

#MMFF2022 Family Matters

Family Matters: 

Nuel C. Naval

Noel Trinidad, Liza Lorena, Noni Buencamino, JC Santos, Mylene Dizon, Nikki Valdez. 

Cineko

From the title itself, no matter how far you’ve achieved in life at the end of the day you will always go back to your family, they will always be your core, your strength, and your inspiration, that’s why Family Matters. 

The movie follows the story of a 55 year old couple Francisco(Noel Tr8nidad) and Eleanor (Liza Lorena) and how they deal with their 4 children Kiko(Buencamino), Fortune(Dizon), Ellen(Valdez), and Enrico(Santos) as they face some health crisis as they grow older. 

Along the story they discover the struggles and troubles that their kids are facing as they are now with their own families, the couple felt they failed to raise them as they felt that they are causing them a burden as they try to stay in each of their kids' homes with their own family. 

Later the couple made their kids realize that at the end of the day they are still one family and that family will always matter the most. 

The film has a strong ensemble, from veteran actors Noel Trinidad and Liza Lorena, up to the seasoned character actors such as Nonie Buencamino who by the way delivered an exceptional performance, Mylene Dizon, Nikki Valdez, and JC Santos who did well portraying their characters in this movie. 

Unfortunately, Family Matters may seem to be a typical family drama we’ve seen in the past, the story is simple and cliché, the movie followed the exact same formula of every family movie we’ve seen from Star Cinema, Regal Films, and Viva Films. 

At almost 2 hours and 30 minutes this is also the longest movie in this year’s film fest, although it was not that dragging, the movie could’ve ended at some point of the movie. 

Anyway, from a viewer like me who hasn't watched the trailer nor know the actors who will appear in this movie, I am contented with what Family Matters gave. Dialogues may sound cliché, but it doesn't matter anymore because it is still a genuine satisfactory motion picture.

Family Matters not winning any single award is a robbery in itself. I guess this is the perfect film this holiday season suited for any age, we have not seen a family movie like this in the film festival for some time now. A film that has no antagonist but just a heartfelt narrative everybody can relate to.

Rating: ⅘ 

#MMFF2022 My Teacher

My Teacher: 

Paul Soriano

Toni Gonzaga, Joey De Leon, Isaiah Dela Cruz, Loisa Andalio, Ronnie Alonte. 

Ten17P and TinCan 

Imagine a classroom composed of students with different personalities. I assume for once, we all had experienced this day-to-day chaotic but memorable school environment. This is literally the exact visualization of My Teacher─a film about a collection of several real-life stories of students, teachers, and people in general pressed into a two-hour narrative.

The movie was actually okay, but it could’ve been better if the story took a hint to movies like “Mila” of Maricel Soriano or Gil Portes’ “Mga Munting Tinig “. I felt there was a lost opportunity to tell or to magnify issues that our teachers are facing in real life, for example is the movie could’ve highlighted how teachers transitioned in the new normal setup of class or how students like Joey de Leon’s character will adapt to blended learning or how were they able adapt in the online learning scheme of schools. I felt the movie has sugarcoated what it’s like to be a public school teacher in the Philippines. 

Again I liked the movie, but I believe that it focused on several subplots and kinda got lost along the way. Good thing the movie was able to redeem itself by focusing on major story points such as the intramurals, the prom, and the graduation. 

I also wished that the movie tackled the story of Ace Biliran (Isaiah Dela Cruz)  and Jude Dimaano (Kych Minemoto), these two characters specially Ace’s character was a big part on how this movie redeemed itself, so I was hoping maybe a separate series for these two. 

I cannot deny that Toni Gonzaga remains an all stunner. Despite the backlash she is receiving after all that she had been through in the past year, she really is the unbothered queen as she still gave a wonderful performance in this movie. 

Joey De Leon on the other hand was a revelation. At 70, Joey working alongside Toni works perfectly and delivers a believable on-screen father-and-daughter-like chemistry. 

Paul Soriano’s filmography is and will always amuse me because of its striking cinematography. His films may not always have the best stories to tell, but he knows how to bring his scripts from paper to frame amazes me. 

My Teacher is a film still worth celebrating even just for a show of appreciation for the Director of Photography or for the hard-working teachers.

Rating: 3.5/5

#MMFF2022 Labyu with An Accent

Labyu with an Accent: 

Rodel Nacianceno

Coco Martin, Jodi Sta Maria 

Star Cinema

Coco Martin and Jodi Sta. Maria are both well-known talented actors with such recognizable portfolios ranging from blockbuster films and trending TV shows. Jodi also recently took home the Best Lead Actress plum at the 2022 Asian Academy Creative Awards — a first for a Filipina. With these accolades, you would honestly expect that the tandem of both of these huge A-list stars would result in a good quality romantic comedy film. 

But unfortunately, Labyu With an Accent did really disappoint as it did not give justice to the achievements of the two lead stars.

The story felt like I am watching a 90’s movie of Dolphy and FPJ, you know those movie where they meet a Fil Am Tisay, falls in love with them, gets left behind and gets to follow them in the US, tried to live in together there but they failed, realizing that life is much complicated in the states rather than in the Philippines, Labyu With An Accent has it all. 

Everything happens so fast from the first up to the third act as if the  development of the film did not gave any breathing ground for every factor of the film that supports the plot to settle for it to build up. 

Another is that both the protagonist has a senseless and prideful way of fighting for their own principles in life which sometimes it becomes so problematic for example, Jodi leaves her family for a guy he just met 3 days ago and falling in love instantly, Coco having a business where the customers should sign a contract first that will then allow them to sleep with their clients on the same bed, and others to name some. 

The narrative itself is so shallow that it will make you wonder what the goal of the movie is, how it will flow, or how it would even end without being so cliché. What was the purpose of everything you see in the frame?

Lastly, Jodi trying to talk with an accent throughout the film is so irritating and annoying, she sometimes goes off her character, I think she wasn’t comfortable doing the role.

I get it that Labyu with an Accent tries to be a happy and calm rom-com movie, but it fails to do so. It lacked some substance of an enjoyable rom com movie, it felt like a snooze fest, indeed. 

But I would still give my appreciation to the production for successfully shooting almost half of the runtime in the US which is logistically challenging, but they still managed to pull it off.

Rating: 2.5/5 

#MMFF2022 My Father, Myself

My Father, Myself: 

Joel Lamangan

Jake Cuenca, Sean De Guzman, Tiffany Grey, and Dimples Romana. 

3:16 Productions

Electral Love-that’s the main theme of My Father, Myself. The movie tells tales of the different layers of love within the family, from the Father falling in love with his adopted son and his adopted son having a sexual relationship with her own biological daughter, and the adopted son eventually falling to having an affair with his own father, that’s how complex the story of this movie is.

It’s  a collection of different kinds of love that is presented in a single motion picture that tackles a controversial theme that is still not acceptable in our society, the movie was bombarded with criticisms and was even rated R-18 or for mature audiences only. 

My Father, Myself is indeed not your typical MMFF movie as it doesn’t only show sensitive scenes, but also it presents a sensitive topic as well. 

Dimples Romana and Jake Cuenca are the saving grace of the film. They both owned their role like it was them in their own character's shoes. It was an acting feast when both of them went on with their confrontation scenes, they were both effective, moving, and emotionally contagious that they are deserving of an acting recognition. 

I must say, Dimplexs was so deserving of that Best Supporting Actress award, I was actually thinking she could’ve gone home as the Best Actress if she was the lead star of the movie. 

Sean De Guzman portrayal was a slow burn in the making, his acting prowess steadily coming out as the film progresses and for a neophyte in the film festival Sean definitely gave a good performance in this movie. On the other hand, Tiffany Grey, the Mica of the film, was a bit of a let-down. Her acting needs to improve more for her to successfully connect and affect her audience. 

My seatmate in the cinema, whom I don’t know, was actually repeatedly saying “Ano ba yan, hindi siya makasabay sa actingan nila Dimples” whenever Tiffany appears in the frame. I couldn’t disagree with him more since there are lots of heavy and important scenes that were wasted because of Tiffany's lackluster performance.

The unnecessary 16:9 aspect ratio, the dull color grading, the minimal scoring, and the confusing cinematography also all add up to the negative elements this film has.

But on a positive note, the surprising twist on the 3rd act and the unexpected conclusion of the film was an enough redeeming factor that still makes My Father, Myself a satisfying LGBT+ movie.

Rating : 1.5/5