JM DE GUZMAN and SUE RAMIREZ Define Love Differently in LASTING MOMENTS

Took a break from events and watched a movie premiere last night as one of my favorite actors JM De Guzman and talented actress Sue Ramirez star in a Director Fifth Solomon project called Lasting Moments. This is under PASSION5 Studios.

Before we went to the red carpet, we took the chance to interview them and Director Fifth bared how it was a little problematic to release a film like this because of the recent line of foreign films that are showing also in the same dates they planned. They had to adjust and had to compromise doing it in July 30th to make sure enough theaters could carry them, not the fault of theater owners as he said. 

Direk Fifth told us "The struggle of Filipino films is obvious, to see change, we need to talk about it so we could see what we need to help the industry, and its workers. I want to throw the question on how we can compete with foreign films. I understand the business, the malls on how they choose things where they could earn. We need the government help to not only survive, but have ample screens to show our work. We hope they could trust us, July 30 is going to be the date we are showing our work, this is a call for help. Lasting Moments needs to be seen."

Here's a glimpse of the red carpet where several friends of the lead stars and director also supported. We saw several Drag Race Philippines alumni and rumored Slaysian Royale cast. There were also several influencers and artists at the venue, and watched with us later in the evening.

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I've watched Fifth Solomon's previous films and I must say, this has definitely outdone those. He also wrote this, and evidently, this has been researched a lot because of the several things you would see in the movie. He took time to establish characters, but they'd give reasons later on about sudden outbursts between JM and Sue's roles. It questions your tenacity, of what lengths you would do when it comes to love and emotional impediments. The film also takes a jab on how one would quantify happiness, contentment and one's ability to measure it. 

Sue says "The topic is very sensitive, it's about silent battles. I hope people would be able to relate and understand this is a crisis. I hope the weight comes across the screen and the character. I'm so nervous, but the deeper meaning will be shown when you see the film. This is really a good film and we enjoyed making it, I hope people would go to theaters because I'm nervous if it didn't have days on the theaters."

JM says "I didn't really have a hard time doing this because I did a lot of research and I'm working with Sue. It's going to be relatively easy to understand what they are going through, without spoiling.. it's about remaining with the person and love. Sue doesn't act, she lives the character."

Here's the press conference on video:

JM and Sue really took their characters to heart. You'll have a bout of trying not to cry when they show closeup shots of them on screen. If there's a flaw, probably audio because there were several instances when I heard lengthy supposed quiet times that had high pitched sounds interfering (either from the movie theater or the actual edit).

Again, LASTING MOMENTS will show in theaters this July 30th. JM and Sue are phenomenal actors and there's no question, films that include them must be seen. See why folks beside be cried on some scenes. Congratulations to the cast, Direk Fifth and PASSION5 Studios!

Celebrate Mothers Day with NOVA VILLA, CES QUESADA, FYANG and JM: "PICNIC" A Tagalized Korean Film Released by Nathan Studios

While the rest of the world is happening, there's this Korean film called PICNIC that's taking the theaters by storm. This is a film directed by Kim Yong-gyun and will be showing today (May 7th) in theaters nationwide.

We were at Gateway Mall last night to cover the premiere night, and the lobbies were filled with JMFyang fans and movie goers who were screaming on top of their lungs when they saw stars on the red carpet. We were able to record the media conference before the screening, so please enjoy!

The film is certainly a tear jerker. It revolves around the characters Eun-Sim played by Na Moon-hee (voice dubbed by Ms. Ces Quesada) and Jun Geum-soon played by Kim Young-ok (voice dubbed by Ms. Nova Villa) and their friend Tae-Ho played by Park Geun-hyung (voice by Kuya Bodjie Pascua). The younger version of Eun-Sim and Tae-Ho was dubbed by Fyang Smith and JM Ibarra.

 

 

 

They are a rowdy bunch despite the number of octogenarians included in the cast, and there's certainly no shortchanging of "landi" if you could say that out loud. Super happy about scenes where they were able to throw shade at each other. It didn't matter if their backs would hurt at each turn, they will tell you a spade is a spade even if it hurts your feelings, even if it means bringing back the past. The conversations were so amusing that when you're about to cry, they'll insert humor in between so you would giggle about the situation. I think this was clearly done that way to make sure it wouldn't be heavy and cerebral.

 

I super love the banter between Ms. Nova Villa and Ms. Ces Quesada. It was a good decision to provide Filipino dubbing for it as it felt a lot like home. No need to rush reading subtitles to understand the story because it could easily be understood in cinema audio. Should you watch it? DEFINITELY. I bet you'll find the story more apt for the children rather than for the Grandmas or Mothers involved in it. They'll learn a lot about how to go through the intricacies of love for family. It's a gem, and if you find KDramas so good for watching in the corners of your room, go do this in the cinemas because the experience hits certainly different.

 

Congratulations to CEO Ria Atayde and COO Ms. Sylvia Sanchez who knew right from the start that this would be a good thing to bring in Philippine shores.

Jun Lana's "Anino Sa Likod ng Buwan" Gets Theater Run at PETA

Director Jun Lana has already proven that the Filipino talent in film is world class. His 2015 film called "Anino Sa Likod ng Buwan" which he wrote as a budding screenplay writer at 19 already drew accolades for him internationally. And yes, it's celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year which means a proper change would be the best way to do it.

Today, they gave us an opportunity to see a theater adaptation of it in bare form. After a grueling 4 month intense prep, they got us ready for this drama and sociopolitical piece starring theater actors Elora Espano, Ross Pesigan and Kapuso Prime Star Martin del Rosario. Edward Benosa, Denise Esteban and Vincent Pajara will be their understudies, you will get to catch them on different dates. This is Directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio who's also not a stranger in the theater scene in the Philippines. The play is produced by IdeaFirst Live which is a new theater arm of the IdeaFirst Company.

"Anino Sa Likod ng Buwan" is a story that revolves around the lives of Emma, Nardo and Joel. Emma and Nardo are husband and wife, and because of some matters regarding war torn villages and them becoming evacuees, they had to seek refuge in a house near an army barracks where they met Joel. They became friends, and then things got complicated along the way (Of course I can't spoil that for you!). They have remained loyal to the plot of the film, and I think it felt a bit more raw when these guys did it on stage (which I felt was better). Because of the distance (from stage to crowd), you'll feel involved in much of the conflicts they'd dish out on scenes. And we're not talking about simple family drama here, but more of the armed struggle and how their lives have been affected by it.

If you also remember the film, there are going to be some raunchy scenes... and the theater version didn't hold back on that. While it was necessary, it didn't get smoke screened as it was an inevitable tool for either advancing their self interests, love, or just plain lust. You'll certainly have to expect some twists and turns, and even those who didn't get to watch it, would understand and make their own assumptions about each character they play. This is intended for mature audiences, and would probably spark conversation about how it still mirrors society today... even if the story was made a decade ago.

Adrian Alandy was there too (he played the original Joel in the film), and it was certainly nice to see him enjoy the reprisal of his character and the theater version of it.

Direk Tuxqs says "This is just a bare bone, stripped down version of the show. We will be showing this at the PETA Theater on March 1st and perform 4 times a week til the 23rd of the same month. You will see the full production with bells and whistles there. We couldn't wait to share it with you as we've been preparing this for over 4 months. We hope this preview would provide more excitement for those who wish to see it soon. We have poured our heart and soul into it."

Direk Perci Intalan added "Thank you all for coming tonight, our official run will be in March, and tonight's performance marks a significant moment in Direk Jun Lana's journey. We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of it. It is still a groundbreaking film, from an international premier, this is part of what we are doing at IdeaFirst Live. Thank you Direk Tuxqs and our playwright Jun Lana. It has come full circle, from winning in 1993, it is back on stage to resonate even more with audiences. We hope you were moved and challenged, this is our debut production with IdeaFirst Live!"

Direk Jun Lana says "If you liked the movie, please tell your friends, your family about this play. We hope more people would be able to see and enjoy it. It is relevant because of what is happening in the Philippines and around the world."

Here's what happened at the press conference this evening:

While this is Martin del Rosario's first foray into theater, he didn't even stutter in any of his lines. This is also quite lengthy, I'd reckon they probably have nightmares seeing a deck of paper when their scripts were given out because it all happened in one take in the movie, it's probably going to be as complicated and even harder to do since they had to project a bit on stage so the people at the back would feel the same as the ones in front. 

I am quite impressed, a drama that could get me interested that long must mean they've got something good up their sleeves. They also plan to do a Die Beautiful play soon, it's good, and it'll be even better when the curtains go up! If you want to purchase tickets, just search via the Ticket2Me app or bit.ly/aninobulkbuyingpackages for bulk purchases. You won't regret it!