Covering the week’s most noteworthy events in the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
I met Erick Esteban on the set of an AFI film called “Unrest” several years ago. We have collaborated on the sketch comedy show we featured on Kababayan Today on several occasions, and when I heard about him getting back into the swing of stand-up, I knew it was important to share this information with…
Fashion Fundraiser for Bantay Bata on July 28 HOLLYWOOD—When Queen of Latin Pop Paulina Rubio tweeted about “Rock The Runway”—avant-garde Filipino designer Rocky Gathercole’s benefit fashion show for Bantay Bata (Child Watch), a program addressing the needs of abused kids in the Philippines—it showed how the event has reached the awareness of international celebrities. Gathercole,…
Jessica Sanchez’s latest single “Stronger Together” was a hit at this year’s Democratic National Convention, so much so that the song has become the unofficial anthem of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Legendary songwriters Carole Bayer Sager, Bruce Roberts and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds wrote the song and asked the half-Filipina, half-Mexican popstar to record…
JACLYN Jose made history after winning the Best Actress award at the 69th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, May 22. She is the first Filipino to bring home the acting honor for the Philippines at Cannes. The 52-year-old veteran actress was hailed for performance in the film “Ma’ Rosa,” directed by Brillante Mendoza, who marks…
New York, NY [April 23, 2016] – The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced tonight at the Festival wrap party the winners of the two Audience Awards, powered by Infor. Two awards – one for narrative and one for documentary – were given to the audience choices for the best films. Here Alone directed by Rod…
Fil-Am Oscar winner Ronnie del Carmen, who co-directed and co-wrote “Inside Out,” wore a piña tuxedo by Hollywood Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino at the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 28. “Inside Out” won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. Co-director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera collected the award. Del Carmen personally was…
Amid five consecutive years—and counting—of sales growth, Nissan has introduced the 2016 Altima, a quieter car with improved fuel economy and a new “energetic flow” exterior. “We can confidently say today that we have the quietest Altima ever,” Tiago Castro, senior manager of product planning at Nissan, told reporters at an Altima media preview presentation…
A Filipino-Chinese model and children’s health advocate from Nueva Vizcaya was crowned Miss World Philippines 2015 during a pageant held at the Solaire Resort Casino in Paranaque City on Sunday, Oct. 18. Hillarie Danielle Ang Parungao, 24, beat 25 other candidates to represent the Philippines in the Miss World 2015 competition to be held on…
In time for Saturday’s mega-fight, Ryan Moore, the Filipino-American director of “Manny,” is encouraging viewers to watch the documentary to get to know Manny Pacquiao — beyond what they see inside the ring. “What our film is trying to put out is that if you’re having a potluck or barbecue, be sure to play [“Manny”…
Producer receives fourth Daytime Emmy nomination for ‘The Talk’ The glitz and glamor of Hollywood can be captivating to many, but reaching that level of success is not exactly an easy feat. For Marc Anthony Nicolas, breaking into the entertainment industry is still very much surreal. The Filipino-American is best known for his work…
New York, NY [April 23, 2015] – The 14th annual Tribeca Film Festival, co-founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, and presented by AT&T, announced the winners of its competition categories tonight at a party hosted by Michael Rapaport at TFF’s creative hub, Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studios. The Festival runs through…
Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday, April 15, featured a Tagalog song that boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao is expected to use for his ring entrance on the May 2 bout against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Pacquiao recorded “Lalaban Ako Para Sa Filipino (I will Fight for the Filipino)” and even created a music…
North Korea suspected in vicious cyber attacks Let the hacking commence. Last month’s crippling cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment revealed confidential information of business practices, employee pay disparities and personal data, unpublished scripts, sensitive contracts, and ugly personal feuds between actors and executives. Experts say these secrets could damage the Hollywood studio for years to…
AT a recent book signing, Miss America 2001 was approached and hugged by a girl who admitted she had pondered ending her life for some time. She attended the event, not knowing what to expect. Except, she did have one plan in mind. “’I was going to commit suicide today and you changed my mind,”…
Animating ice is complicated. And when it came to working on “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” that was a challenging part. “Ice is particularly difficult because it has a very complex lighting model,” said Lawrence Lee, head of effects for the film. “So we have to make sure when we crack it—before we crack…
YouTube announced on Wednesday, Nov. 12 that it will launch a paid service called “Music Key” that will allow customers to stream millions of high quality songs, ad-free starting at a promotional rate of $7.99 per month. “You’ve watched, shared, remixed, invented, parodied and whatevered your favorite songs, making YouTube the ultimate place for artists…
On Nov. 6, Disney announced the continuation of two of their biggest film sagas, Star Wars and Toy Story. The major studio announced the official title of the new Star Wars: Episode VII film, “The Force Awakens.” The reveal comes as the movie, directed by J.J. Abrams of the Star Trek series, wraps up its last days of shooting…
NY premiere on Oct. 31, showing in select cinemas GLENDALE—Dubbed as the Philippines’ National Sweetheart and considered one of the brightest stars of today, Anne Curtis is leaving her duties back home for awhile to promote her first American film—”Blood Ransom.” On Monday, Oct. 27, the cast and crew of “Blood Ransom” held a press…
Lea Salonga made entertainment and social media headlines this week after her performance with the four-man opera group Il Divo at a show on their European tour, titled A Musical Affair. Best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon, the Broadway actress and singer, now 43, made a return to her Disney princess roots with…
Pop singer Simone Battle, 25, was found dead in her West Hollywood home on Friday, September 5th. The death was ruled a suicide by hanging, according to a Los Angeles County coroner. Cause of death was determined two days after Battle’s body was discovered by her boyfriend in the closet of their shared apartment. He…
During the question and answer portion of Binibining Pilipinas 2014, Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler asked candidate #25 Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa: For you, what is the greatest advantage of being a woman? Answering Isler’s question with confidence, Lastimosa said: “The greatest advantage of being a woman is being able to compose ourselves. Just like…
Hurricane Sandy is behind us, and so is Athena, the nor’easter that threatened to cut the power of the people who just regained theirs and made life more miserable for those who do not have power nor heat. As a foundation, Handang Tumulong was born because of a need to help our kababayans back in…
Despite Hurricane Sandy’s wrath, the shows went on. The Bayanihan, the national dance company of the Philippines, performed before sold-out audiences in New York and Washington, DC on the same week that Sandy ravaged most of the eastern seaboard. The dance group succeeded in putting the country back on the American stage as it sang…
The month of October greets us with tons of excitement and brings us weeks loaded with grandiosely conceptualized events and pompously celebrated occasions that literally filled up our calendar, aside of course, from enjoying the globally celebrated Oktoberfest which originated in Germany. Oktoberfest was established in 1810 with the marriage of King Ludwig I of…
