Venice Filmfest Best Picture 'Pieta' Premieres on Cinema One this May 5

Viewers’ hearts will race as Cinema One presents the twisted tale of “Pieta,” the latest film of celebrated and controversial South Korean director Kim Ki-Duk. “Pieta” received the Golden Lion Award (Best Picture) at the 2012 Venice International Film Festival. The film will be shown this Sunday, May 5 at 8:00 pm on Cinema One (Channel 56 on SkyCable); this marks the Philippine premiere of “Pieta” across all platforms encompassing theatrical and television.

Dubbed in Tagalog, “Pieta” unravels a series of mind-blowing events depicting both heartlessness and love. The film tells the strange relationship between a loan shark enforcer (Lee Jung-Jin) and a middle-aged woman claiming to be his mother (Jo Min-Soo). “Pieta” has been hailed for its intense story, haunting visuals and the great performance of the two leads. Variety called it a “blend of cruelty, wit and moral complexity.”

Catch “Pieta” by Kim Ki-Duk this Sunday, May 5, at 8:00p.m., only on the Philippines’ number one cable channel, Cinema One. For more details, follow Cinema One channel @cinema_one on Twitter and ‘like’ it on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/Cinema1channel.

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Nora Aunor Wins Int'l Critics' Award in Venice for 'Thy Womb'

Superstar Nora Aunor won the Bisato d' Oro Award (Golden Eel Award) for her performance in the movie Thy Womb (Sinapupunan) which is currently competing at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.

The said award was given by an independent award giving body in Venice, the Premio Della Critica Indipendente which consists of a jury of independent film critics. Although the Bisato d' Oro Award was given by top critics not associated with the Venice Filmfest award-giving body, this could boost Nora's chances of winning the Volpi Cup, the best actress award in the said film festival.

Nora Aunor showing her Bisato d' Oro (Golden Eel)
award with Direk Dante Mendoza.

Being the first Filipina to win the Golden Eel Award, it was indeed a huge honor for Nora Aunor who said that it will just be a bonus winning an acting award since Thy Womb being invited to compete at the Venice Film Festival is already a big achievement.

Thy Womb, which is directed by Cannes Best Director Brillante Mendoza, is up against 17 films vying for the Golden Lion award at the 69th Venice International Film Festival. After it was screened at the festival last Thursday, the cast received a  standing ovation which lasted for more than 5 minutes.

Also starring Lovi Poe. Mercedes Cabral and Bembol Roco, Thy Womb tells the story of Shaleha (Nora Aunor), an infertile midwife who plays a match-maker to her husband Bangas-An (Bembol Roco) after struggling of giving him his own child. 

Aside from Thy Womb, Nora Aunor's Himala was also screened at the 69th Venice International Film Festival together with other restored films through its Venizia Classici.

Watch the trailer of Thy Womb (Sinapupunan) below:

Photo courtesy of Lovi Poe via Instagram

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HD Version of Nora Aunor's 'Himala' Gets World Premiere, to Have Philippine Release

To mark the 30th anniversary of the classic by Ishmael Bernal, the restored version of the film “Himala” will have its world premiere at the prestigious 69th Venice International Film Festival that began on August 29 and will run until September 8 at the Venice Lido.

Along with other restored classics, the 1982 film starring Nora Aunor will be screened in the program titled “Venizia Classici”. The restored High-Definition version of the film is also slated for release close to the end of the year in local cinemas. 

“We are planning to re-release it theatrically, on pay TV and cable as well as on DVD. We have big plans for it,” said Leo Katigbak, head of ABS-CBN Film Archives. 

Meanwhile, the team is working on another classic “Oro, Plata, Mata”, and some Star Cinema films like Olivia Lamasan’s “Maalaala Mo Kaya” and “Madrasta”; Laurice Guillen’s “Tanging Yaman”; Rory Quintos’ “Anak”; Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s “Bagong Buwan”; and Chito Roño’s “Dekada ’70.”

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Restored Version of "Himala" Premieres at 69th Venice Film Festival

The restored version of the Filipino classic film, “Himala” by the late National Artist Ishmael Bernal will be screened at the prestigious 69th Venice Film Festival this year.

The 1982 film starring Nora Aunor will be screened during the fest through the program titled “Venizia Classici” along with restored classic films, “Chimes at Midnight” by Orson Welles, “Fanny and Alexander” by Ingmar Bergman, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” by Howard Hawks and many more.

The restoration is meant to “give contemporary audiences the opportunity to view again or see for the first time films of great historical importance, and to revaluate films that have been unjustly forgotten or that are no longer visible, projected on the big screen in the best possible conditions,” said the program’s statement.

Written by multi-awarded screenwriter Ricky Lee, “Himala” was initially released for the Metro Film Festival in 1982. In 2008, the film won the Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time in the CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

The restoration of the film about religion and faith healing was made possible by the ABS-CBN Film Archives headed by Leo Katigbak.

“This is the 30th year of Himala. It is a great Filipino classic we would like everyone to see. We are also planning to re-release it theatrically among other plans. We have also restored Maalaala Mo Kaya, The Movie which is celebrating its 20th year and we have begun work on restoring another ECP title, Oro Plata Mata, which we hope will be ready by early 2013,” Katigbak said.

“Himala” will be shown at the Venice Film Fest that will run at Venice Lido from August 29 to September 8, 2012.

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