Entertainment News (01/16/24)
Cinemalaya 2024 calls for short film entries
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. are now accepting submissions to the Short Film Category of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2024. The deadline is before 6 p.m. on March 8. Interested parties may submit a maximum of three entries that were produced between March 3, 2023, and March 8, 2024. For full mechanics, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) or the Cinemalaya website (www.cinemalaya.org).
Le Ciné Club shows French films on Wednesdays
Every Wednesday this January, Alliance Française de Manille hosts Le Ciné Club Manila’s screenings of French films. On Jan. 17, catch Poly, a 2019 film by Nicolas Vanier centered on the challenges of 10-year-old Cecile integrating into the social scene of her village in southern France. On Jan. 24, two films by Lola Quivoron will be shown. One is the 2021 film Annie colere (Angry Annie), set in 1970s rural France where the titular Annie finds herself pregnant on top of being a mother to two teens and explores the notions of abortion. The other is 2022 film Rodeo, which follows Julia, a teenager seeking solace in her love for motorcycles and urban rodeos despite its hyper-masculine culture. Visit Le Cine Club (https://www.facebook.com/LeCineClubAFM/) for more information.
Philippine Circuit Show 2024 to hold 4-day dog tilt
THE biggest dog competition in Asia, the Philippine Circuit Show, is back for its 2024 edition in Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City. The Dog Fashion Show jumpstarted the events on Jan. 14 at the Quantum Skyview in Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao, Quezon City. Select entries from thousands of participants were paraded as this year’s opening stars. The four-day competition proper will take place next door at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Araneta City from Jan. 18 to 21, with a series of challenges in varied categories to distinguish the 2024 champions. For more details on the competition, visit Araneta City’s social media pages.
SB19’s PABLO drops new single
BLENDING hip-hop with rock music influences, songwriter-producer PABLO has released a new bop, “DETERMINADO,” his first song this year under Sony Music Entertainment. The track experiments with hip-hop and rock. “We’re a team. We always work hand in hand, always learning from each other, and drawing inspiration back and forth,” said PABLO on having his brother Josue as a producer on the track. Integrating dense instrumentals with gloomy synths and booming beats, “DETERMINADO” is about confronting fears but still moving forward. It is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide.
NIKI kicks off 2024 with introspective new single
JAKARTA-born, LA-based singer-songwriter NIKI has released her intimate new single “24,” out now via 88rising. The song points towards a new sonic era for NIKI, combining lyrics and melodic sensibilities with a musical palette heavily inspired by Joni Mitchell’s performance of “Both Sides Now” at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. “I came across that performance and was so unbelievably moved by it. I felt struck by some lightning bolt of inspiration and just ran to my studio and picked up my guitar and out flowed the words to ‘24,’ NIKI said in a statement. The song attempts to synthesize her early twenties. Grammy-nominated producer Tyler Chester and James Krausse produced the track, while multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose contributes and arranges strings. The song is out now on all streaming platforms.
Docuseries on K-pop group BTS now on Disney+
THE eight-episode docuseries BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star can now be viewed exclusively on Disney+. It takes audiences on an in-depth journey across the K-pop band’s 10-year career, highlighting their highs and lows through never-before-seen interviews, performances, and moments with band members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. It delves into how the band came to be, what it was like preparing for their debut, and what it was like winning the Best New Artist award at the 2013 Melon Music Awards. All eight episodes of BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star can now be streamed on Disney+.
Leah Halili releases electronic-tinged pop single
THE Ransom Collective’s Leah Halili reflects on the difficulties of navigating the recent events in her life on her new single, “Change,” out now on all digital music platforms worldwide. “The song touches on the brevity of life and the richness of experiences,” Ms. Halili said in a statement. “It emphasizes the belief in enduring truths despite pain, focusing on the positive and hope that surround us.” Produced by experimental/indie artist Nick Lazaro, “Change” integrates dreamy, textured guitar lines with electronic elements, temporarily veering away from the stripped-down and folk vibe of Ms. Halili’s previous releases.
