unSAULicited

In its mixed bag of subjects on memories, fake news and discourses on truths turning out with some mixed results, VLF 2018 SET B is aptly summed up by the Sisyphian EDGAR ALLAN HEMINGWAY, written by Carlo Vergara and directed by George de Jesus III, with a powerhouse cast led by Guelan Luarca and especially Ricci Chan (who arguably steals the bookends of the play). It's a fitting metacritic to the writers showcase itself, with a fictional attempt to shade and read the hacks posing as writers and the writers forced to be hacks. Vergara and de Jesus define two characteristics not only of writers but perhaps of all professionals young and old who find their work either a struggle or an easy route to bigger achievements. While the Levi Llorca is an empty vessel on paper and on stage - a mere key to success, without the hard and boring part - Vergara draws the viewers' attention to the struggling individuals George and Barnes as they battle out their differences to unravel the t...

In celebration of its 15th Anniversary, Renaissance Gallery, a leading purveyor of non-representational art in the country, presents “AMBIDEXTROUS: THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT” which opens on June 24 till July 4 at the SM Art Center, with cocktail reception on June 25 at 6 pm. Valen Valero - Dance with me Tonight A group exhibition of artists working in both representational art and abstraction, “AMBIDEXTROUS” shall feature the works of Hermes Alegre, Art Bermido, Remy Boquiren, Arley Carig, Addie Cukingnan, Egai Fernandez, Sam Penaso, Ronaldo Ruiz, Aner Sebastian, Valen Valero and Janice Young. Arley Carig - Untitled Sculpture “AMBIDEXTROUS” is curated by noted art critic, writer and visual artist Cid Reyes. Egai Fernandez - Light After Dark The Art Center is on the 4/F, Bldg. A, SM Megamall, EDSA cor. Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City. For inquiries, call Margaux Romero-Oracion at mobile: 0925- 555-7790.

Two alumni of the  De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde  Digital Filmmaking program ( BenildeFilm ) will vie for the Best Short Film award at the  41st Gawad Urian  to be held on June 14, Thursday, at the ABS-CBN Vertis Tent in Quezon City. Kim Timan 's  Caramel Child  and  Carl Chavez 's  Sorry for the Inconvenience  are nominated in the short film category along with Glenn Barit's  Aliens Ata,  Keith Deligero's  Babylon,  TM Malones'  Bawod,  Dennis Hubag's  Empyreus,  Kiri Dalena's  Gikan Sa Ngitngit Nga Kinailadman  (From the Dark Depths), Carlo Francisco Manatad's  Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month,  Maje Papin's and Ef Orpiada Jr.'s  Lutab,  Kyle Fermindoza's  Manggagarab,  Roan na Mercado's  Piko,  Edmund Telmo's  Redempsyon , Christian Candelaria's  Sa Saiyang Isla  and Xeph Suarez's  Si Astri Maka Si T...

Artist Playground proudly announces the staging of an original Pinoy musical “ GEEGEE AT WATERINA ” with book and lyrics by J. Dennis C. Teodosio in August 2018 at Arts Above, Artist Playground II, 112 West Venue Bldg., West Avenue, Quezon City. Norman Penaflorida Roeder Camanag The roles of GEEGEE AT WATERINA will be portrayed by Norman Penaflorida and Roeder Camanag respectively. Geegee GEEGEE is an entertainment actor, radio host and a counselor of Pasay City. More than 60 years old. Waterina WATERINA is a ‘comfort gay’ during Japanese Occupation in the Philippines. More than 70 years old. She is one of Gee-gee’s Golden Gays. With original music composed by Jesse Lucas, and choreography by Lezlie Dailisan, GEEGEE AT WATERINA will be directed by Andrew de Real. “ Geegee At Waterina ” was first presented at the CCP Virgin Labfest in 2005. A short film version was produced for Cinemalaya in 2006. The performance schedules of GEEGEE AT WATERINA are as follows: ...

“Bad Times at the El Royale” trailer debut reveals an intense, sexy and dangerous night at a hotel full of secrets and mystery that features an all-star studded cast including Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman and Nick Offerman. Directed by Drew Goddard (Cabin at the Woods), “Bad Times at the El Royale” follows seven strangers, all with secrets they have to bury who meet at Lake Tahoe’s El Royale – a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption… before everything goes to hell. “Drew Goddard has assembled a lobby full of amazing characters in his storied El Royale Hotel and I cannot wait for audiences to meet these truly unique folks and learn who they are and uncover what makes each of them tick. It will almost certainly not be what it is expected to be and that is a lot of the fun of the film. It is character driven in the best sense,” share...

Synergy 88 Digital, Rebecca Chuaunsu Film Production (RCFP), and Fullhouse Asia Production Studios, Inc. present an original musical about Chinese-Filipinos titled “Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical”; directed by Joel Lamangan, written by Ricky Lee with Gershom Chua, and Ejay Castro Deldoc. The dates of performances are from June 29 to July 8, 2018. Venue: The Theatre at Solaire. The Story The true story came from the memories of the creative producer, Rebecca Chuaunsu, who can still recall when a Chinese professor shared the story of his eternal love for a Filipina. This story moved her and as a Chinese-Filipina herself, it has always been a dream to have a theatrical narrative that would give a fleshed-out representation of the plight of Chinese-Filipinos. Her first theater mentor, Joel Lamangan became one of the keys in staging this dream, as Ricky Lee also came into the picture when he eagerly accepted to write the book and lyrics of the musical. As a Chinese-Filipino, Ricky Lee ad...

From Academy Award®-winning director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”), comes a blistering, modern-day thriller set against the backdrop of crime, passion and corruption: “Widows" is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. “Widows" also stars Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya and Brian Tyree Henry. "Widows" will open on December 5 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox. Check out its trailer: