SM Cinema Free Movie Day on December 8 - Get Free Movie Tickets

SM Cinema, currently the largest cinema exhibitor in the country, has been part of the lives of Filipino families for over 20 years. With its commitment toward quality movie entertainment, SM Cinema recently converted all its film-based theatres into Digital Theatres—the first cinema franchise in the country to do so.

With this notable milestone, SM Cinema gives back to its loyal patrons with another FIRST in Philippine cinema history—the FREE MOVIE DAY event, a grand movie blow-out slated to happen this December 8, 2012.

This SM Cinema event will offer free movies in all of SM Cinema’s 246 Digital Theatres in all 45 branches nationwide! The line-up of movies will include the horror-thriller House at the End of the Street, Stolen, the latest Nicolas Cage action flick, the biopic Supremo: The Andres Bonifacio Story, crime drama film Deadfall, the popular Step Up Revolution and the restored version of Ishmael Bernal’s Himala. Apart from these six movies, two independent films courtesy of the Film Development Council of the Philippines will also be a part of the line-up.

Registration for SM Cinema's Free Movie Day is from November 22 to December 6. Just follow these five easy steps on how to get your two free tickets:

1. Like and Register at SM's e-PLUS Facebook Fan Page (www.facebook.com/eplus.sm)
2. Click on the Free Movie App.
3. Choose your Cinema, Time and Movie
4. Print the confirmation email.
5. Surrender the printed confirmation email at your preferred SM Cinema branch for your free two tickets.

Free Movie Day is made possible by SM Cinema, e-PLUS card—your most convenient access to the movies, Multivision Pictures of the Philippines, AV Production, Crystalsky, Pioneer Films, Star Cinema and the Film Development Council of the Philippines. Free Movie Day is also being brought to you by Coca Cola, Bright Pop, Purefoods San Miguel and Mister Donut.

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Nora Aunor's Himala (Restored Version) in HD Cinema Trailer

On its 30th year anniversary, watch the restored version of HIMALA in HD on December 5, 2012 in selected cinemas nationwide.

Himala is a Filipino film directed by the late National Artist Ishmael Bernal of the Philippines in 1982. The film's script was written by multi-award winner screenwriter Ricky Lee based on a true incident on a teenage girl in Cabra Island in the province of Occidental Mindoro between 1966 and 1967. Sergio Lobo was the Director of Photography.

Himala was filmed entirely in the province of Ilocos Norte in just three weeks with a budget of only ₱ 3 million. The film premiered at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival, and in 1983, became the first Filipino film to be included in the "Competition Section" of the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival. Since then, Himala has been exhibited in a number of film festivals around the world.

On November 11, 2008, Himala won the Viewer's Choice Award for the Best Film of all Time from the Asia-Pacific Region in the 2008 CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards beating out nine other outstanding movies.(voted by thousands of film fans around the world). The ten finalists were chosen by critics, industry insiders and actors—including Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

Philippine superstar Nora Aunor is best known for her performance in the film as the visionary Elsa. Her portrayal is considered by most Filipino critics as the best of her career.

Himala is the first of the 3000+ films to be restored by the ABS-CBN Film Archive and Central Digital Lab, Inc. The restored version premiered at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.

Watch the cinema traielr of Himala in HD below:

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Nora Aunor, Brillante Mendoza, and Chris Martinez Nominated at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2012

The Philippines scored three nominations at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) 2012. Brillante Mendoza's Thy Womb (Sinapupunan) was nominated in two categories: Best Director for Brillante Mendoza and Best Actress for Nora Aunor. 

Meanwhile, screenwriter-director Chris Martinez (Here Comes The Bride) was nominated in the Best Screenplay category for Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank. Early this year, Chris was also nominated in the same category at the Asian Film Awards.

Nora Aunor will once again be pitted against Cho Min-soo of the Korean film Pieta for the Best Actress award. The two were nominated at the 2012 Venice International Film Festival but lost to Hadas Yaron of Israel's Fill The Void. Cho's film eventually won the said filmfest's top prize, Golden Lion (Best Film). Nora, however, won for her the Golden Eel Award (Best Actress) from a group of critics in Venice Film Festival.

The Philippines had clinched only one APSA Award by virtue of Nora Aunor's Himala which was awarded the CNN APSA Viewers Choice Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time in 2008.

All winners in the sixth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony on November 23 in Brisbane, Australia. 

According to the official website of Asia Pacific Screen Awards, 264 films from 70 eligible Asia Pacific countries joined the competition this year but only 5 were chosen as the official nominees for each category.

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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.”

For more Kapamilya updates follow/like BIDA KAPAMILYA on Twitter and Facebook.

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.

For more Kapamilya updates follow/like BIDA KAPAMILYA on Twitter and Facebook.