Yong Chavez of ABS-CBN TFC News North America selected to join Hollywood's new Critics Association

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) will introduce a major new awards event in 2022 – The World Movie Awards – which will honor the finest in non-English language films.  This global event has been in the planning stages for several years and has gained fresh impetus thanks to the recent formation of an International Branch of the CCA, which began enlisting new members this spring. 

“It has been clear for some time that many, if not most, of the leading critics and entertainment journalists reporting for foreign audiences were not welcome in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, so the CCA has opened its big tent and welcomed in dozens of them,” announced Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin yesterday.

Best Sisters Forever, the new short from the director of Your Name Engraved Herein, gives "lip-syncing for your life" a new meaning

Best Sisters Forever, the latest title by Patrick Liu, the creator behind Taiwan's highest-grossing LGBT film of all time, Your Name Engraved Herein, will be making its exclusive premiere via GagaOOLala, globally on 2 July 2021. A first for both Liu and GagaOOLala, the partnership between the Taiwanese director and the platform explores the rising ‘drag’ culture within the queer landscape of Asia with Taiwan at the forefront of the LGBT rights and movement in the region. The film offers an authentic glimpse into the drag sisterhood in Taiwan and contains real-life performances by Taiwanese drag queens in the nation’s most famous gay destination, the Ximending district of Taipei.

The plot of the film centers on the graceful Xuerong (Heng-Chi Kuo) and the fun and frivolous Yihong (Ta SU), two gay best friends ‘sisters’, who get into a heated argument over questions concerning promiscuity and eventually decide to go their separate ways. A terrible misunderstanding leaves the once inseparable ‘sisters’ estranged for several years. However, a tragic turn of events suddenly reunites the two. Knowing their days together are numbered, the pair, then, set out on an adventure hoping to gain lost opportunities and make fond memories. Along the way, they gradually make important discoveries about life, love, friendship, and family, with a long-lost dream ultimately coming true for the life-long duo.

Darren Espanto Shares His Routines and Rituals as He Rehearses for His Comeback Concert: “Home Run”

Virtual Concert is Available to Audiences Worldwide via iWantTFC

In a one-on-one interview with Asia’s Pop Heartthrob, Darren Espanto, he reveals that doing jumping jacks is one of the secrets to his vocal stamina.

“I try to train my voice so that its endurance is there by the time of the concert,” Darren shares. He claims that “it also helps to do jumping jacks or to do jump rope while vocalizing just for the stamina while dancing.”

He also owns to taking care of his overall health and says, “I try not to get sick, so I take vitamins daily.” Darren also adds that “My mom also makes me take salabat (ginger tea),” even if he was not a big fan of the spicy health drink but has gotten used to it after he discovered that “it really helps to loosen up the vocal cords.”

Darren also admits that no matter how many times he has performed onstage, he still gets the jitters. “It's just something that has always been there before every show big or small,” and he tries to get rid of it by praying. “Prayer always helps. It calms me down,” says the singer.

In a fun “Express Q&A,” Darren also reveals more personal sentiments and shares some of his “D” favorites. Read on to find out more. 

ABS-CBN Global Head of Anti-Piracy Elisha Lawrence named among World IP Forum's Powerful Women in IP 2021, to speak at The StreamTV Conference tomorrow

The World IP Forum (WIPF), one of the best Global IP events organized annually that highlights emerging developments in the Global IP Market, has named ABS-CBN Global Head of Anti-Piracy & Content Security Elisha Lawrence as one of its 2021 Powerful Women in IP.  The full list will be announced in a ceremony in August this year.

WIPF Powerful Women in IP recognizes leading female intellectual property professionals in creating, protecting, and securing intellectual property.  An independent jury oversees the review and selection for the list, choosing those who are highly qualified for their expertise, knowledge, and years of experience. 

Lawrence has been invited to speak at many intellectual property conferences because of her successful record in managing global brand protection and enforcement programs for various multinational companies.  Tomorrow, she will be one of the speakers at the ongoing The StreamTV conference, the world's largest streaming video event scheduled for June 15-17.  Lawrence will be on the panel, "Assessing and Combatting Threats in the New World of Streaming". Joining Lawrence in the panel are Verimatrix SVP of Product Martin Bergenwall from Helsinki, Finland and Akamai Senior Technical Solution Specialist Ilker Ürgenc from Munich, Germany. The panel will be moderated by Ben Munson, editor at Fierce Video.

Celebrate Independence Day With "Tenet" Premiering Exclusively In The Philippines On HBO Go and HBO on June 12

Just in time for the Independence Day holiday, Pinoy cinephiles are in for a treat as Tenet, the latest film from visionary director Christopher Nolan premieres on HBO GO and HBO from June 12.

This original sci-fi action spectacle takes the Protagonist, played by John David Washington, through a twilight world of international espionage as he fights for the survival of the entire world on a mission that unfolds in something beyond real time. 

However, this story is not about time travel. It’s about inversion. 

New HBO ASIA Original Series Trinity Of Shadows Premieres June 13

Cast Includes Award-Winning Actors Kaiser Chuang, Sandrine Pinna And Liu Kuan-Ting, Member Of Canto-Pop Boyband MIRROR, Stanley Yau, And Malaysian Actor, Frederick Lee.

Premiering with two back-to-back episodes every Sunday at 9pm from June 13 on HBO GO and HBO, brand-new HBO Asia Original Taiwan series, Trinity Of Shadows, follows a murder investigation that leads righteous detective Tze-Wei, an up-and-coming public official Chi-Hsiao, and rookie policeman Chia-Hao into a dark labyrinth of power play. As the trio close in on the truth, they are inextricably intertwined and forced to confront their demons linked to a cold case from three years ago.

Brand new house & lot to be given away in “TFC Win From Home” season 2 in the Middle East and Europe

A brand new house and lot, bigger cash prizes, more winners, and lots of fun await the Filipinos in the Middle East and Europe with the “TFC Win From Home Season 2,” the virtual game show that was launched last May 29, where participants get a chance to win various prizes from TFC, Mai Dubai, LBC, Friendi, Lumina Homes, and Travelwings.

“TFC Win From Home” has aided a lot of Filipinos in the regions of the Middle East and Europe that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of them were able to sustain the studies of their children, built a home for their families, and continued to support the needs of their loved ones back home with the prizes they won.