Entertainment News (10/13/23)

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German Film Fest at Gateway

The Goethe Institut presents KinoFest, a showcase of some of the hottest films to come out of Germany in the past two years. Returning fully offline for the first time after the pandemic, the festival features seven films that offer movie buffs a chance to delve into the rich variety of German cinema and four experimental films from Germany and the Philippines. The KinoFest will run from Oct. 19 to 22 at Gateway Cineplex 10, Cinemas 6 and 7, Gateway Mall, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City. To be shown are Sun and Concrete, Ehala, The Ordinaries, Happy Lamento, Orphea, Toubab, Republic of Silence, Sisi and I, Hao are You, Aligato: The Brief Life of an Ember, and Love is a Dog from Hell.

NeoFilipino features works with distinct choreography

THE return of CCP Choreographers Series’ “NeoFilipino,” on Oct. 20, 21 and 22 at the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater) in Pasay City, marks the third and final tier of the CCP Choreographers’ Series. It is a platform for established artists to collaborate with other art forms in creating new works with distinct choreographic styles, following WifiBody.ph and Koryolab. NeoFilipino 2023: In Transit will feature choreographers Christine Crame, Jose Jay Cruz, and Al Garcia, who have each built a distinct choreographic voice and style of dance. It is directed by dancer and choreographer Ms. Crame, with set design by Tuxqs Rutaquio, and projection mapping by Ces Valera. Its institutional supporters are De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Guang Ming College and Myra Beltran’s DanceForum. The P500 tickets are available at the CCP Box Office and at TicketWorld (https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx?sh=NEOFILI23).

APO Hiking Society celebrates golden anniversary

THE chart-topping melodies of APO Hiking Society continue to inspire Filipinos, and with the legendary Filipino band’s remaining members Jim Paredes and Boboy Garovillo celebrating 50 years of friendship and music, the APO Hiking Society 50^th Anniversary Concert will take place at the Newport Performing Arts Theater on Nov. 17. The anniversary show is a sentimental trip down memory lane that spans five decades. Tickets are now available at all TicketWorld and SM Tickets outlets, with prices ranging from P1,200 to P7,800.

QCinema announces QCSEA Competition Lineup

QCINEMA International Film Festival has unveiled the official selection of the inaugural edition of its QCSEA Shorts Competition. Ten short films were selected out of 380 entries received from all over Southeast Asia to compete. The lineup includes entries from Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. From Indonesia comes Basri And Salma In A Never-Ending Comedy by Khozy Rizal, about a childless couple that owns a carnival ride for children. Vietnam’s Buoyant by Toan Thanh Doan and Hoang-Phuc Nguyen-Le follows a fisherman who rescues a mermaid from the fish market. I Look Into The Mirror And Repeat Myself, from Singapore, directed by Giselle Lin, is about a filmmaker who questions the meaning of her given name, her place among her four sisters, and their stories, while her family is on the cusp of change and dissolution. From Malaysia, MOP by Joon Goh is about a boss and her employee who, over a lunch break, play a dangerous sexual game. Myanmar’s entry is an experimental short film by Moe Myat May Zarchi, The Altar, about the guilt of a childhood incident of killing an ant while their washing hands in the sink. Five entries were selected from the Philippines — Cross My Heart And Hope To Die by Sam Manacsa; Dominion by Bea Mariano; Hito by Stephen Lopez; Kung nga-a Conscious ang mga Alien sang ila Skincare (The Thing About Aliens And Their Skin Care) by Seth Andrew Blanca and Niño Maldecir; and When You Left Me On That Boulevard by Kayla Abuda Galang. The short films’ Philippine premieres are slated from Nov. 17 to 26.

Benj Pangilinan releases new single

FILIPINO singer-songwriter Benj Pangilinan drops an upbeat song, “Dance Like You,” that captures the feeling of youthful excitement. “I wrote this song a couple of years ago, during the pandemic. I remember just playing the guitar when I suddenly came up with an interesting chord progression. Instantly, I picked up my phone and opened the Voice Memos app,” Mr. Pangilinan said in a statement. The euphoric, four-minute pop song was produced by his frequent collaborator, the Grammy-nominated Xerxes Bakker. It serves as a follow-up to his first single “Love, That’s Rare,” and both will be part of an EP to be released soon. “Dance Like You” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.

Super Radyo, Barangay LS top audience share

SUPER Radyo DZBB and Barangay LS 97.1 remain the number one AM and FM radio stations in Metro Manila according to Nielsen’s Radio Audience Measurement data for January to September. The GMA Network’s flagship AM station Super Radyo DZBB 594 recorded an average total day audience share of 31.66%. Mornings remained to be the station’s highest rating block. Meanwhile, Barangay LS 97.1 averaged a total audience share of 41.37% during the same period, maintaining the top spot among FM stations. These programs are simulcast daily on GTV via Dobol B TV. Online, listeners can also catch these stations via live audio stream on www.gmanetwork.com/radio.

K-Pop group (G)I-DLE drops first English EP

FIVE-member Korean pop girl group (G)I-DLE releases its new EP HEAT, which is also their highly anticipated, first English EP, I Want That. The lead single’s music video has also been released. HEAT features the previously released track “I DO,” which made its debut on the Billboard Pop Airplay Chart after its release in July. It will also have songs with known musician collaborators such as Ryan Tedder, Meghan Trainor, and Jon Bellion. HEAT is available on all digital music platforms worldwide.

Pinay sweeps World Championships of Performing Arts

FILIPINA singer Ronica Mae Mangahas dominated the recently concluded 2023 World Championships of Performing Arts in Anaheim, California. The international competition, cited as the “Talent Olympics,” is held annually for performers and entertainers. Contenders from countries across America, Europe, South Africa, and Asia participated in the contest. Ms. Mangahas competed in eight out of 14 genres in the Vocal Solo Category. Of these, she won gold medals in the Opera, Open, and Rhythm and Blues (R&B) tilts. The 30-year-old vocalist likewise finished silver in Gospel, Original Works, Rock, and World divisions. “Competing on the world stage is a dream come true,” she said in a statement. “I never thought that my passion would get me to represent the country.”

Ica Frias releases new single

FILIPINO singer-songwriter Ica Frias expresses her wariness of romantic commitment in the new song “Oh Honey.” Released under Off The Record, the song is her reflection on fears of being vulnerable and intimate with someone, delivered with soulful vocals and jazzy instrumentation. “The song is about the fear of falling in love with the person you’re quite unsure of. Regardless of what you feel for him or her, it’s normal to be cautious about being romantically committed to someone,” Ms. Frias said in a statement. “The whole vibe is countered by the upbeat treatment of the song, almost as if you’re making fun of yourself for seeing that person with rose-colored glasses.” The track was written by her with the help of her friend Daniel Paringit, who also co-produced “Oh Honey” with Cluster Ng and Ricky Ilacad of OTR. “Oh Honey” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide.

English singer James Arthur releases new single

FOLLOWING the success of his songs “Blindside” and “A Year Ago,” and the announcement of his 5^th studio album Bitter Sweet Love — out Jan. 26^th — English singer-songwriter James Arthur returns with a new single, “Just Us,” a powerful ballad about realizing that love is the true meaning of life. “It is a song in which I confess to running away from what really matters and getting lost in the pursuit of validation from external things,” Mr. Arthur said in a statement. Bitter Sweet Love will contain 13 songs. “Just Us” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide.

Ben&Ben releases acoustic version of ‘Courage’

FILIPINO folk-pop band Ben&Ben has dropped a stripped-down version of their new song, “Courage (acoustic version),” which encourages listeners to reach for their dreams and goals in life despite dealing with personal tribulations. “The past few months have been mentally tough for the band, with challenges surrounding us and driving us to low points and times of discouragement,” the chart-topping band said in a press statement. “We realized that, as visceral as the feeling of being hopeless may be for us, we wanted to channel it into an uplifting piece of music because it is something a lot of people are going through now but have a hard time verbalizing.” The stripped-down number is penned by Miguel and Paolo Benjamin and produced by frequent collaborator Jean Paul Verona. Ben&Ben’s “Courage (acoustic version)” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.

Tom and Jerry get localized Singapore version

THE first-ever localized Tom and Jerry series, featuring the beloved cartoon cat and mouse in Singapore, will premiere on Cartoon Network, the Cartoon Network Asia YouTube channel, and HBO GO on Oct. 21. In the seven-part series, the legendary cartoon frenemies take their adventures to the Lion City as they weave through the labyrinth of colorful neighborhoods, modern skyscrapers and city-in-nature experiences. New episodes air every Saturday on Cartoon Network and YouTube, with four episodes immediately available on HBO GO followed by a second episode drop in November. The new series is part of a wider partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery and the Singapore Tourism Board to collaborate on content that will spotlight and inspire travel to destination Singapore.