News

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSEyes Wide Shut.Favorable tax breaks, a sturdy filmmaking infrastructure, and a more stable political climate have made London a new locus for film production, especially in the wake of American post-strike budget reductions and the recent spate of wildfires. However, it’s unclear whether President Trump’s ever-changing tariff policy will affect London’s status as a haven for American productions.On the eve of the Cannes Film Festival, over 100 film and television organizations appealed to various governments and organizations to “stand firm and safeguard the systems that support independent film and audiovisual creation” in light of President Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on film imports. Hundreds of actors and filmmakers have signed a letter condemning...

The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) has partnered with the Singapore Film Commission (Sfc), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp) and Taiwan Creative Content Agency (Taicca) for the inaugural Malaysian Development Lab for Fiction Feature Films (mylab).

An incubator program for scriptwriters, directors, producers to work on developing scripts and film projects under lectures and the guidance of regional and international experts in scriptwriting, directing, producing, distribution, and markets and festivals, mylab focuses on projects at an early stage of development, with a team of scriptwriter, director and/or producer attached, targeted at regional or international audiences. It aims for each project to deliver a package of script, budget, financing plan, dossier and pitch-ready materials at the end of the program.

The partnership with Sfc and Fdcp enables a film project in development from each country to participate in the third session of mylab, which will take place at Busan,...

Developing Situation

New president of the Philippines Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday swore in a swath of new officials at government agencies. Among them, veteran actor Tirso Cruz III, was appointed as chair and chief executive of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp). He replaces Liza Dino Seguerra who has held the post for the past four years. In a Facebook posting, Seguerra said that she had not been officially informed of her replacement, but that nevertheless she would ensure a smooth transition.

Commissions

The BBC has commissioned independent production company Zig Zag to make “Football Academy,” a soccer documentary series following the young players and staff of the academy at Southampton Football Club, which will air this fall in the countdown to the 2022 soccer World Cup in Qatar. The 15×30’ series, for Cbbc, was filmed during the 2021/22 season and will track the highs and lows of key characters at the academy,...

Philippines star Jericho Rosales has been announced as headlining the cast of “Sellblock” an upcoming scripted TV prison series. The show is hatched by Manila-based Abs-cbn and its production partner BlackOps Studios Asia.

It was first announced last month as part of BlackOps’ genre slate of projects with its creative partner Psyops8, and its coproduction partners Story Arch Pictures and Agog Film Productions. The Film Development Council of the Philippines has also voiced its support for this project.

BlackOps also announced that Hong Kong-based New Asia Ferrell Asset Management Limited is joining as a financial partner.

Other actors joining the cast of “Sellblock” include Tirso Cruz III, Cherry Pie Picache, Ronnie Lazaro, Rosanna Roces, Mon Confiado and Rk Bagatsing. Further acting leads will be announced in the coming weeks.

Former broadcast giant, Abs-cbn is the largest media and entertainment group in the Philippines and is now increasing its focus on content production for global audiences.

"You boys think you rule everything..." 1091 Pictures has revealed the trailer for an indie comedy titled The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival last year. Actor "Dante Basco is making his directorial debut with The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, and he's not at it alone. With his family in real-life playing his family onscreen, the definition of 'family affair' is taken to the next level with the beautiful chaos that plays out throughout the film." From Nor-Cal to The Philippines, four brothers confront their issues with love, family, and culture, surrounding a highly controversial Filipino wedding. Told in four vignettes featuring cockfights, adultery, romance, food, & family. It stars Dante Basco with Darion Basco, Dionysio Basco, Arianna Basco, Solenn Heussaff, Liza Lapira, Tirso Cruz III, Joey Guilla, Aida Basco, Darius Basco, Aurora Basco, Cheryl Tsai, and Crystal Kwon. This looks charming and funny. Official trailer (+ posters) for...

Exclusive: 1091 Pictures has scooped digital rights to actor Dante Basco’s (Hook) directorial debut, The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, with plans for a release across platforms on February 8, 2022.

Pic follows four brothers as their Fil-Am family prepares for the ultimate Filipino event: a wedding. It’s comprised of four vignettes, ranging in location from Northern California to The Philippiness, which feature everything from cockfights and adultery to romance, food and family.

Dante Basco and his brother Darion co-wrote the film, which made its world premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival. Together, they star alongside their entire family, including brothers Derek and Dionysio, and sister Arianna, with Solenn Heussaff, Tirso Cruz III, Liza Lapira, Joe Jitsukawa and Joey Guilla rounding out the cast.

The film was produced in collaboration with LA-based management and production company, TheMachine. In celebration of its release, Dante Basco and his co-stars will soon be going on tour,...

There's one scene in Laurice Guillen's Maskara where Ina Feleo, playing Anna, the illegitimate daughter of accomplished actor Bobby (Tirso Cruz III) who recently passed away, suddenly weeps. Guillen does not opt for an extreme close-up of her daughter's face. Instead, Feleo is seen from a comfortable distance, allowing her to overwhelm the frame with just There's something strangely haunting about Feleo's performance. It is more than good within the scope of the film's narrative. It is actually very moving on its own, encompassing emotions as varied as sorrow and anger, regret and acceptance.   Feleo's father and Guillen's husband, the great actor Johnny Delgado, died in 2009. While Feleo and fictional Anna were born under different circumstances, they share common emotions, of longing...