A new breed of Philippine film makers is using the country’s social ills as inspiration, transforming real-life tales of corruption, violence and abuse into award-winning movies internationally. Filipino indie directors have become a staple on the world’s film festival circuits, helping ignite a new golden age in the local industry. For Pepe Diokno (left), indie films are a vehicle to promote change in a country where corruption and poverty is rife.

Written by Bonifacio Ilagan, Sigwa is the story of six young lives caught in the tempest of the First Quarter Storm during the 1970s.

This year’s much awaited Cinemalaya Film Festival runs on weekdays beginning July 20 Tuesday until July 30 Friday, boasting 14 new features and 10 shorts competing in 3 different sections.

MANILA — Workers of giant network ABS-CBN condemned the dismissal of its president and 21 others last week.
In a statement, ABS-CBN Internal Job Market (JIM) workers’ union said the management suddenly canceled the work schedules of the 22 employees, and denied them access to the facilities and premises of the company.
ABS-CBN workers’ union president Antonio Perez called …

ENTERTAINMENT   By Renato M. Reyes, Jr. |  There’s the remarkable “Kaleidoscope World”, reminding us that “some are friends, some are foes, some have some, while some have most.”