Sinag Maynila 2017 at SM Aura Premier

Wazzup Pilipinas!

International filmmakers, members of the diplomatic corps, the local Indie community, and corporate executives recently gathered together to celebrate the Sinag Maynila 2017 Film Festival at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura Premier.

A joint project of Solar Entertainment, Centerstage Productions, and SM, the festival seeks to inspire, educate, and enlighten the viewing public. Now on its third year of providing independent filmmakers a brand-new platform to showcase their stories, Sinag Maynila featured films that reflect Filipino culture, while presenting social issues deserving of discussion among audiences here and abroad. These were showcased at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, and selected cinemas.

With its new tagline “Sine Lokal, Pang-Internasyonal” the festival lives up to its core with finalists are handpicked by Sinag Maynila CEO and Founder Wilson Tieng and world-renowned and internationally acclaimed film director Brillante Ma Mendoza. “The upgraded mechanics for this season may have been a risky move, but we are very happy with the outcome,” says Tieng. “We are looking forward to the reception of these films here and of course, internationally.”

With the tremendous success of Sinag Maynila’s debut in March 2015, more talented filmmakers took their chance in getting a nod to be part of the competing roster as it has been closely associated with the opportunity for international recognition. This season, five films have been selected for Full Length, Short Film, and Documentary categories.

Announcing the 2017 Netflix Recommended TVs

Wazzup Pilipinas!

At Netflix, we are continuously innovating to make sure using internet TV is as easy and great as possible. Improving the experience on the Smart TVs our members watch Netflix on is a big part of this process, and with our Netflix Recommended TV program, we are able to shine a light on the TVs leading this wave. This year, a handful of devices have innovated further - offering better usability, faster performance, and new features that make getting to Netflix and other internet TV services as easy as getting to live TV. Today, we’re excited to announce the first Netflix Recommended TVs of 2017:

●     2017 LG 4K UHD TVs with WebOS 3.5

●     2017 Samsung 7, 8, 9, and Q-series Smart TVs

●     2017 Sony Android TVs

These devices passed a rigorous evaluation process based on factors our members tell us are important. New criteria for this year’s Netflix Recommended TV designations include:

●     You can power on your TV and start using Netflix or other internet TV apps in just a few seconds.

●     You can switch between apps or switch from apps to live TV and back again almost instantly.

●     The Netflix interface appears in hi-resolution making graphics and text clearer, sharper, and brighter, making for a higher quality, more immersive experience.

As with previous years, Netflix Recommended TV continues to evaluate whether Netflix is easily accessible from wherever you are within your TV menu, including having a Netflix button on the remote that can turn on the TV and go directly into Netflix within a few seconds. We also verify whether the device comes with the latest version of Netflix and includes our newest features.

These TVs will be in all countries where Netflix is available, though specific model availability varies by region. More information is available on our Netflix Recommended TV website. We’re thrilled with how fast and dead simple these TVs make internet TV and hope you like the difference as well.

For more info, please refer also to this link:

https://media.netflix.com/en/company-blog/announcing-the-2017-netflix-recommended-tvs

Tu Pug Imatuy Tops Sinag Maynila Awards at SM Aura Premier

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Tu Pug Imatuy, a film by Arbi Barbarona won big in the Full -Length category during the recent Sinag Maynila 2017 Film Festival’s Gabi ng Paranagal at the Samsung Hall at SM Aura Premier. It won six awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress award for the performance of Malona Sulatan.

Tu Pug Imatuy is inspired by actual events in Mindanao where indigenous people have been subjected to abuse and attacks in the course of the government forces counter-insurgency campaign. Other Sinag award for the film: Best Screenplay for Arnel Mardoquio, Best Cinematography for Bryan Jimenez and Arbi Barbarona and Best Music for Arbi Barbarona.

A joint project of Solar Entertainment, Centerstage Productions, and SM, the festival seeks to inspire, educate, and enlighten the viewing public. Now on its third year with a new tagline “Sine Lokal, Pang-Internasyonal” it provides independent filmmakers a brand-new platform to showcase their stories, Sinag Maynila featured films that reflect Filipino culture, while presenting social issues deserving of discussion among audiences here and abroad. These were showcased at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, and selected cinemas.

Another film, Kristo, by HF Yambao won five awards including Best Production Design for James Arvin Rosendal, Best Sound for Albert Michael Idioma, and Best Editing for Diego Marx Dobles. Kristo tells a story of a family fighting against the game of life. The exceptional acting of Julio Diaz also won him the Best Supporting Performance. 

There was a tie in the Best Actor Award: Kristofer King from Kristo and Raymond RS Francisco for Bhoy Intsik. Francisco’s acceptance speech touched audience, as he shared that this is first time to hold an award since he started acting at the age of six. "It's my first time na humawak ng (to hold an) award,” he said holding back tears.” Thank you to everybody."

Special Awards were given to Bhoy Intsik by Joel Lamangan for the Sinag Box Office and Beyond the Block, a film by Ricardo Carranza, for the SM People’s Choice Award, which is based on the results of an exit poll held among moviegoers during the festival.

Hango by Avelino Balmes Jr., won the Best Documentary category, while Aliens Ata by Karl Barit topped the Short Film category.

Sinag Maynila’s distinguished board of judges for the Full- Length category included Film Development Council of the Philippines Chairperson Liza Diño, Film critic and columnist Oggs Cruz and French film critic and historian specializing on Asian cinema, and co-founder of NETPAC France, Mr. Max Tessier.

The jury for the Documentary and Short Films categories included Curator, art critic, writer and UP Professor of Art Studies Patrick Flores, Professor Rolando Tinio of the University of the Philippines Film Institute, and Award-winning TV commercial and film director, writer and producer Paul Soriano.

Sinag Maynila is a partnership between Solar Entertainment, Centerstage Productions, and SM. Event sponsors also include Metrobank, SM Aura Premier, 2nd Avenue, CT (City Television), and Jack TV.