Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino Announce First Movie Together

Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino officially announce their first movie together on It’s Showtime! Star Cinema’s My Love Will Make You Disappear, directed by Chad Vidanes, coming soon exclusively to cinemas.

Just how soon? It’s not known yet. What is known is that Vidanes also directed Chiu and Avelino in the series What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, their last collaboration together.

What we suspect is that, despite long-standing rumors of their off-camera romance, the two actors have never been caught by nosey netizens dating because they spend so much time together during shoots.

Where they have been filming remains unknown to this day, or as the film’s title suggests: My Love Will Make You Disappear from public places.

So don’t fret, avid fans of Chiu and Avelino; your idols are completing, or have completed, their first movie together.

‘Balota’

Marian Rivera’s Balota, the film for which she won Best Actress at the recent Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, opens today in theaters nationwide.

We attended the premiere of the wide-release edition of the film on Friday night at Cinema 12 at Gateway 2 Mall in Cubao, Quezon City. We discovered that its director and scriptwriter, Kip Oebanda, wants to highlight not only a teacher’s bravery in the midst of a fearful election but also the boldness of gay individuals in joining protest rallies and being elected to public office despite their cross-dressing and drag performer looks.

Some critics hesitate to fully embrace the film due to its integration of irrepressible, loquacious, bickering transgender characters in the storyline. In addition to the openly gay males, there are also two individuals who are covert about their identities in the story.

However, Balota is largely a Marian Rivera film. If you watch it, you may join us in calling it “Marian’s outing.” As Teacher Emy, she reveals herself as an actress who is typically demure and conservative but also possesses the personality of a schemer, seducer, and user, with the ease of blurting out pedestrian cuss words in Tagalog.

Her character in Balota is later revealed to be the mother of a grown son (portrayed by Will Ashley) whose father is American and from whom she continues to receive financial support. One reason Teacher Emy wants to survive being hunted in the forest like a prized wild animal by the ruthless henchmen of two greedy politicians is her son, whom one political camp has abducted. (The film’s basic storyline is already well-known since it was the most popular entry in last August’s Cinemalaya.)

Premiere

It was a well-attended premiere that required three more cinemas to accommodate all those who wanted to see the film produced by GMA Pictures.

Some showbiz couples graced the event, including Ruru Madrid and Bianca Umali, Kate Valdez and Fumiya Sankai, and the couple that refuses to be labeled as such: Kyline Alcantara and Kobe Paras.

GMA 7 executives attended the premiere night practically in full force, headed by lawyer Annette Gozon-Valdes, the senior vice president of the network who also heads GMA Pictures.

Since journalists and vloggers have asked Rivera more than enough about her presence and performance in Balota, they ended up asking her about her first-time experience attending Milan Fashion Week (MFW) in Italy. Of course, she didn’t go to the event alone; she went everywhere with her husband.

Rivera first stressed that she attended Milan Fashion Week (MFW) as an invited endorser of Kiko Milano beauty products in the Philippines. She completed pictorials, videos and other tasks in Italy for the products’ next campaign in the Philippines.

When specifically asked if she would go again next year, her reply was: “Tingnan natin pero alam ko sa iba naman ako pupunta, dun yung campaign din (Let’s see, but I know I’ll be going to another place; that’s where the campaign is, too).”

That’s just short of saying that if a company she endorses would pay her for it and cover all the expenses, she would go -- with her husband, of course. Dantes would not allow her to travel overseas without him. Rivera has no compulsion to see and be seen at glamorous, well-publicized international fashion events. What a sensible and stunning woman Rivera is!

Some people believe that it is perfect timing to release Balota nationwide, as seasoned politicians and wannabes have just filed their certificates of candidacy.

Balota director Kip Oebanda and cast members Will Ashley, Sassa Gurl, Esnyr Ranoll, Raheel Bhyria, and Joel Saracho attended the occasion.

Sparkle star Pokwang was at the event, too, as was ABS-CBN star Ivana Alawi, whose younger sister, Mona Alawi, appears in some Kapuso network shows as a child actor.

Balota is showing nationwide alongside the sensual movie Guilty Pleasure, headlined by Lovi Poe, Jameson Blake and JM de Guzman, and Crosspoint, an action movie top-billed by Carlo Aquino and Takehiro Hira.

Gorgy Rulla, a member of the Troika from the entertainment website PEP.ph, recently wrote in the trio’s column that he thinks Guilty Pleasure would be the most enticing film for people to watch.

Rulla also pointed out that, so far in 2024, the only obvious box office hit for a Pinoy movie has been Un/Happy, the reunion film of real-life ex-sweethearts Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia.

That’s just short of saying that if a company she endorses would pay her for it and cover all the expenses, she would go -- with her husband, of course. Dantes would not allow her to travel overseas without him. Rivera has no compulsion to see and be seen at glamorous, well-publicized international fashion events.

Some people believe that it is perfect timing to release Balota nationwide, as seasoned politicians and wannabes have just filed their certificates of candidacy.

Balota director Kip Oebanda and cast members Will Ashley, Sassa Gurl, Esnyr Ranoll, Raheel Bhyria and Joel Saracho attended the occasion.

Sparkle star Pokwang was at the event, too, and so was ABS-CBN star Ivana Alawi, whose younger sister, Mona Alawi, appears in some Kapuso network shows as a child actor.

Balota is showing nationwide alongside the sensual movie Guilty Pleasure, headlined by Lovi Poe, Jameson Blake, and JM de Guzman, and Crosspoint, an action movie top-billed by Carlo Aquino and Takehiro Hira.

Kip Oebanda Month

This October may as well be dubbed “Kip Oebanda Month.” A musical adaptation of his 2017 film Bar Boys has been running since 4 October and will continue until 3 November at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Circuit Makati. Barefoot Theatre Collaborative produces the musical about graduating law students portrayed by Alex Diaz, Jerom Canlas, Omar Uddin and Benedix Ramos. Renowned thespian Sheila Francisco is also in the cast as their feisty and pesky teacher, one of whom is a covert homosexual. Oebanda really loves including out and hiding gay characters in his projects.

As far as we know, though, he has never announced that he is gay himself. He was born and grew up in military detention camps as the son of militant activist Cecilia Oebanda, who is believed to have operated as an armed dissident. He made a film supposedly about his mother and himself, Liway.

The musical’s book and lyrics are by Pat Valera, the production’s stage director, alongside Mikko Angeles. Myke Salomon, who composed the adaptation’s original songs, also serves as the musical director. Jomelle Era is the musical’s movement director.

Kip Oebanda Month

This October may as well be dubbed “Kip Oebanda Month.” A musical adaptation of his 2017 film Bar Boys has been running since 4 October and will continue until 3 November at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Circuit Makati. Barefoot Theatre Collaborative produces the musical about graduating law students portrayed by Alex Diaz, Jerom Canlas, Omar Uddin and Benedix Ramos. Renowned thespian Sheila Francisco is also in the cast as their feisty and pesky teacher, one of whom is a covert homosexual. Oebanda really loves including out and hiding gay characters in his projects.

As far as we know, though, he has never announced that he is gay himself. He was born and grew up in military detention camps as the son of militant activist Cecilia Oebanda, who is believed to have operated as an armed dissident. He made a film supposedly about his mother and himself, Liway.

The musical’s book and lyrics are by Pat Valera, the production’s stage director, alongside Mikko Angeles. Myke Salomon, who composed the adaptation’s original songs, also serves as the musical director. Jomelle Era is the musical’s movement director.