ANIMA Films' 'Leonor Will Never Die' Selected as the Opening Feature of 2022 Cinemalaya Philippine Film Festival

Award-winning film “Leonor Will Never Die” (Filipino title: “Ang Pagbabalik ng Kwago”), produced by ANIMA and Arkeo Films, will finally have its Philippine debut as it has been selected as the opening feature of this year's Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

The film held its international premiere in January 2022 and has proven to be a smashing success, bagging the Sundance Special Jury Award for Innovative Spirit at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. It has also been shown at various movie screenings in the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Taiwan, among others.

“Parang kaming niyakap. Cinemalaya has been a huge part of my life as a film lover - simula nung high school as an audience hanggang nung screening ng thesis ko, at ngayon sa first feature. Katabi ko ang Cinemalaya every step of the way and so I'm so happy na dito unang maipapalabas ang pelikula namin!” said its director Martika Ramirez Escobar.

The award-winning film focuses on stage veteran Sheila Francisco’s titular character, Leonor, a major player in the Filipino film industry in the ‘80s, who falls into a coma before finishing her final screenplay. When she regains consciousness years later, she struggles to complete her magnum opus while navigating life in an entirely new environment.

The film, Escobar’s directorial debut, has been lauded by critics here and abroad for its meta storytelling that combines a fever dream premise with a postmodern reality topped with sharp dialogue delivered by an outstanding ensemble.

ANIMA, KROMA Entertainment Inc.’s film production studio, continues its winning streak, having won big awards at the recently concluded 70th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards for Kun Maupay Man It Panahon top-billed by Charo Santos and Daniel Padilla.

Visit ANIMA’s official website at www.anima.ph to discover more of the production studio’s award-winning filmography and other works.

About Kroma Entertainment

Kroma Entertainment is a TraDigital Entertainment company passionate about creators, talent, content and technology. Its nine brands form a unique ecosystem that work as one to bring together our varying perspectives and points of view to create something new, special and trailblazing.

About ANIMA

Anima is a Philippine-based entertainment studio under Kroma Entertainment, composed of dedicated storytellers with expertise in film, TV, and content creation. Whether it’s a TV series, a short film, a podcast (ANIMA Podcasts) or a music video that moves you, makes you laugh, makes you cry, inspires, informs, or empowers you – count on us to represent and be present in every facet of Filipino life.

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Three Easy Ways To Score Over ₱2M Worth of Prizes at the 8.8 ShopeePay Festival

Online transactions are now more rewarding as ShopeePay gives you more reasons to send money, buy load, and shop online! From August 6 to 8, ShopeePay is hosting three days of giveaway with over ₱2M in prizes. Users can further rejoice as exciting prizes and rewards are up for grabs at the 8.8 ShopeePay Festival!

If you’re not yet a ShopeePay user, now’s the perfect time to set up your own account and join the celebration. Here’s what you need to do using Shopee’s mobile wallet to win big this August:

1. Send money for free and you could win up to ₱1 million

It’s not everyday that you get a chance to turn your ₱50 into ₱1 million. ShopeePay is giving away prizes to two raffle winners a day from August 6 to 8, with cash prizes increasing up to ₱1 million each day until 8.8. To qualify, simply send at least ₱50 to any ShopeePay user during the duration of the promo.

To join, follow these steps:

1. Activate and verify your ShopeePay account.

2. From August 6 to 8, send at least ₱50 to any ShopeePay user.

3. Play the lucky draw after sending money to qualify for the raffle draw.

4. Winners will be announced on social media so make sure to follow ShopeePay’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Just think of how much you can do with ₱1 million pesos: travel fund, tuition fee, household expenses, or perhaps a new car - all it takes is a few taps on your phone and you’re one step closer to being a millionaire. The best thing is that it takes less than a minute to send money with ShopeePay. Plus, there’s no hidden fees!

2. Tune in to your TV for a chance to win up to ₱100,000

Spending your days at home while lounging in front of TV isn’t so bad when you’re off to win cash prizes. Sounds exciting? You can be among the lucky winners of ₱100,000 via ShopeePay when you join the Shopee Shake segments at your favorite programs: It’s Showtime on August 6 and 8, All Out Sundays on August 7, and 24 Oras on August 8. Shopee Shake is one of the app’s popular features that allows you to win prizes as you shake your mobile phone.

Set your alarms and catch some of the country’s popular personalities, Iya Villania, Gabbi Garcia, Andre Paras, Jugs Jugueta, Teddy Corpuz, and more, as they hype up the 8.8 ShopeePay Festival. Watch out for the Shopee Shake segment and, when prompted by the TV hosts, log in to your Shopee app, click the blue Shopee Prizes icon on the homepage, and start doing the Shopee Shake to win.

3. Verify your ShopeePay to get free ₱500 and receive exclusive deals

Getting rewards doesn’t get any easier than this. On August 8, receive free ₱500 when you register on the app, verify your ShopeePay account, and send money for the first time. As a verified user, you’ll also gain access to more rewarding perks when you do your transactions. This 8.8, you can get ShopeePay’s 1GB for ₱1 data offer, available for all major networks. Don’t miss deals on Shopee and keep up with the latest trends in fashion, beauty, tech, home & living and more when you check out with free shipping discounts exclusive for ShopeePay users.

Don’t miss these exclusive promos and have a safe and enjoyable online experience this 8.8 ShopeePay Festival. Reach out to Shopee Cares PH for the best customer care on all things Shopee. 

Follow @ShopeeCaresPH on Twitter and Facebook, where you and the rest of the Shopee Fam can find answers for your concerns and get the support you need.

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(Good Read) Pure Realizations from the Creators of ‘Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask’

As the Ang Babae Sa Likod Ng Face Mask series comes down to its last four (4) episodes, the team behind the comedic love story shares their top realizations from filming the series that has audiences on the edge of their seats every week:

1. "If you seek to inspire others, it inspires the best in you."

Seeing how engaged our viewers are with each episode release is exciting. Reading their comments and interacting with them with each episode proves that our storytelling affects our audience positively – all in the hopes of inspiring others with joy, honesty, and kindness. We hope it also inspires viewers to pay it forward.

True enough, the "always panalo" message transcends audiences' lives inside and outside Puregold's supermarket doors. More than just a retail giant, the brand's entry into retailtainment now thrills and delights more than 122,000 subscribers here and abroad.

2. All we need is love and kilig.

Love knows no age and boundaries—even in a pandemic. An ongoing inside joke is that the editors are all probably in love. Perhaps this explains why the feeling goes beyond the words on the script and even the characters on-screen during each episode.

From having a few live viewers during its release to having more than five thousand live viewers during every premiere, the team is grateful for the #JoLene and #SiegMal fandom. However, what amazes us is the love that the show gets from a broad set of demographics, young and old. It makes our hearts swell when they keep asking for more!

3. "If you can't love yourself, how can you love someone else."

When self-love is in the spotlight, getting affirming comments from viewers validates our purpose.

Herlene Budol's portrayal of Malta is intentionally executed to be raw, honest, and authentic. We wanted to convey to our audience the importance of being real rather than perfect.

The simple story of a girl who is riddled with self-doubts now serves as an inspiration to many. Of course, we don't know yet if Malta gets her happily ever after; you'll have to watch the series to find out. However, we want to leave audiences with a message that being yourself already makes you worthy of being loved.

You do you. Trust the timing. Live your life authentically – and perhaps, you just might also meet your prince charming in the process. If not, you'll still have your beautiful and authentic self. That in itself is more than enough.

Catch the last remaining episodes of the series on YouTube Puregold Channel with new episodes coming every week until August 27, 2022. 

For more updates, like @puregold.shopping on Facebook, follow @puregold_ph on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to Puregold Channel on YouTube.

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The Biggest and Brightest Stars Aligned for the First Ever GMA Gala Night

In celebration of GMA Network's 72nd anniversary, the biggest and brightest Kapuso personalities from movie, TV, radio, news, and entertainment gathered together, dressed in an "Old Hollywood" style, for a night of glitter and glamour dubbed as GMA Gala Night held last Saturday, July 30, held at Shangri-La The Fort.

With the help of GMA Gala Night sponsors, GMA Network was able to rake over 1.4 million pesos in cash donation for GMA Kapuso Foundation's School Development project: Classrooms at Magallanes Elementary School in Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte.

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Check out some of the highlights, awards, most-memorable looks at the #GMAGalaNight:

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Big Winners:

Bianca Umali - Belo Beauty of the Night and Beautederm Scene Stealer of the Night
Heart Evangelista - Glomorous Star of the Night
Kyline Alcantara and Mavy Legaspi -  Sparkle Love Team of the Night
Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes - Couple of the Night
Sanya Lopez - Female Sparkle of the Night
Alden Richards - Male Sparkle of the Night
Sofia Pablo - Female TikTok Crowd Choice
Miguel Tanfelix - Male Tiktok Crowd Choice
Rhian Ramos - Frontrow Female Icon
Marco Gumabao - Frontrow Male Icon

Also spotted in the event are former Kapamilya stars Marco Gumabao, Billy Crawford, Dominic Roque, and Cristine Reyes.

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