DADA: The Chika Minutes by The UP Repertory Company

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Bakla at Lesbiyan, Bisexual at Trans, Straight man o Queer, anuman ang iyong SOGIE: mag-ingay at chumika, sumama sa pagDADA!

On November 2019, the UP Repertory Company opens its 47th production season with DADA: THE CHIKA MINUTES¸a performance of LGBTQIA++ stories.

DADA: The Chika Minutes is a documentary theatre performance of various narratives from the LGBTQIA++ community, exploring documentary merged with the company's own art form, tula dula (a poem written in verse, acted out in mime). With 16 segments of a spectra of LGBTQIA++ narratives, DADA will be tackling the real life experiences of kids to OFWs to pageant queens to sex workers to community builders and activists. In this period of intense hate crimes, controversies and fake news about SOGIE, we bring the stories of the LGBTQIA++ you might have missed.

With the dramaturgy of Ligaya Sinfuego, additional choreography by Michelle Alde, and choreography and direction by Jasper Villasis and Malvin Ramos.

Kaya sumama na’t makichika sa DADA: The Chika Minutes! Kung hindi, magiging baklang hamburger ka! Cheka!


DADA: THE CHIKA MINUTES will be staged this coming November 28 and 29 (7pm) and November 30 (3pm and 7pm).

It will be held at Plenary Hall, Arts and Design West Hall, College of Fine Arts, UP Diliman.

For details on tickets and show venue, please contact Hillary Guevara at 0906 626 0900.

Instituto Cervantes’ PELÍCULA Spanish Film Festival concludes in Iloilo

Wazzup Pilipinas!

From November 7 to 9, Instituto Cervantes will be holding the final leg of the PELÍCULA Spanish Film Festival, now on its 18th edition, at the Cinematheque Center in Iloilo City. A selection of films from the Festival will be screened in their original Spanish version with subtitles in English. Tickets are free of charge.

The Festival will kick off on November 7, at 6:30pm, with the Argentinean black comedy El cuento de las comadrejas (The Weasels’ Tale), which won the “Premio del Público / Audience Choice Award” of PELICULA 2019. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Juan José Campanella, this movie is about a famous actress, an actor, a film director and screenplay writer who were popular during the Golden Age of Cinema, doing the impossible to preserve the world they created.

On November 8, at 6:30pm, the Festival will continue with another comedy, Mi obra maestra (Gastón Duprat, 2018). The film is about two friends with very different personalities: Arturo, a charming and unscrupulous art dealer, and Renzo, a sullen painter whose fame has declined. Arturo tries to relaunch the artistic career of his friend, but things get from bad to worse, until they come up with an extremely ludicrous plan. The movie got the Audience Award at the Valladolid International Film Festival in 2018.

On November 9, at 4:00pm, the popular Spanish comedy El mejor verano de mi vida (Dani de la Orden, 2018) will be screened. Curro, an unlucky salesman burdened with debt, tries to fulfill his promise to his son to go on an unforgettable summer holiday.

Finally, the Festival will close with the drama El reino (Rodrigo Sorogoyen, 2018) at 6:30 PM. A film that has received more than 30 awards worldwide, the story shows a very interesting insight into contemporary politics and corruption. It is about a Spanish politician who enjoys the good life, while enriching himself with public funds. When a friend and fellow member of his political party gets accused of corruption, he tries to cover up for him, against the directives of the leaders of his party.



Presented by Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Spain, AECID, the UP Film Institute, UPFI Film Center, TurEspaña, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, PELÍCULA is made possible by Rustan’s, The PTC Group of Companies, the Cinematheque Center of Iloilo, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in The Philippines, TBA Studios, Netflix, and the Spanish restaurants La Picara, Barcino, Bar Pintxos, Tapella, and Pablo Bistro.

For the schedule, line-up of films and further information on the Festival, please visit the Facebook page of Instituto Cervantes: www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila

‘Mañanita’ Star Bela Padilla Shines at Tokyo Film Fest

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Mañanita" director Paul Soriano and actress Bela Padilla (Photo from the Filipino-Japanese Journal)

Bela Padilla, together with director Paul Soriano, graced the red carpet at the prestigious 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival to represent “Mañanita” last October 28, 2019.

Produced under Ten17P and VIVA Films and penned by award-winning filmmaker Lav Diaz, “Mañanita” is among the eight Filipino films featured in the Festival. The drama-suspense film was given a Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB).

"Mañanita" director Paul Soriano and actress Bela Padilla (Photo from Marinel Cruz)

Bela first participated in the Tokyo Film Fest last 2016 for “I America” by Ivan Andrew Payawal, which competed in the Asian Future category.

“The red carpet event last night was different than the first time. I was nervous, but at the same time, super calm. Maybe because we’re here already at terms I didn’t expect at all,” said Bela Padilla.

She added, “I didn’t know we were part of the main competition until our press con a few weeks ago, and that in itself is already a huge blessing for me. There are so many interesting films this year, and I’m just happy to be here.”

Meanwhile, director Paul noted that this is also his second time in the Tokyo Film Fest as his film "Kid Kulafu" had its Japanese premiere under the Festival's CrossCut Asia Section last 2015. For this year's Tokyo Film Fest, he shared, "We had a really successful world premiere and a great Q and A right after the screening. The audience really embraced the film and really got what I was trying to say.”

He also mentioned, "I was also told that out of over a thousand submissions, they included ‘Mañanita’ in the 14 competition films, so it’s just truly an honor. We’re really excited and honored to represent the Philippines here in Tokyo.”

“Mañanita” revolves around a female sniper who loses her job and spends her nights getting drunk in a bar–until a phone call changes everything.

The film had its world premiere last October 29, 2019 at the EX Theater Roponggi and will screen nationwide this December 4, 2019.

The 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival runs from October 28 until November 5, 2019.