In view of Dante Mendoza’s winning the coveted Best Director award in the recent 62nd Cannes International Film Festival, Senator Loren Legarda filed recently a Senate Resolution congratulating the Filipino film director.

In Resolution No. 1097, Senator Loren noted that Mendoza, an independent filmmaker from San Fernando, Pampanga, won the Best Director Award for his film “Kinatay,” starring Maria Isabel Lopez, among others, at the Cannes Film Festival, considered as the world’s most prestigious film festival.

Mendoza, whose indie movies have been screened in various international film festivals, was the first Filipino to win the Best Director award in the festival, besting established and critically acclaimed directors such as Ang Lee, Pedro Almodovar, Jane Campion and Quentin Tarantino.

“By winning the said prize, Mr. Mendoza joins a list of revered filmmakers who have won the coveted prize such as Martin Scorsece, Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Luis Bunuel, Robert Bresson, Costa Gavras, Bernard Tavernier, Wener Herzog, Robert Altman, Joel Coen, Pedro Almodovar and Gus Van Sant,” Loren said.

“Serbis,” a film that Mendoza also directed, competed for the top prize of Palme d’Or in the festival last year, the first time for a Filipino-made film since l984.

“The films ‘Serbis’ and ‘Kinatay’ portrayed present-day realities in the Philippine society and drew the attention of international audiences to these social realities thereby educating both Filipinos and foreigners on the plight of some of the poor and the marginalized in the Philippines,” Loren observed.

Mendoza offered his prize to all the Filipino filmmakers who had come before and would come after him, Loren added.

For these reasons, Loren said, the Senate should resolve to congratulate Mendoza.

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17th anniversary of Star Magic

Star Magic celebrated its 17th anniversary last Sunday via a star-studded extravaganza on “ASAP 09.” Presented were superb production numbers showcasing the talent and beauty of the Star Magic artists.

Star Magic artists were seen in a fashion show modeling glamorous outfits from top-caliber designers with Nyoy Volante and his band Rhythmic Circle providing the music. There were also song and dance numbers ranging from high-energy, standards and inspirational. Footages of the Star Magic basketball and volleyball teams, rehearsals and acting and dance workshops were also shown.

After their anniversary kick-off on “ASAP 09,” the Star Magic artists will leave for the US for shows in Ontario and San Francisco, California. Later this year, the stars will once again party the night away in the 3rd Star Magic Grand Ball.

Star Magic has truly gone a long way from the time when ABS-CBN Pres. and COO Freddie Garcia and Johnny Manahan hatched the idea of creating a stable of new stars exclusively for ABS-CBN. 1992 was the magical year as ABS-CBN Talent Management and Development Center was given life. October that same year, “Ang TV,” the hit youth afternoon show that spawned many mall shows, live concerts and record albums, was launched. “Ang TV” launched young stars like Claudine Barretto, Angelica Panganiban, Rica Peralejo, Kaye Abad, John Prats, Angelu de Leon, Victor Neri and many others. Later in November 1995, Star Circle Batch 1 was launched, led by the late Rico Yan.

This 2009, the magic continues with ABS-CBN Star Magic!

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Araneta Center to launch eco-friendly Green & Go Shuttle

From the pigeonhole:

Araneta Center moves forward with its environment preservation goals as it launches the operation of its Green & Go Shuttles along with the company’s CSR program for environmental awareness, Oplan Araneta Center, today, June 23, at the Araneta grounds. Four environment-friendly shuttles (e-shuttles) will be inaugurated in simple ceremonies graced by Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte, Bb. Pilipinas beauty queens, and some of the country’s top PBA cagers.

The e-shuttle is a battery-powered vehicle that guarantees no harmful emissions such as particulates (soot), hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, or various oxides of nitrogen. It has a seating capacity of 14 that transports Araneta Center customers between Gateway Mall and Ali Mall for free. Although this free transport service is open to everybody within Araneta Center, it also promises to be beneficial for senior citizens and the disabled who would want to go around the area for recreation purposes. “Like everything else in Araneta Center, the comfort and convenience of our patrons come first,” confirms Rene De la Cruz, COO of the Araneta Group.

The Green & Go shuttle and Oplan Araneta Center, which promotes recycling and trash segregation, are just some of Araneta Center’s green efforts in collaboration with ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kaikasan, and endorsed by the Quezon City government and the Philippine Basketball Association. It complements the Quezon City government’s eco-awareness campaign involving a green building ordinance and green fuels provision.

While the e-shuttle ride is being offered to the public for free, there are plans to include waste management as an integral part of the environment conservation program.

For more information about this and other events in Araneta Center, log on to www.aranetacenter.net.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, June 23, go to Dra. Soledad Consing, Daisy Reyes, Lady Valerie, Tommy Reyes, Mitzie Regala, Rudy dela Pena, California-based Manny Parlan, Paco Pili, Harold Chris Benedict Doles Orpilla III, Joselito Naidas of Las Brisas Hotel, Aileene Eusebio, Jason Roland N. Valdez, L.A. Celeste, Cara and Manu D.C. Alegre...