Oro - Blood is the Luster of Gold

A community of miners will be infiltrated by an armed group masquerading as environmentalists. The story will center on the efforts of their barangay captain (Irma Adlawan) to secure a permit allowing them to keep their livelihood in mining. In the meantime, the lives of Elmer and Linda who are planning to get married (Joem Bascon and Mercedes Cabral) and their fellow miners (Sandino Martin, Sue Prado, Biboy Ramirez) will be put in danger as the armed group (Arrian Labios, Cedrick Juan) takes over the mining operations and establishes a reign of terror in this remote island that the miners have long considered their home. Which has more weight: human rights or environmental rights? The film tries to capture a topsy-turvy reality much more complex than stereotypes characterizing mining as evil and advocacies for environmental protectionism as the font of goodness.

It has been one of the quality films that were selected to be part of the 8 best entries of this years controversial Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF 2016). This film is political in nature which made Director Alvin Yapan hesitant at first but since he was given the full rights of creativity for the film then eventually he agreed. Based from what I've watch, I can say that this movie should be part of your list to watch.

'Sunday Beauty Queen' a Reality Film for the Whole Family

BabyruthVillarama’s “Sunday Beauty Queen” is one of the biggest surprises in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. The film is the first ever documentary to make it in the festival’s history. For Villarama, the inclusion of this heartwarming reality film in MMFF could never be more perfect.

“Christmas is for the family and we feel that this is the kind of movie that everyone in the family would truly appreciate. Mulakaylolahanggangkaybunso, patisiyaya, there is something in ‘Sunday Beauty Queen’ that would touch the lives of every Filipino,” she happily shares.

The film is Rated-G by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), deeming it suitable for audience of all ages. It was also Graded-A by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB). All ten CEB reviewers bestowed a rare unanimous vote for “Sunday Beauty Queen”.

Shot over the period of four years, “Sunday Beauty Queen” follows the real life stories of Hazel Perdido, MylynJacobo, Cherry Bretania, Leo Selomenio, and Rudelie Acosta, five women among the thousands of OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) in Hong Kong working as domestic helpers. Every Sunday, these Filipino maids transform themselves into dazzling beauty queens, entertaining their fellow Filipinos and raising funds for distressed OFWs in need of help.

The MMFF Selection Committee cites the film as a “precious [documentary], well-researched, well-crafted, insightful and engaging” and possesses “as much power as a feature film to move audiences”.

“Sunday Beauty Queen” is produced by Voyage Studios and TBA (Tuko Film Productions, Buchi Boy Entertainment, Artikulo Uno Productions), the same team behind last year’s box-office and critical hit “Heneral Luna”.

“Sunday Beauty Queen” opens on December 25 in cinemas nationwide. 

QC’s First bakery supports “Sunday Beauty Queen” & other 2016 MMFF movies

Moviegoers are encouraged to watch all eight entries of the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) on opening day December 25, to share reviews on social media and to ask more theaters to show these films. This call was voiced by filmmakers behind “Sunday Beauty Queen”, “Saving Sally”, “Oro” and “Kabisera”---joined by MMFF leaders Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, Prof. Ed Cabagnot, Moira Lee, MMFF Selection Committee’s Prof. Nic Tiongson, Krip Yuson and Mae Paner, Quezon City Congressman Alfred Vargas’ representative Noel Ferrer---at two sessions of the “Pandesal Forum” with media at 77-year-old, artisanal KamuningBakery Café in Quezon City.  

            Apart from the support of Kamuning Bakery Café for the 2016 MMFF, the senior citizens association of  Quezon City’s oldest Barangay Kamuning offered a “surprise Christmas gift” to express support for the film “Sunday Beauty Queen”, for all OFWs worldwide and for the 2016 MMFF by singing Christmas carols wearing traditional Filipiniana attires at the December 20 Pandesal Forum attended by MMFF Executive Committee’s Prof. Ed Cabagnot, MMFF Screening Committee member Mae Paner, “Sunday Beauty Queen” film director Babyruth Villarama, OFW talent from Hong Kong Mylyn Jacobo & TBA producer Vincent Nebrida, and others.

            “Sunday Beauty Queen” is the first ever documentary film to have qualified to join the MMFF in its history. Rated G for general patronage by the MTRCB, it was also graded “A” by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) unanimously by all 10 CEB reviewers, although it is one of the underdog film entries in the 2016 MMFF since it has no movie actress or actor.

Venice & Singapore film festival officials join John Lloyd as jurors, Vilma begged off as juror

            For the first time, the 2016 MMFF jurors shall include two officials of prestigious international film festivals---film critic and producer Paolo Bertolin of the Venice International Film Festival, and film critic Philip Cheah of the Singapore International Film Festival. They shall join other jurors like actor John Lloyd Cruz. MMFF’s Ed Cabagnot said that Batangas Congresswoman Vilma Santos Recto had declined to be a juror.

Heneral Luna had weak box office for first week, but became hit by the third week

            Vincent Nebrida of TBA, producers of the indie film “Heneral Luna”, asked at the Pandesal Forum that 2016 MMFF films like their “Sunday Beauty Queen” be shown at least one week and and not just the two days earlier promised, he also asked for more theaters to accommodate their film. Nebrida pointed out that “General Luna” had weak box office during its first week but it became “the record all-time highest grossing third-week movie in the Philippines.” Nebrida recounted “Heneral Luna” started out with 80 theaters, but after weak box office in the first week, there were only 40 theaters showing it, but after favorable word-of-mouth and social media reviews, “Heneral Luna” became a box office success.  

            Also at the December 8 Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Café, Boots Anson Roa Rodrigo, Moira Lang, Prof. Nic Tiongson, Krip Yuson, Noel Ferrer, filmmakers and actors of “Oro”, “Saving Sally” and “Kabisera” films led by directors Alvin Yapan and Avid Liongoren, actors Ricky Davao and Acey Aguilar and scriptwriter Charlene Rodriguez, all of them invited the public to watch the eight diverse genre films of the 2016 MMFF which will showcase fun, excellent movies. 

            The 2016 MMFF’s two Pandesal Forum sessions at Kamuning Bakery Café were sponsored by  bakery customer Joeben Tai of J & T Plasticware, and also by Pandesal Forum moderator and Ricky Lee scriptwriting workshop graduate Wilson Lee Flores.

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            Ever since writer and realty entrepreneur Wilson Lee Flores bought and revived Kamuning Bakery Cafe in 2014, it has been featured on TV by numerous local and even international TV shows such as those hosted by Anne Curtis, Kris Aquino, Marian Rivera, Jessica Soho and others. The old cafe was restored and re-opened on March 20, 2015 with actress Anne Curtis as its first guest.     

            Among many showbiz, arts, literary, political, media and other celebrities who have patronized Kamuning Bakery Cafe for the past 77 years included TV5 founder and the late newspaper publisher Joaquin “Chino” Roces and his father the pre-war media tycoon Don Alejandro Roces. In fact, it was the elder Roces who had invitedKamuning Bakery Cafe founder Atty. Leticia “Letty” Bonifacio Javier to open Quezon City’s first bakery in 1939. Among its many other clients included President Cory C. Aquino, food critic Dr. Doreen G. Fernandez and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

            Flores said that among the numerous Kamuning Bakery Cafe customers included many literary, political, media and showbiz celebrities for 77 years. ForKamuning Bakery Cafe’s unique annual October 16 celebration of “World Pandesal Day” of giving away free pugon-baked pandesal breads, this project was publicly supported by President Rody Duterte, ex-actor and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Metro Manila Film Festival primemover and now Ilocos Norte Cong. Imelda Romualdez Marcos, Senator Sonny Angara, GMA 7 Chairman Atty. Felipe Gozon and actor Dingdong Dantes.

            The ambassadors of China, Russia, Britain and the U.S.---Zhao Jianhua, Igor Khovaev, Asif Ahmad and Philip Goldberg---also spoke at rare sessions of the Pandesal Forum with media and intellectuals at Kamuning Bakery Café this 2016.