bury me in this dress

The Japan Foundation, in cooperation with Embassy of Japan, the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, and the UP Film Institute, will be holding Eiga Sai 2010 in celebration of Japan-Philippines Friendship Month. Eiga Sai 2010 is all about contemporary films. I’m looking forward to the lineup.

All films will be shown with English subtitles. Admission is free.For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please access the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers (+632) 811-6155 to 58.

Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor
Running Time: 0:21
Director: Yamamura Koji
Cast: Shigeyama Sensaku, Kanehara Hiromi, Shigeyama Ippei

A country doctor gets an emergency call in the middle of a snowy winter night. The doctor finds an open wound full of worms on the side of the sick boy. To the singing of children, the doctor is stripped of his clothes and placed in bed with the boy.

Miyori in the Sacred Forest (Animation)
Running Time: 1:56
Director: Yamamoto Nizo
Cast: Aoi Yu

Eleven-year-old Miyori shuts her heart from the rest of the world after her separated parents desert her. She is entrusted in the care of her grandmother who lives near a forest. Miyori soon encounters unbelievable things and gradually realizes that the forest is more than what it seems.

TOKYO TOWER Mom & Me, and
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 2:22
Director: Matsuoka Joji
Cast: Odagiri Jo, Kiki Kirin, Uchida Yayako

The film alternates between the past, in which Masaya narrates his life story, and the present, in which Masaya watches his mother die of cancer in the hospital.

Fourteen
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 1:54
Director: Hirosue Hiromasa
Cast: Namiki Akie, Hirosue Hiromasa

The film portrays the faint hope that is generated by the interaction between adults who have not recovered from trauma they suffered when they were 14 years old.

Glasses
Running Time: 1:46
Director: Ogigami Naoko
Cast: Kobayashi Satomi, Mitsuishi Ken, Ichikawa Mikako

It’s early spring and still chilly when Taeko a stressed out career woman leaves her stressed out life in the city for an island vacation. There is no sightseeing spot on the island and people come here to “twilight.” Taeko stays at “Hamada,” run by Yuji (Mitsuishi Ken). Expecting to be left alone, she’s put off when Yuji sits down to eat with her. She’s even more disgruntled when Sakura, a mysterious woman who comes yearly from somewhere in the early spring, takes the liberty of entering her room to wake her up! But seeking haven at another hotel proves absurd and Taeko awkwardly returns to her unconventional hosts.

There is also an intriguing exercise called “merci taiso,” which the residents on the island do as part of their daily routine but only during spring. Taeko is bewildered but begins to yield to their pace as she spends more time in the island. (more…)

I’ve never been to ToyCon, ComicCon, or whatever Con in the Philippines. You know, the ones with otakus, cosplayers, etc. The size of the crowd just turns me off. I made a decision to finally attend one this year because I’ve always been curious about those events and I have a fondness for toys (remember my Gloomy Bear and Nyan Nyan Nyanko obsessions?). When I was expressing my hesitation on Plurk, Azrael who is one of the organizers of the event said he will include me in the guest list. How can I say no after that? So I braved the traffic and headed to Megatrade Hall last Saturday afternoon. I was expecting a big crowd but it was still a shock to see and be next to so many bodies, sweaty bodies at that.

Collectibles Unlimited Association is the brain behind the annual ToyCon, a convention to promote interest in the collection and display of all types of comics, toys, movies, animation, games and related childhood memorabilia. Collectible Unlimited was formed in 2002 and they have been organizing comics and anime related events in Manila. They pioneered the customized action figure contest, cosplay group contest, Inter school Animation contest, Inter school comics creation contest, Toy Photography contest, Toy shows and exhibits, character creation contest, Battle of the tribute band contest, Fan film contest, Toy Designer contest, Cosplay Photography Contest, and Artists awards. The group is composed of 5 people: Vic Yap, Cholo Mallillin, Albert Lee, Lou Garcia and Azrael Coladilla. The other members of the association are composed of collectors, hobby shop owners, community groups and clubs.

This year’s two-day event is the penultimate gathering of true fans of everything related to comics, toys, pop culture, movies, cartoons, cosplay and gaming. This year, DC Comics took center stage with an abundance of DC character merchandising, guest artist panel and autograph-signing, fan trivia games and contests and a DC Comics 75th Year Power-Up! Superhero Challenge extreme sport area. Also this year, the new Animax Channel was launched, Mindstyle launched the exclusive Toycon Disney Toy Story Alien, there was Maxi Collector’s Otacool book signing with Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao, cosplay competition, and of course, the exhibition floor filled with toys, collectibles, and pop-culture memorabilia.

It was a mind-blowing event for me. I was supposed to meet Fritz and Keysi but I gave up looking for them because of too many people. I still had fun browsing the exhibition floor alone. I couldn’t resist not buying some items there so I gave in and it was a blow to my budget. I was decided on not going back to an event like that next year but after writing this and looking at the photos I took, I am now thinking of going back.

To see the photos individually, visit my Toycon 2010 album on Flickr.

Last June 17, I was invited to the launch of Globe’s flagship store. The celebration was held at Ayala Museum and attended by some of the country’s movers and shakers. Over hor d’oeuvres, the night’s lovely host presented to us the idea behind the flagship store.

Globe aims to bring digital lifestyle closer to the people and with the flagship store dubbed as The Store, they are doing just that. No longer do we have to look at dummy phones on display and just guess if a phone’s performance is good or not. At the flagship store, customers can actually try the working demo units to gage if a particular cellphone fits his lifestyle. Besides cellphones, the flagship store has other gadgets and accessories on display and retail. Products by well-known international brands such as Skullcandy, Ed Hardy, iFrogz, Golla, XtremeMac, and Golla are available there. (more…)

Last June 9 was Johnny Depp’s birthday and bona fide Johnny fan Karen Kunawicz organized a celebration at Big Sky Mind. Being a Johnny fan, I decided to attend and invited some friends along.

gelo shots

Our hosts Karen K. and Hank Sparrow

my bitches for the night: Joiz and Sarah

Joiz overjoyed with her Sweeny Todd cupcake

Me with my Edward Scissorhands cupcake

The creators of the cupcakes: Jovan and Sarah's bro JB

It was a fun but sweltering night. We watched 21 Jump Street and Sleepy Hallow. I didn’t stay for Inside the Actor’s Studio anymore but I still left around 1 AM. I hope Karen will organize another celebration next year! Happy birthday, Jonny Depp!

Last May 29, 2010, I went to McKinley Hills to watch the Tiffany Power Kids Run. I wasn’t expecting the turnout to be huge but McKinley Hills was packed! There must have been a hundred bodies there of different shapes and sizes, all in their sports attire and ready for the competition. It was a scorching day but the crowd didn’t seem to mind at all. I surveyed the various booths in the vicinity. The ones I can remember are McDonald’s, TimeZone, Evian, Pampanga’s Best, and Purefoods. Various games for kids were set up. There was a small golf putting mat set up by KidsGolf, basketball hoops by Purefoods, table top games by Strings of Fun, a kiddy pool filled with balls by Tiffany and arcade games by TimeZone. The kids were very much engaged with the various activities and the parents were there to cheer them on.

(more…)

I love film festival season. The French Film Festival will start if off on June 3 at the Shangri-la Cineplex 4 in Mandaluyong City. Like the previous French Film Festivals, admission is free. Below are the schedule and synopses.

June 3, Thursday
7:30 p.m. – L’Amour c’est mieux a deux

June 4, Friday
12 p.m. – L’Heure d’ete’
3 p.m. – La Fille du RER
6 p.m. – La Graine et le Mulet
9 p.m. – Les Bureaux de Dieu

June 5, Saturday
12 p.m. – L’Amour c’est mieux a deux
3 p.m. – Le Premier Venu
6 p.m. – Welcome
9 p.m. – Dans La Vie

June 6, Sunday
12 p.m. – Le Genou De Claire
3 p.m. – Le Beau Mariage
6 p.m. – L’Heure d’ete’
9 p.m. – La Fille du RER

June 7, Monday
12 p.m. – La Graine et le Mulet
3 p.m. – Les Bureaux de Dieu
6 p.m. – L’Amour c’est mieux a deux
9 p.m. – Le Premier Venu

June 8, Tuesday
12 p.m. – Welcome
3 p.m. – Dans La Vie
6 p.m. – Le Genou De Claire
9 p.m. – Le Beau Mariage

June 9, Wednesday
12 p.m. – Les Bureaux de Dieu
3 p.m. – La Graine et le Mulet
6 p.m. – La Fille du RER
9 p.m. – L’Heure d’ete’

June 10, Thursday
12 p.m. – Dans La Vie
3 p.m. – Welcome
6 p.m. – Le Premier Venu
9 p.m. – L’Amour c’est mieux a deux

June 11, Friday
12 p.m. – La Fille du RER
3 p.m. – L’Heure d’ete’
6 p.m. – Le Beau Mariage
9 p.m. – Le Genou De Claire

June 13, Sunday
12 p.m. – Le Premier Venu
3 p.m. – L’Amour c’est mieux a deux
6 p.m. – Les Bureaux de Dieu
9 p.m. – La Graine et le Mulet

Synopses

Lola
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-13
Director: Brillante Mendoza
Cast: Anita Linda, Rustica Carpio, Tanya Gomez, Jhong Hilario, Ketchup Eusebio, Camille Solari

Brillante Mendoza’s Lola features two grandmothers who are linked together by a homicide-robbery case. Lola Josefa “Sepa” Quimpo (Anita Linda) lost her grandson, while Lola Purificacion Burgos’ grandson Mateo is the suspected killer. Both elderly women set about raising money from their meager possessions for their beloved grandsons.

Le Beau Mariage (The Good Marriage)
Director: Eric Rohmer
Cast: Béatrice Romand, André Dussollier, Féodor Atkine, Arielle Dombasle, Huguette Faget

Sabine, an Art History student, no longer wants to be Simon’s mistress. Simon is an artist and a good family man, but Sabine is altogether fed up with being a mere mistress and decides to get married. With who is another matter: her priority is to “marry well”. In this frame of mind, she meets Edmond, who just happens to be “handsome, young and available”. Sabine declares, all too quickly, that she will make him marry her.

(more…)

Last May 26, I was able to attend Sunsilk Style at the Philippine Fashion Week. Sunsilk partnered with world-renowned hair experts to come up with products that address very specific hair types and conditions. They tapped Yuko Yamashita to co-create Keratin-enriched “Smooth and Manageable”, Teddy Charles for ” Strong and Long” which has Active Fruitamin and “Straight and Sway” infused with Amino Collagen, and Thomas Taw for Olive Serum Nutri Complex-enriched “Damage Repair.” This collaboration is dubbed as “co-creation” and Sunsilk partnered with Philippine Fashion Week to co-create fashion inspired by the new products.

Eight designers were paired to co-create fashion versions of the four variants. Arnold Galang and John Paras interpreted Smooth and Manageable, Joel Escober and Raoul Ramirez recreated Strong and Long, Chris Diaz and Veejay Floresca did their take on Damage Repair, and Lyle Ibanez and Jerome Ang co-created Straight and Sway.

Smooth and Manageable

Strong and Long

Damage Repair

Straight and Sway

It was a night of high fashion, beauty, and expertise and we in the audience enjoyed the show. By partnering with Philippine Fashion Week, Sunsilk was able to make beauty accessible to every Filipina.

ROCK THE VOTE 2010: ROAD TRIP TO CHANGE
Thursday | April 15 | 10AM
Serye
Quezon City Circle

SPEAKERS:
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, LP Senate Slate campaign manager
Rep. Risa Hontiveros, LP senatorial candidate
Rep. Ruffy Biazon, LP senatorial candidate
Ms. Yasmin B. Lao, LP senatorial candidate

*Special guest artists and celebrities

RSVP: For media
Mike Diez (0919) 954 2901
Barbi Cruz (0905) 417 0245

For bloggers:
Toni Alvarez (0905) 250 3131
Niña Terol-Zialcita (0917) 835 9420

Doi! I want to go to the Russian Film Festival but CCP is far. I hate Manila traffic. Anyway, here’s the schedule.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Philippines on June 2, 2011, a festival of Russian films will be presented at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on March 16-20, 2010 and Onstage, Ayala Center, Cebu City on March 26-27, 2010. A photo exhibit will also be mounted for the duration of the festival to commemorate Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.

The event is a presentation of Mosfilm Studios, Russia’s biggest filmmaker, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Russian Federation, Film Development Council of the Philippines, the CCP and the Philippines-Russia Friendship Society.   Five classical and contemporary films produced by Mosfilm will be screened: Ward No. 6, Vanished Empire, The Star, Mirror, Agony.

Russian Film Festival 2010 Screening Schedule – Cultural Center of the Philippines (FREE ADMISSION)

March 16 (Tue) 07:30PM, CCP Little Theatre – Ward No.6
March 17 (Wed) 04:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – Vanished Empire
March 17 (Wed) 07:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – The Star
March 18 (Thu) 04:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – The Mirror
March 18 (Thu) 07:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – Agony
March 19 (Fri) 07:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – Vanished Empire
March 19 (Fri) 04:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – Ward No.6
March 20 (Sat) 04:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – Agony
March 20 (Sat) 07:00PM, CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theatre) – The Mirror

All screenings are free on a first-come, first served basis. Kindly note that the CCP Dream Theatre has a limited seating capacity of 100 only. could only accommodate 100 pax. For more information, kindly call the CCP Media Arts division at 832-1125 local 1704 and 1705.

via Eat Drink Dance

I blogged about Scarlet Tears before. These guys are just awesome! Well, on the 30th you’ll find me in their anniversary gig at Genre Bar in Cubao-X. Who wants to join me? The entrance is free and starts at 9PM.

Other bands who will be playing that night are:

Biscochong Halimaw
Decay Transit
Filter Filter
Inconnu Ictu
Isolation Ward
Ode to La Luna
The Discoball
X9

The 5th Anniversary CD shall be made available on this event for just Php80. Those who come in costume will be given a treat.

Scarlet Tears was conceptualized around November of 2003. A rag tag bunch of able musicians started to flesh out the band’s music in early 2004 up to the band’s first performance on October 30, 2004. The band’s music elaborates the dark side of love and lust, and the melancholic state of being bitter and scorned by the world of shallow love and destructive lies.

Scarlet Tears is comprised of: Sam Vigilia (keyboard synthesizer), Katrina Pallon (vocals), Ayn Tolentino-Azarcon (bass guitar), Jeff Azarcon (drums), and Bennet Gubat (guitar).

The Philippine Outpost of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers will be raising funds for the victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng. For a minimum donation of P50. You can take a picture with a stormtrooper and help flood victims get their lives back.