A bigger, brighter, and bolder second season of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ National Theatre Live (CCP NTL) is set to delight its devoted Filipino audiences with a new lineup of world-class stage plays filmed live from Britain’s most exciting stages.

After a successful first season boasting waves of support from theater enthusiasts, playwrights, artists, and the broader public, the CCP National Theatre Live forges on to provide yet another exceptional ‘live’ performance experience with the best of what British theatre has to offer in more cinemas near you.

Through the partnership of the CCP with National Theatre Live and Ayala Malls, the second season of CCP NTL will premiere at Ayala Malls Cinemas in Greenbelt, Makati, Vertis North in Quezon City, and at the Ayala Center in Cebu from June 25, 2024 to May 27, 2025.

Award-winning plays Vanya, Dear England, The Motive and Cue, and Nye will grace the big screens in the Philippines.

Crowd favorites Fleabag, King Lear, Frankenstein, and Hamlet from the past season will make their comeback.Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in Vanya, a one-man adaptation premiering on June 25 at the Ayala Malls Cinemas in Greenbelt, Makati. Exploring the complexities of human emotion, Andrew Scott brings multiple characters to life in Chekhov’s Uncle masterpiece, filmed live in West End, London.

Returning on June 25 at Ayala Vertis North and Ayala Center Cebu is Fleabag, a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life. Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag may seem oversexed, emotionally unfiltered and self-obsessed, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With family and friendships under strain and a guinea pig café struggling to keep afloat, Fleabag suddenly finds herself with nothing to lose. The hilarious, award-winning play that inspired the BBC’s hit TV series with the same title was filmed live on stage in London’s West End in 2019.

On July 30, James Graham’s Dear England arrives at the Ayala Malls Cinemas in Greenbelt, Makati. With the worst track record for penalties in the world, Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt, to take the team and country back to the promised land.

The contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s tender, violent, moving and shocking play King Lear will be re-screened on July 30 at Ayala Vertis North and Ayala Center Cebu. Considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written, King Lear sees two aging fathers – one a King and another, his courtier – reject the children who truly love them. Their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery, as family and state are plunged into a violent power struggle with bitter ends. The play is directed by Jonathan Munby and stars Sir Ian McKellen.

Witness the magic of London National Theatre through CCP National Theatre Live. First launched in June 2009, the National Theater Live is a groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theatre live from the London stage to cinemas across the United Kingdom, around the world, and now in the Philippine shore.

Digitally filmed in high-definition quality, the NTL films their plays in front of live theater audiences, but optimized for the big screen and made accessible to theater fans across the globe.

All screenings will be at 6:00pm, exclusively at Ayala Malls cinemas in Greenbelt, Makati, Vertis North in Quezon City, and at the Ayala Center in Cebu. Regular ticket price is at ₱300.00 in Makati and Cebu, and ₱350 in Vertis North, while special ticket price for students is at ₱150.00.

This new season also brings exciting bundles and subscriptions for dedicated NTL fans. Audiences in groups can avail the Barkada Pass for ₱1200 which includes five tickets at the price of four, while students can avail the Barkada Pass Student bundle at ₱600. Subscriptions for the full season cost ₱2500 and ₱1500 for the half season, allowing audiences 30% and 20% discounts respectively.

Tickets can be purchased at sureseats.com.

(ROHN ROMULO)

LALO pang tinotodo ng supermarket chain na Puregold adbokasiyang kampanya nito–ang Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, sa pamamagitan ng paghahandog ng pinakamalalaking grant para sa produksyon ng mga full-length na pelikula sa Pilipinas.

Para sa paparating na 2025 Puregold CinePanalo, tumataginting na P3,000,000 ang film production grant na ibibigay sa pitong kapita-pitagang propesyonal at baguhang direktor, habang 25 na estudyanteng filmmaker naman ang tatanggap ng P150,000 short film production grant.

Bukas na ang aplikasyon para sa mga nangangarap na sumali sa nalalapit na festival line-up. Ang huling araw ng pagsusumite para sa mga full-length direktor ay Hulyo 15, 2024.

Para naman sa mga student director sa short film category, Agosto 15, 2024 ang huling araw ng pagpapasa.

“After a highly successful and celebrated inaugural run in March, Puregold is proud to have started its mark in the Philippine film industry,” sabi ni Vincent Co, Presidente ng Puregold.

“We aim to continue this for the benefit of Filipino students and filmmakers. This year, we challenge more aspiring filmmakers to push boundaries, tackle new matters and experimental approaches while raising Filipino heritage and values.”

May dalawang kategorya ang Puregold CinePanalo: short film para sa mga mag-aaral at full-length film para sa mga baguhan at propesyonal na direktor. Hindi katulad ng naunang takbo, itinatakda ng Puregold CinePanalo na kailangang kompletong screenplay na ang isumite, upang matukoy ng Selection Committee ang pinakamahusay at kahanay ng tema ng festival. Maaaring sagutan ang aplikasyon sa link na ito:: https://forms.gle/wNUUQ62okYcyW5r37.

Ang lahat ng kuwento ay dapat na nagbibigay-inspirasyon at nakasentro sa temang “Mga Kwentong Panalo ng Buhay.”

Ikinuwento ni Puregold senior marketing manager at direktor ng festival na si Ivy Hayagan-Piedad ang kahalagahan ng temang ito. “We seek fresh perspectives in storytelling. Puregold CinePanalo aims to be a platform for local artists to take risks and be bold in their craft. Our goal is to bring more outstanding Filipino films to the national—and even global—stage,” sabi niya.

May maximum runtime na 20 minuto ang mga student short, habang 90 minuto naman ang minimum na haba ng mga full-length na pelikula.

Itatanghal ang lahat ng mga nanalong pelikula sa isang film festival sa Marso 14-25, 2025, sa Gateway Cinemas. Kwalipikadong manalo ang lahat ng pelikula sa Puregold CinePanalo Awards Night, na tatanghalin naman sa Marso 19, 2025.

Sa unang taon ng Puregold CinePanalo, itinampok ang mga pelikula nina Kurt Soberano, Sigrid Bernardo, Joel Ferrer, at iba pa. Lumikha naman ng mga student short ang mga batang filmmaker mula sa UP Diliman, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, at iba pang mga paaralan sa buong bansa.

Para sa iba pang mga katanungan tungkol sa Puregold CinePanalo, maaaring magpadala ng email sa thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com.

(ROHN ROMULO)

KEVIN Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” opens in Philippine cinemas on June 28, 2024, the same day as its global release. 

Kevin Costner returns to the director’s chair with “Horizon: An American Saga,” a four-part epic Western featuring a star-studded cast including Costner himself, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Luke Wilson.

Distributed in the Philippines by Parallax Studios and Saga Films Studios, “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” will premiere simultaneously with its global release on June 28, 2024. The eagerly anticipated Chapter 2 is slated for release in August 2024.

Kevin Costner, no stranger to the Western genre, made his directorial debut with the acclaimed 1990 film “Dances with Wolves,” which earned him Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards. Since 2018, he has also starred in the popular neo-Western drama series “Yellowstone,” which has inspired several prequels and spinoffs.

Jamie Campbell Bower and Kevin Costner in “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1”

“Horizon: An American Saga” is a passion project for Costner, who also co-wrote the films. The actor-director reportedly invested $38 million of his own money into the sweeping saga, a project he has been developing for over 30 years. The first two chapters, scheduled for release this year, cost $100 million to produce.

At the recent Cannes Film Festival, the first chapter received a seven-minute standing ovation. Costner, visibly moved, expressed his gratitude: “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this — neither will my children.”

Sienna Miller in “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1”

“Horizon: An American Saga” delves into the lure of the Old West and the trials and tribulations faced by those who lived through it. Spanning the years of the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure promises to take audiences on an emotional journey through a country at war with itself.

According to movie website Next Best Picture, “In Western epics, there are incredible opportunities to explore engaging worlds while showcasing impressive visual artistry within the genre. However, no matter what, you can always count on folks like Kevin Costner to remind audiences of the power these films can still have in today’s age. It’s impossible not to feel that passion with ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ as so much is packed into this nod to the epics of yesteryear. There’s a lot thrown at the screen that still manages to result in an engrossing experience.”

At the film’s press conference at Cannes, Costner spoke about the financial challenges he faced while making the epic saga. “I believe that when these lights go out and we’re in a movie theater, something magical can happen. Part of why I wanted to make one, two, three and four was to make it for myself because I know what it’s like to sit out there in the audience and the curtain opens and something magical is going to happen, and a story is going to transport us. The movies have always been a place for us to go have a chance at magic. Something that we’ll never ever forget.”

He humorously added, “To make the third one, I’ve knocked on every billionaire’s boat in Cannes to help me. They go, ‘Oh come, I want to have a picture.’ I say, ‘No, get your checkbook out. Let’s talk money,’” Costner laughed.

When asked about wearing multiple hats for this project, Costner said, “I’d like to think that I got to this place [in my life] because I like the work. I like the dreaming part. I like the late nights, directing and editing and writing – I like that part of it the best.”

Prepare to be swept away by the first chapter of “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” distributed in the Philippines by Parallax Studios and Saga Film Studios with Axinite Digicinema, opening in cinemas on June 28, 2024. (Photo Credit: Parallax Studios and Saga Film Studios)

(ROHN ROMULO)