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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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“Imelda” wins International Documentary Award; beats Fahrenheit 9/11 in category
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New York City, NEW YORK, December 13, 2004 --- Just in time for holiday gift-giving, Unico Home Entertainment announced this week the availability on DVD of “Crying Ladies” and “Imelda.” The retail price of “Imelda” is $24.98, while “Crying Ladies” (with English subtitles) is sold for $29.98. It is available in Filipino video stores in your neighborhood.
Should you encounter any difficulties, it is also available on the internet through on-line Filipino websites, or if you need DVD copies right away, call and leave a message with the New York-based distributor, Unico, at (646) 435-9431 or via e-mail: vincemagi@cs.com or unitelpr@comcast.net.DVDs can be purchased and picked-up through special arrangement at their midtown-Manhattan office before Christmas.
Both films were commercial and critical successes in the Philippines and United States. Winner of Best Picture at last year’s Metro Manila Filmfest, “Crying Ladies” was recently selected as the official Philippine Entry to next year’s Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language film category. The Sharon Cuneta-starrer will vie for the Oscar with such high-profile films as “House of Flying Daggers” from China and “The Sea Inside (Mar Adentro)” from Spain.“Imelda,” on the other hand, recently won the prestigious IDA (International Documentary Association) Videosource Award for Best Documentary, using hisotorical/archival footage, beating Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” in the same category. This new recognition adds luster to its Sundance Film Festival award last year for Best Cinematography.
Coming next from Unico Entertainment is “Santa Santita,” the new film from Laurice Guillen starring Jericho Rosales, Hilda Koronel, Cherry Pie Picache, Johnny Delgado and Angelica Panganiban in title role of Magdalena.The acclaimed film is currently slated for a Lenten release in New York and other U.S. and Canadian cities. It is also available for benefit premieres and special screenings.
For more information, call (646) 435-9431.
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LONDON, December 17, 2004 --- Former Philippine Tourism director in New York Catalina Santos-Dacudao died here Sunday afternoon, the Philippine consulate report said.
Dacudao died of a spontaneous sub-arachnaid hemmorrhage due to burst blood vessel, the report said. Her body was found Monday morning lying in the bathtub.
According to friends, Dacudao was supposed to be pick up by colleagues and friends around 12:20 p.m. in London to attend the Christmas party of the Filipino Women’s Association (FWA) there. But she did not answer her door.
Her remains lay in state at the Christopher Henley International Funeral Parlor on Bayswater Road, and will be flown to Manila on Dec. 18. Viewing will be at the St. Alphonsus Mary de Licouri Parish, at 4 Humabon Street, Magallanes Village. There will also be viewing on Sunday or Monday in Davao, her hometown.
The Philippine consulate in New York will be holding a Requiem Mass on Dec. 20, at 12:30 p.m. Those who wish to join are most welcome.
Dacudao was tourism director in New York from March 1999 to Feb. 2003. She was transferred to Toronto, then to London in March this year.
For more questions, call the Philippine Department of Tourism in New York at (212) 575-7915, or e-mail Director Emma Ruth Yulo at: emmaruthyulo@aol.com.
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Jersey City, NEW JERSEY, December 16, 2004 --- The Filipino film “Selling Songs of Leyte” won Nov. 13 the ‘Best Foreign Short Documentary’ at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.
The 14-minute short featured the Philippine island province of Leyte, “Ta’bo” or market day shifts from town to town during the week where local residents flock to get their basic needs. A tradition among a few of the dried fish vendors, wares are sold using the rhythm of the songs they sing.
Shot on a Sony Digital8 videocam and edited on MAC’s iMovie, seven hours of raw footage was cut down to 14 minutes.
The characters in the documentary were magical yet very real.
According to the film’s director, Eli Africa, when he showed the final edited version to family and friends, he got encouraged and campaigned for his New York trip to compete.
“The screening was a success although overwhelming. Two weeks later, I got an e-mail announcing that my entry “Selling Songs ofLeyte” was awarded ‘Best Foreign Short Documentary’,” Africa said.
Meanwile, there will be festivities at the special awards show on Dec. 18 at Gallery lounge, located at 7 East 27 the Street inside the Gershwin Hotel, from 8 p.m. to midnight).
For more information about “Selling Songs of Leyte” (color, Waray with English subtitles), visit www.nyfilmvideo.com or www.homepage.mac.com/eliafrica/
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