The Cultural Center of the Philippines Arthouse Cinema, in cooperation with the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the UP Los Baños Foundation Inc. recently concluded Manuel Conde @ 100 at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde last October 8, 2016. The three-Saturday event was held to
commemorate National Artist for Film, Manuel Conde’s birth centennial who was
born on October 9, 1915. For the event, three of his most celebrated films were
screened: Genghis Khan (Sept. 24), Krus na Kawayan (Oct. 1) and Venganza (Oct.
8).
Manuel Conde opened the gateway to the world stage for Philippine
cinema with his film Genghis Khan becoming the first Filipino film to be
acclaimed at an international film festival in Venice, Italy in 1952. Conde is regarded as the first independent film maker doing
independent films on a very limited budget when he is not making commercial
films for LVN Pictures, one of the biggest film production outfits during that
time. Film critiques describe Conde’s films as “ahead of their time”.
A short lecture was given by Film Scholar and “The Cinema of Manuel
Conde” author Dr. Nicanor Tiongson on how Conde’s film, Venganza drew
inspiration from Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo and also spoke about the cultural symbolisms within
the film. Dr. Tiongson praised the flourish of regional cinema in today's generation.
Eldest child of Manuel Conde, multi-faceted actor and director, Jun
Urbano who is best known for his portrayal as Mr. Shooli in the 90’s political
satire Mongolian Barbecue was also present and shared a few anecdotes about his
father.
“We never expected for him to be a National Artist. He just made
films for money. Pero malikot ang isip ng daddy. Ang klase ng mga pelikulang
gusto niyang gawin ay hindi kumikita.” the always humorous Urbano Jr. shared with the crowd.
The event concluded with the awarding of Manuel Conde Centennial
Commemorative stamp by PhilPost Assistant Postmaster General Luis Carlos to the
Urbano Family.
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Dr. Nicanor Tiongson |
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Mr. Jun Urbano |
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NCCA Chairman and Subcommission on the Arts Head Felipe M. de Leon Jr. |
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(L-R): NCCA Chairman de Leon, PhilPost Assistant Postmaster General Luis Carlos, Manuela Urbano, Jun Urbano |
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SOFIA's Mr. Teddy Co also presented Mr. Urbano DVD versions of the films screened during the event. |
According to Mr. Co, out of all the National Artists for Cinema, Conde has the least number of films archived. Unfortunately, film archiving came late to our country. Almost all prints of his movies were already lost. Those are part of Philippine cinema's history and culture we can never get back. SOFIA's advocacy is to preserve our country's cinematic heritage. To know more about SOFIA, check out their Facebook page and site here.
This is a late post obvs because I'm me. But I think it will always be relevant for people who are looking for new places to have fun with family and friends so I am sharing our new favorite place to go when a family member celebrates their birthday. We found out about Fontana Hot Spring when I celebrated my birthday. Our family is big on swimming. No, not just lounging beside the beach and taking selfies--we actually love swimming. We tried looking for a resort near our home in Angeles, Pampanga. But I don't like Subic beaches and Bataan is a bit far. And knowing our family, we are not morning people so our day usually starts at around 9 or 10 a.m.
We are a big family so we always try to look for a place that's affordable, clean and fun. My birthday falls on a holiday so everywhere is full. Fontana was our last option because we were expecting it to be expensive. We found out that Fontana has 2 resorts, first is the Fontana Leisure Park with the slides, lazy river, wave pool and other kinds of pools children and kids-at-heart will surely enjoy. And then there's the Hot Spring if you just want to relax. We've taken note of the big difference between their rates. The Leisure Park's fee is PHP 450 per head while its just PHP 200 for the Hot Spring. Aside from the Hot Spring, you also get to enjoy the use of Fontana's Olympic pool.
There are few things to remember once you get there. You are allowed spaghetti straps but you're not allowed to wear shirts and shorts with zippers. You are not allowed to bring food inside but there's a picnic area beside the hot spring resort where you and your loved ones can enjoy your prepared meals. I think its better this way since food is quite expensive inside the resort when you order.
Another thing, they won't charge you for the cottages (as there is none), well, there are a few picnic tables and gazebos inside but they are first come, first serve basis. You can leave your things on tables provided around the resort but its still safe to have someone watch over them while you're gone. I say with PHP 200, don't expect much. But it's a lot nicer than the other inland resorts we've been to that day. Most of all, it is not crowded considering its a holiday. I really appreciate being able to float around the pool without worrying about banging my head against someone. If you are interested to know more, check out Fontana's site here.
I've taken photos to give you a glimpse of how it looks like inside. I hope you enjoy this photo blog.
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Fontana Hot Spring Resort entrance |
I bet this man-made falls is beautiful but unfortunately we came on a Sunday when the falls is scheduled for cleaning.
The two mini-pools (jacuzzi?) beside this larger cold pool actually have much colder water! It was so cold I had to get out.
It was indeed a hot spring. It took a while before I can fully immerse my whole body in the pool. You can literally feel the increase in temperature. But like the cold pool, once your body adjusts to the temperature you'll find that it is relaxing.
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Here I am with Pop, Mom and my brother, Keith |
The sunken bar pool does not really have a "bar" but this is where the staff and lifeguards hang out. If you want to order from Fontana's restaurant, you may just approach the staff and they will just place the order for you.
Just to give you a heads up, their hot spring resort closes by 6 p.m. The good news is, you can hang around and swim some more in their olympic pool until 10 p.m.
Here's a look at the Olympic pool. When we were here, we found that most of the swimmers were Korean nationals.
Having fun don't have to be expensive. Have you been to Fontana resort? Are you planning to? Let me know on the comments below. Have fun!
Have you ever been to CCP's Dream Theater? The theater is named in honor of national artist for cinema, Manuel Conde. Manuel Urbano in real life, is an actor, writer, producer and director. He became a leading figure in Philippine cinema thanks to his fresh take in storytelling. He was one of the earliest Filipino filmmaker who straddled both worlds of mainstream and independent film cinema. His film Ghengis Khan became the first Filipino film distributed worldwide.
Manuel Conde @ 100
The Cultural Center of the Philippines Arthouse Cinema, in cooperation with Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the UP Los Baños Foundation Inc, present MANUEL CONDE@100 at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde on Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and 8, 2016.
This special event is held to celebrate the birth centennial of the National Artist for Film, Manuel Conde who was born on October 9, 1915.
THREE FILMS
To commemorate his birth centennial and his contribution to the Philippine cinema, three of his films will be shown:
- Genghis Khan (1950, MC Productions) on Sept. 24, 3:00 p.m.: Starring Manuel Conde and Elvira Reyes, this is the saga of how the young but wily Temujin rose to become the overlord of the Mongol empire. The version shown will have the original Tagalog soundtrack, unhampered by James Agee's poetic narration in the re-edited international edition which was restored in 2012. SOFIA (Society of Filipino Archivists for Film) board member Teddy Co will discuss for the first time some confounding and overlooked facets about the film.
Doesn't he look familiar? Did you know that Manuel Conde is the father of Jun Urbano, more famously known as Mr. Shooli of the 90's hit show Mongolian Barbecue? What's more is that Jun Urbano himself will grace the showing of Genghis Khan on September 24 at 3pm.
- Krus na Kawayan (1956, MC Productions/USIS) on Oct. 1 on 3 p.m.: Starring Manuel Conde, Aida Carino and filmed entirely in Vietnam, with Filipino actors in Vietnamese roles, the film tackles the refugee crisis at the onset of the Vietnam war. The United States Information Service (USIS) funded the film as propaganda material to portray the evils of Communism during the Cold War era. Jun Urbano, who was a young boy in the film, will be present to talk about his experiences working with his father.
- Venganza (1958, LVN Pictures) on Oct. 8 on 2 p.m: Starring Mario Montenegro, Carmencita Abad, Perla Bautista and Carlos Padilla, Jr., this action-thriller that is one of Conde's underrated films. Film scholar Nicanor G. Tiongson, author of The Cinema of Manuel Conde, will give a talk after the film, emphasizing Conde's delicacy and care in depicting the indigenous Igorot people shown in the film. A rare bonus clip of an interview with Conde before he died will also be shown. The screening will be preceded by cocktails and the launch of the Manuel Conde Centennial stamp by the Philippine Postal Authority and NCCA.
Manuel Conde's renowned films will be shown in CCP Dream theater, free of charge. Please be advised that due to limited seating capacity, screening of the films are on a first come, first served basis.
For more information, please call CCP Media Arts at tel. no. 832-1125 local 1704 and 1705. Know more about SOFIA and their advocacy to restore classic movies through their site and Facebook page.
I remember the first love story books I have ever read were Precious Hearts Romances because my aunt is a teacher. Growing up, with "teacher titas", I found out that they read a whole lot of pocket books. I've read stories from other pocket books as well but I find that Precious Hearts Romances have far better writers (and editors!) seeing how the publication grew over the years, I know I am right. And now, they are a step further by turning stories from print to reel with Precious Pelikula.
In April 2016, Precious Pages Corp., the publisher of Precious Hearts Romances, called on amateur filmmakers nationwide to participate in this momentous project. A total of 40 applicants, from students to film enthusiasts, sent in their portfolio in the hopes of being able to enter the competition. Ten applicants were shortlisted. They chose from a selection of PHR titles on which they formulated a film concept as out-of-the-box as they could while still maintaining the romantic personality that Precious Hearts Romances has embodied.
SPECIAL SCREENING
Each applicant was given a grant to produce their respective films. A special screening was done last September 3, 2016, 2pm, at SM Manila Cinema 4 where viewers took part in a live voting for their film of choice. The event was graced by Mr. Segundo Matias himself, President of Precious Pages Corp., together with five of the six authors: Sofia, Rose Tan, Kensi, Angel Bautista and Heide Collete. The directors' respective production and artistic teams were also present.
Precious Pages Corp. President, Mr. Segundo Matias |
THE VISION
“Sa dami ng kuwento na ginawa namin sa loob ng 25 years, naisip namin na maiba naman at ma-interpret ang mga ito ng mga director at gawing pelikula. Gusto naming ma-extend [ang imahinasyon] hindi lamang sa pagbabasa kundi pati sa video. Gusto rin naming magbigay ng chance sa mga bagong filmmakers,” shares Mr. Matias.
The top three films will be announced and awarded at the Manila International Book Fair on September 18, 2016. Winners will also receive the following cash prizes:
- 1st place - P100,000.00
- 2nd place - P50,000.00
- 3rd place - P25,000.00
- People’s Choice – P10,000
Truly, love can transcend any medium, whether paper or reel and these filmmakers are determined to tug at your heartstrings with adaptations of the stories that made readers cry, laugh and fall in love. If you are a certified Precious Hearts Romances fan, it will be quite a treat to see your favorite stories come to life.
Have you ever won anything ever? I won a tumbler once in
a company Christmas party raffle. I have won little things which I am still so
happy to have because keywords: It’s free! But I don’t remember winning in any
contest I joined intentionally. I usually join those contests that’ll let you
win free concert or even just movie tickets. Yes, gano’n lang kababaw ang
kaligayahan ko mga bes! Unfortunately, I'm not lucky with those kind of contests.
One day, Iflix sent me a private message through Twitter
verifying my email address because they have a special “surprise” for me. I
didn’t join any contest, at least none that I know of. I didn’t expect
anything from it, but of course I expected somethinga.
I thought I was going to get a free one month subscription on iflix. Huuuu..
Sobrang saya ko na no’n. I waited for a few more days after their message on
Twitter. I keep checking my mail but no, still nothing from them. And I
remembered—the SPAM FOLDER! And there it is, the message I was not expecting at
all.
Turns out iflix turned 1 and they are giving away an awesome
binge-watching swag to all lucky users who consume the biggest worth of
minutes watching movies and show via the iflix app. No need to register. All
you have to do is watch all you can. Needless to say, napaka-effortless naman
for me. HAHA. Now that is the kind of contest I can actually win being a
TV/movie addict that I am. If watching TV or movies at home (of course, given
the proper resources) or basically if being a couch potato is an Olympic sport,
I’ll probably bring home a gold medal. I use iflix all the time and I always
make sure that my Downloads list is always full because I’m scared of being
bored as hell when I commute going to and from work. And I love it that iflix
takes care of my binge-watching fix with all their shows for such an affordable
price. I already gave you reasons on why I love iflix on my previous post, and
now they are giving me a much bigger reason to love them more!
I can’t believe my eyes so I had to double-check every single detail of the email. What if it was a scam? But they had their address there and they are not asking me to pay for anything. But I still refused to believe it as it was too good to be true until I was signing anything that says everything is mine indeed.
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They have such a cool office. |
So this post is a huge thank you to iflix. I’ve never even imagined winning anything like this in my life. Now I can do movie marathons in a whole new exciting way.
With
Google Chrome, I can cast the movie I’m watching on my phone straight to my new
Samsung TV.
Instructions were pretty easy to follow.
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Et voila! |
Mga bes, unlike your ex na hindi marunong mag-reciprocate ng
pagmamahal, folks from iflix sure know how to give love back and boy they willreally take care of you. Isn’t it
amazing when love is mutual? Yes? Again, thank you iflix. You guys are awesome.
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This TV/Film addict is overjoyed! |