LINO BROCKA

Lino Brocka BIOGRAPHY

Catalino Ortiz Brocka, better known as Lino Brocka (April 3, 1939–May 21, 1991) is known as one of the greatest film directors of the Philippines. Brocka was openly homosexual and many of his films incorporated LGBT themes into their often dramatic storylines.

Brocka was born in Pilar, Sorsogon. He directed his first film, Wanted: Perfect Mother, based on The Sound of Music and a local comic serial, in 1970. It won an award for best screenplay at the 1970 Manila Film Festival. Later that year he also won the Citizen’s Council for Mass Media's best-director award for the film Santiago.

In 1974 Brocka directed Tinimbang Ka ngunit Kulang, which told the story of a teenager growing up in a small town amid its petty and gross injustices. It was a box-office hit, and earned Brocka another best-director award, this time from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS).

The following year he directed Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (Manila: in the Claws of Light), which is considered by many critics to be the greatest Philippine film ever made - including British film critic and historian Derek Malcolm . The film tells the allegorical tale of a young provincial named Julio Madiaga who goes to Manila looking for his lost love, Ligaya Paraiso (which is Tagalog for "Joyful Paradise"). The episodic plot has him careering from one adventure to another until he finally finds Ligaya. Much of the film's greatness can be traced to the excellent cinematography by Mike de Leon, who would become a great Filipino filmmaker himself.

In 1976 Maynila: Sa mga kuko ng liwanag won the FAMAS awards for best picture, best director, best actor, and best supporting actor.

Insiang (1978) was the first Philippine film ever shown at the Cannes Film Festival. It is considered to be one of Brocka's best films — some say his masterpiece. The film centers on a young woman named Insiang who lives in the infamous Manila slum area, Tondo. It is a Shakespearean tragedy that deals with Insiang's rape by her mother's lover, and her subsequent revenge.

The film Jaguar (1979) was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1980 Cannes Festival. It won best picture and best director at the 1980 FAMAS Awards. It also won five Gawad Urian Awards, including best picture and best direction.

In 1981, Brocka was back at Cannes' Director's Fortnight with his third entry, Bona, a film about obsession.

In 1983 Brocka created the organization Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP), which he led for two years. His stand was that artists were first and foremost citizens and, as such, must address the issues confronting the country. His group became active in anti-government rallies after the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr..

The following year, Bayan ko: Kapit sa Patalim (Bayan Ko: My Own Country) was deemed subversive by the government of Ferdinand Marcos, and underwent a legal battle to be shown in its uncut form. At the 1984 Cannes Festival, however, it was nominated for the Palme d'Or. It garnered four honors at the 1986 Gawad Urian Awards, including best picture.

Brocka directed over forty films. Some of his other notable works are Macho Dancer (1988), Orapronobis (1989), and Gumapang Ka sa Lusak (1990).

In 1987 a documentary entitled Signed: Lino Brocka was directed by Christian Blackwood. It won the 1988 Peace Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

On May 21, 1991 Brocka met an untimely death in a car accident in Quezon City, Metro Manila. In 1997 he was given the posthumous distinction of National Artist for Film.

source: wikipedia

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ADING FERNANDO

Ading Fernando BIOGRAPHY




Ading Fernando –He created John en Marsha, which introduced the First Family of Philippine television, the Puruntongs. It starred Dolphy and Nida Blanca and his sister-comedienne, Dely Atay-Atayan. John en Marsha is nationally recognized as one of the greatest Filipino sitcoms of all time. It had millions of loyal fans.

Ading Fernando died in 1984 while he was the top director of comedy programs. On screen, he was Daddy Groovy in Duplex.

1. Da Best of John & Marsha (1984)
2. John and Marsha 4 (1980)

3. John and Marsha 3 (1977)
4. John and Marsha 2 (1976)
5. Kaming matatapang ang apog (1975)
6. Prrt! Huli ka (1975)
7. My Funny Valentine (1974)
8. John and Marsha (1973)
9. "John & Marsha" (1973) TV series

Writer:


1. Silang mga mukhang pera (1977) (writer)
2. Asiong Aksaya (1977) (story and screenplay)
3. My Funny Valentine (1974) (story and screenplay)
4. Captain Barbell Boom! (1973) (screenplay)
... aka Mars Ravelo's Captain Barbell Boom! (Philippines: English title: complete title)
5. Fung Ku (1973) (story and screenplay)

6. Buhay bombero (1968) (writer)
7. Buy One Take One (1968) (writer)
8. Dolpinger: Agent sa lagim (1965) (writer)

Actor:



1. "OK Sha" (1982) TV series

2. Tagisan ng mga agimat (1965)

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entertainment, Philippine movie actors , Philippine movie actresses Ading Fernando

CARLO CAPARAS

Carlo Caparas BIOGRAPHY



Carlo J. Caparas, born Carlo Magno Josef Caparas,in March 12, 1945 is a Filipino comic strip creator turned director and producer.


He is the creator of Filipino superheroes and comic characters in comic books such as Panday, Bakekang,Totoy Batoand Angela Markado amongst others.


Carlo J. Caparas’ life is an inspiring tale of rags-to-riches worth retelling many times over.

Burdened by poverty, with a jobless father to boot, Carlo had no choice but to forg his high school education to help augment his mother’s meager earnings as a laundry woman. He took on a string of odd jobs - water carrier, boatman, construction laborer, factory hand - and dutifully did his share in supporting not just his parents but his eight siblings as well.

Dropping out of school, however, didn’t hinder Carlo from nourishing his passion for reading. A voracious bookworm, Carlo intentionally did not surrender his library ID so he could have continuous access to the wealth of reading materials stationed at the shelves. But this clever tactic came to an abrupt end when he was spotted by the school principal inside the library.

Carlo’s fondness for reading indeed may have prompted him to apply for a security guard in the Carmelo and Bauerman Publishing in Makati. Soon, all the books, magazines, and other literary materials being printed by the company were at his disposal. During his graveyard shift from 11:00pm to 7:00 am daily, Carlo kept himself awake by reading even the books that had not yet reached the bookstores.

His security guard days, recalls Carlo significantly, were his “1,000 nights of reading.”

During a company strike, the then 19-year old security guard was hit by a stray bullet in the heel, forcing him to rest and recuperate.

The downtime provided the perfect opportunity for the injured security guard to practice all those long hours of submerging himself in the world of books. Almost instantly, Carlo discovered his knack for storytelling. “Citadel” - the first Carlo J. Caparas’ komiks story was serialized in Superstar.


Heeding his call, Carlo immediately immersed himself in writing and creating original characters.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, popular komiks saw a phenomenal increase. Commissioner Joe Lad Santos of the National Commission for the Filipino Language said that there were as many as 100 komiks - with Pilipino Komiks, Hiwaga Komiks, Pinoy Klasiks, Aliwan Komiks and Tagalog Klasiks, to name a few - leading boom market.

There’s a claim that Filipinos aren’t inclined to reading, particularly text-rich materials. Yet critics and scholars had to acknowledge, albeit grudgingly, that komiks - with its straightforward and mass-based narrative delivered in vivid illustrations - somehow mended the “reading malady” of Pinoys.

Stating the figures to drive home the point, Santos proudly said that circulation of top-selling komiks was around 250,000 to 300,000 copies each, nationwide. And no one benefited more than Carlo J. Caparas.

In a moment of retrospection, Carlo good-naturedly boasted that there were times when he was writing 36 hit novels - all published.

Inevitably, local pop culture flourished as original Caparas creations such as Panday, Andres de Saya, Totoy Bato, Bakekang, Tuklaw, Pieta, Maestro, Lumuhod Ka Sa Lupa, Kahit Ako’y Lupa, Kamagong, Kamandag, among others, found their way into Pinoy consciousness. Even film producers got caught in the fever and made movies inspired by komiks stories.

By the time he decided to hang his pen in 1987 to concentrate on being husband to his wife Donna Villa, Carlo already had an antonishing 800 komiks novels tucked under his belt.

source: komiklopedia

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CHITO RONO

Chito Rono BIOGRAPHY



Jose "Chito" S. Roño Jr.

had his initial training in film at the UP Film Center. He was among the first batch of enrollees in Cinematic Arts - the first film course introduced in the premier state university by UP Film Center. He majored in broadcasting and engaged in substantial theater work in college prior to further studies at the New York School for Social Research. He took up scriptwriting at the Grey Film Atelier in Upstate New York and cinematography at Centro Statale di Cinematografia e Film in Rome.

He received wide acclaim for his debut film, Private Show (1986), which created a stir when it was chosen as the Philippine entry to the Chicago International Film Festival. He also won the local critics' group's award (Urian) and that of the entertainment press (Star) as best director for Itanong Mo sa Buwan (Ask The Moon, 1988). His socially relevant film on residents of Subic - once host to the US naval base - Olongapo, The Great American Dream (1987), was adjudged Grand Winner for Best Picture at the 13th Metro Manila Film Festival.

The revival of Manila Film Festival in 1991 brought another round of honors to Chito when his entry, Kailan Ka Magiging Akin, bagged the lion's share of awards. On top of the best director plum, the powerful drama about a surrogate mother romped off with 11 other prizes, namely, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Story, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Theme Song, Best Production Design, Best Make-up, Best Actress for lead star Janice de Belen and Best Supporting Actress for Charo Santos. It was his first and last participation in the said filmfest staged in commemoration of the Philippine capital's founding. Its expanded version, the Metro Manila Film Festival, has seen more action for Chito.

In all instances, he scored victory. In 1995, he entered Dahas which was proclaimed 2nd Best Picture. In 1997, he fielded Nasaan ang Puso which turned out to be the runaway winner in the eight major categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Actress for Maricel Soriano, Best Actor for Christopher de Leon and Best Supporting Actor for Ronaldo Valdez. In December 1998, his entry to the 24th edition of the local filmfest, Babae sa Bintana (1998), was declared 2nd Best Picture.

Chito's festival participation is no less limited to the domestic arena. From the time of Private Show in Chicago, Chito's varied films have graced Berlin, Rotterdam, Hawaii, New York, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Kentucky, Hong Kong and Fukuoka. In September 1998, the award-winning filmmaker made waves with the exhibition of Curacha, Ang Babaeng Walang Pahinga (Curacha, The Woman Without Rest, 1998) at the Toronto International Film Festival. It marks the third time that Chito was represented in the famed film festival. He first took part in the major Canadian film event many years ago with Itanong Mo sa Buwan. In 1995, he joined the Philippine contingent with Eskapo. The Film Desk of the Young Critics Circle voted another of his most recent works, Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa (1998), as the year's best film. The romantic drama, Hinahanap-hanap Kita, starring Aga Muhlach is the latest release from the prolific filmmaker.

SOURCE: PHILMOVIES


FILMOGRAPHY

Private Show (1985)
Olongapo - The Great American Dream (1987)
Itanong Mo Sa Buwan (Ask the Moon, 1988)
Baleleng (1989)
Kasalanan Bang Sambahin Ka (1990)
Bakit Kay Tagal ng Sandali (1990)
Kailan Ka Magiging Akin (1991)
Alyas Stella Magtanggol (1992)
Narito Ang Puso Ko (1992)
Ikaw Lang (1993)
Minsan Lang Kitang Iibigin (1994)
Sige, Ihataw Mo (1994)
Bakit Pa Kita Minahal (1994)
Separada (1994)
Eskapo (1995)
Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara (1995)
Dahas (1995)
Istokwa (1996)
Nasaan ang Puso (1997)
Curacha - Ang Babaeng Walang Pahinga (The Woman Without Rest, 1998)
Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa (1998)
Babae sa Bintana (1998)
Hinahanap-hanap Kita (1999)
Laro Sa Baga (1999)

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