Two-Time MMFF Best Actor Dingdong Dantes & VIFF Volpi Cup Best Actor John Arcilla Head-To-Head in ‘A Hard Day’

 

THIS Christmas, only one survives.

VIVA Films presents its Official Entry to the 47th Metro Manila Film Festival, A Hard Day, starring primetime actor and two-time MMFF Best Actor Dingdong Dantes and 2021 Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup Best Actor John Arcilla, a.k.a Heneral Luna.

About A Hard Day: 

DINGDONG DANTES

Detective Edmund Villon (Dingdong Dantes) is having a hard day and the following events happen to him in less than 24 hours: His mother passed away. He and his coworkers are investigated by police inspectors over alleged embezzlement. Then on his way to his mother's funeral, he drives recklessly and commits a fatal hit and run. He tries to cover up the accident by hiding the man's corpse in his deceased mother's coffin. 

After the burial, Lt. Ace “Alas” Franco (John Arcilla) out of nowhere, starts giving Villon threats and warnings. He is about to expose Villon’s crime if he does not get what he wants from him -- the corpse of the man that Villon hit.

JOHN ARCILLA

A Hard Day is the Philippine adaptation of the 2014 South Korean crime action film with the same title, starring Lee Sun-Kyun (Parasite). The film was an official selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight.

A Hard Day also received numerous awards from several award-giving bodies in South Korea, including the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards where they won the Best Actor and Best Director awards.

An award-winning movie like A Hard Day only deserves an adaptation by award-winning actors and director. That’s why Director Lawrence Fajardo chose two of the best and finest actors in Philippine cinema, Dingdong Dantes and John Arcilla.

Through the years, Dingdong Dantes has earned several acting awards for film and television, which includes two Best Actor Awards from the Metro Manila Film Festival for his role in Segunda Mano and One More Try.

John Arcilla is also a Philippine Cinema pride with his latest win at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. John received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for the movie On the Job: The Missing Eight.

Movie fans are sure to get a treat from the stellar performances of the actors, up to the film’s hard-hitting action and suspense. So don’t forget to watch VIVA Films’ official entry to the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival, A Hard Day, showing on Christmas Day, December 25, in cinemas nationwide.

Watch the official trailer of A Hard Day below:

Top Brands Achieve E-Commerce Milestone on Shopee

MANILA, DECEMBER 15, 2021 - The Philippines is the fastest-growing market in the SEA region, with an overall internet economy likely to reach $40 billion in value by 2025 — and e-commerce greatly contributes to this significant surge.

More consumers now heavily rely on online platforms like Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, for their needs. With this,  brands shifted online to better connect with their customers and tap into new and unreached markets. Five brands shared how they took advantage of Shopee’s various programs and enhanced marketing solutions to remain top-of-mind while establishing themselves as a strong player in the digital space.

1. Johnson & Johnson wins big during big sales

Johnson & Johnson grew its brand through Shopee’s innovative solutions and services. The recently concluded 11.11 Big Christmas Sale campaign was their most successful one to date with multiple basket-building strategies, such as co-sponsored vouchers, aimed at  driving conversion. Denise Peralta, Head of E-Commerce at Johnson & Johnson Philippines, Inc, said, “We are able to extend J&J’s presence on Shopee with its category-focused programs (Mom’s Club & Shopee Beauty). Through Shopee’s Brand Memberships Program, we are also able to offer our shoppers exclusive perks & privileges like vouchers and gifts.” 

2. vivo surpassed target sales with exclusive launches  

vivo also saw significant growth during their Super Brand Days (SBD) on Shopee, as well as the platform’s double-double campaigns and payday sales. Shopee’s extensive marketing solutions also played a big role in the success of vivo’s Y series launch, which saw ₱150 million in sales for 2021. He Zhuopeng (Chris) vivo E-Commerce Manager, said, “Shopee has helped us expand and grow our business through partnered campaigns every month. It gave us the opportunity to be known in the e-commerce industry. We are looking forward to many more years of strong partnership with Shopee.” 

3. Crocs won customers with curated pages during campaigns

Through their Shopee store, Crocs created curated pages for campaigns and collections easily. In the recent 11.11 Big Christmas Sale, the brand achieved a 65x uplift in orders compared to the usual, alongside Shopee’s marketing solutions such as Flash Deals and Rush Hour sales. John Darryl Bonifacio, E-Commerce Manager at Crocs, said, “At Crocs, we think of people first at every step and during the pandemic, safety was every Filipino’s priority. Retail store closures were inevitable with the lockdown measures but Shopee has allowed us to reach customers across the country.” 

4. SM Online boosted sales after first-ever Super Brand Day

In 2021, SM attained many e-commerce milestones through Shopee, including a successful first-ever Super Brand Day that helped increase sales, and an all-time spike in orders during the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. In the recent 7.7 Mid-Year Sale and 8.8 Mega Flash Sale campaigns, The SM Store’s participation in the TV Flash segment resulted in a significant increase of their 2021 orders and GMV. Nicole Villanueva, AVP of SM Online, said, “This year has been about how to sustain the massive growth of online from 2020.  Shopee has provided The SM Store prime avenues on which we can serve our customer’s essential and non-essential needs.”

5. NIVEA tapped into a new target market through new initiatives

Through weekly in-app visibility and pushes highlighting their best-sellers, NIVEA achieved tremendous growth with Shopee. The brand regularly joined campaigns such as Shopee Beauty and activated their own Brand Days, monthly Grand Launches, and Shopee Live during new product launches. Kitz Literal, E-Commerce Sales Manager at NIVEA, said, “We are happy to share that we achieved record-breaking sales during this year’s 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. Together with our partners in Shopee, we were able to generate a sales uplift of 50x and a traffic uplift of 8x. Another win for NIVEA is securing the third spot in the Personal Care Category last 12.12. Following this momentum, we are looking into finishing this year strong.”

Shopee’s brand partners are a driving force for the platform’s success. With the new year approaching, Shopee will adapt quickly to meet user needs and support businesses of all sizes to maximize the full potential of e-commerce.

'Eva' Will Turn The Heat Up On Cold December Nights

 

AS the cold nights of December approach, a girl named Eva will turn the heat up as she arrives on Vivamax.

Eva is an erotic-drama movie featuring Vivamax’s K-Krush Angeli Khang, fresh from the massive success of her first lead role in Mahjong Nights. This time, she plays the role of Eva, a young housemaid who is sexually curious and is willing to try anything to explore and satisfy her libido.

ANGELI KHANG

Because of this curiosity, she finds herself, one night, in a threesome with her boss, Victoria (Sab Aggabao), and Lauro (Marco Gomez), a neighbor’s houseboy who she often has sexual encounters with. This one careless night leads Eva to have confusions about her feelings and makes her choose between Victoria and Lauro.

Joining Angeli in this film by Jeffrey Hidalgo are vivamax hottest stars. A hunk actor known for his roles in Maria and Encounter, Ivan Padilla plays the role of Andrew, a model who will have a steamy sexual encounter with Eva’s lady boss. Pornstar 2’s Sab Aggabao is Victoria, the seductive and sexually liberated boss. The star of Silab and House Tour, Marco Gomez plays Lauro, a young houseboy who feeds Eva’s sexual desires.

SAB AGGABAO 

The cast was asked if threesome is on the list of their sexual fantasies and if yes with two girls or two guys?

Marco answered, “sa mga boys, mas gusto nila ang dalawang babae at isang lalaki.”

Sab says, “naisip ko naman rin yan, mas gusto ko siyempre ko dalawang babae, isang lalaki. Hindi naman kaya pag dalawang lalaki.”

According to Ivan, “sa movie na ito, natupad ang mga fantasies ko, na ‘yun iba hindi ko alam na fantasy ko pala.”

Angeli is more daring to her answer, “for me, two girls and two guys, para iba’t-iba ang ka-partner ha ha ha.”

Direk Jeffrey also gave his take on threesome, “kung pwede na foursome, mas gusto ko ‘yun, para pantay.

“Parang ‘yun sa ‘Palitan’, yun number one ngayon sa Vivamax.”

 

In one of her interviews, Angeli expressed her gratitude for the opportunities coming her way,  “Sobrang nakaka-flatter talaga. Thankfully na-deliver ko lahat… I’m thankful din na nakita nila yung potential ko and sobrang thankful ako na na-appreciate nila yung efforts ko”

Eva is directed by actor, singer Jeffrey Hidalgo. Aside from being on cam, he has also proven his talent for directing both in television and movies, he even had nominations from two of the most prestigious award-giving bodies in the Philippines, FAMAS awards and the Star Award for movies. Hidalgo will once again show his talent in storytelling as Eva arrives on our screens.

Get to know Eva and her sinful world as it premieres on Vivamax this December 24, 2021.

Subscribe to Vivamax for only P149 per month or P399 for three months. Go to web.vivamax.net or download the app and subscribe via Google Play Store, Huawei App Gallery, and App Store.

For payment thru the website, you may choose from EC Pay, 7 Eleven, All Day, All Day, Pay Mongo, GrabPay, GCash, or PayMaya.  For payment thru the app, you may choose from Globe, Smart, GCash, Paypal, Visa, or Mastercard.  For payment thru eCommerce, you may choose from Lazada, Shopee, Comworks, Clickstore, or Paymaya.  For payment thru authorized outlets, you may choose from Load Manna, Comworks, Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Express, and Load Central.  VivaMax’s cable partners are SkyCable, Cable Link, Wesfardell Connect, Fiber, BCTVI, Cebu Cable, Zenergy HD, Cotabato Cable Television Network Corporation, and Concepcion Pay TV Network, Inc. 

Eva is also streaming on Vivamax Middle East! To our dear fellow Pinoys in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar, watch all you can for only AED35/month.  In Europe, Vivamax can be streamed for only 8 GBP/month.  

Vivamax is also available in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Brunei, Macao, Vietnam, Maldives, Australia, New Zealand, and recently in Canada and the United States of America.

Vivamax, atin ‘to!

Thanking Everyday Heroes with Shopee Bayanihan: Frontliner Holiday Package

 

AFTER launching Frontliner Package and Fully-Vaxxed Package earlier this year, Shopee launches a new digital bundle just in time to spread joy and cheer this coming holiday season with Shopee Bayanihan: Frontliner Holiday Package.

Starting today (December 10) until January 9, 2022, our everyday heroes can avail of the exclusive digital package that includes Shopee discount and free shipping vouchers, ShopeePay Bills Cashback vouchers, and discounts from Ultramega Supermarket, Shawarma Shack, Moonleaf, Tapa King, and National Book Store*. Eligible beneficiaries include: 

• Health Care Workers (Hospital admin and janitorial services, Health and service personnel in LGU facilities)

• Medical Professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Medical Technicians)

• Policemen and Military Personnel

• Coast Guards

• Hospitality Sector Workers (Restaurants, Hotels, Bars, Travel Agencies)

• Government Agencies (LGU workers, admin staff)

• Delivery and Logistics Providers (Food, restaurant, medicine, logistics company drivers and riders)

• Security Guards

• Mortuary Services Personnel

The brand vouchers included in the package are from ShopeePay and users can redeem these vouchers via ShopeePay’s Scan to Pay feature at the brand’s stores. Eligible individuals who are not yet on Shopee can also create an account by downloading the Shopee App from Google Play or the App Store to sign up for the package and receive an additional discount and free shipping vouchers. 

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “As we welcome this season of hope and gratitude, Shopee and its partner brands continue to support frontliners by offering exclusive vouchers they can use to enjoy the holidays. We are inspired by the number of frontliners who enjoyed the first two iterations of this package, and we added in industries like the hospitality sector, which have been integral in the country's economic recovery efforts. With the new year ahead, Shopee will push for more initiatives that will benefit not only our frontliners but the Filipinos community as well.”

Frontliners can now avail of the bundle by signing up on the Shopee Bayanihan: Frontliner Holiday Package microsite in the Shopee App. Users can also check out the link here https://shopee.ph/m/frontliner-holiday-package. 

1. Sign up and upload a valid PRC license or company ID through the link found on the Shopee Bayanihan: Frontliner Holiday Package microsite 

2. Wait for Shopee to approve your application

3. Once verified, Shopee will notify you that your application has been accepted and will preload the package vouchers to your account (note: New Users will receive additional vouchers as part of the package)

4. Enjoy your Shopee Bayanihan: Frontliner Holiday Package vouchers

TEASE THE SEASON WITH WETV ORIGINAL SERIES 'THE KANGKS SHOW'

AS the wind starts to turn chilly, WeTV is teasing the season with one of the hottest and sexiest shows of the year – The Kangks Show. The Angelica Panganiban-starrer premieres exclusively on WeTV on December 17, 2021, Friday, 8:00PM. Stream new episodes for FREE every Friday!

MARIS, ANGELICA, ANGELI, KIT & JC

WeTV Original series The Kangks Show breaks barriers as a no-holds-barred, irreverent sex-positive comedy. Angelica Panganiban stars as the feisty sex guru Dr. Kara Teo who hosts a long-running midnight sex advice program, The Kangks Show. Ratings are at an all-time low when Gen-Z influencer Cassandra  (Maris Racal) launches a competing advice channel on TikTok. 

ANGELICA PANGANIBAN

As the network threatens to cancel her show, Doc Kara, with the help of her best friend and producer Nikki (Angelica Bayani), pulls out all the stops to deliver the most outrageous and over-the-top stories yet. She also unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a slew of unexpected personal drama. JC De Vera and Kit Thompson play the two men competing for her affections.

MARIS RACAL

The raunchy comedy series is the brainchild of top director Antoinette Jadaone, who describes it as a show within a show, where letter senders ask Dr. Kara for advice on their sex lives. Would a sex comedy like The Kangks Show be too in-your-face for most Filipino viewers? 

Direk Tonet says “Matagal nang dapat pinag-uusapan ang sex na hindi bulungan at hindi kailangan i-bleep sa pelikula or TV.” She is happy at how the cast embraced their roles, making the show work. Casting Angelica was the clincher, stating that “Si Angge, if hindi nya tinanggap ‘to, wala yung show. Change concept. Sya lang yung naisip ko to play Doc Kara.”

ANGELI BAYANI

Over eight episodes, you’ll get to meet different personalities in need of Dr. Kara Teo’s sage sex advice. Portraying these colorful characters are a talented group of actors that include Sheenly Gener, Yesh Burce, Arkin del Rosario, Mariella Laurel, Teetin Villanueva, Carlon Matobato, Mean Espinosa, Phi Palmos, Kych Minemoto, Abed Green, AJ Sison, Rachel Coates, Gene Padilla, Dolly de Leon, and Awra Briguela. 

Will she be able to solve their intimacy issues? Catch every single episode to find out! Rounding out the cast are Nonie Buencamino and Nour Hooshmand.

JC DE VERA

WeTV Original series The Kangks Show premieres on Friday, December 17, 8:00PM exclusively on WeTV. Stream new episodes for FREE every Friday.

Check out this naughty and nice table read with the cast of The Kangks Show. 

Check out this special The Kangks Show Behind-The-Scenes Featurette.

Check out the teaser trailer.

KIT THOMPSON

Check out the WeTV App Stay tuned to the WeTV Philippines social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for exclusive updates on other WeTV Originals, the biggest P-pop concerts, and premium Asian content.

To stream the WeTV Originals and the very best in Asian Premium Content, Filipino shows and anime, just download the WeTV and iflix app from the App store and Google Play and start watching! A monthly subscription rings in at only P59, quarterly at P159, and an annual subscription is only P599 for recurring subscriptions, while a one-month pass is only P149. 

“THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS” DEBUTS STUNNING NEW TRAILER

 

REMEMBER what is real.  

Check out the new trailer for “The Matrix Resurrections” now and watch the film in Philippine cinemas January 12, 2022.

YouTube: http://youtu.be/ZwcZxA9rfoU 

Facebook:  https://fb.com/456821995808030 

 

About “The Matrix Resurrections”

 

From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes “The Matrix Resurrections,” the long-awaited next chapter in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The new film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the iconic roles they made famous, Neo and Trinity.

 

In “The Matrix Resurrections,” return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. And if Thomas…Neo…has learned anything, it’s that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of—or into—the Matrix. Of course, Neo already knows what he has to do. But what he doesn’t yet know is the Matrix is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before.  Déjà vu.

 

Reeves reprises the dual roles of Thomas Anderson/Neo, the man once saved from the Matrix to become the savior of humankind, who will once again have to choose which path to follow.

 

Moss portrays the iconic warrior Trinity… or is she Tiffany, a suburban wife and mother of three with a penchant for superpowered motorcycles?

 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the “Aquaman” franchise) plays the wise and worldly Morpheus who, as always, serves as a guide to Neo while also fulfilling his own greater purpose on a very singular journey of self-discovery.

 

Jessica Henwick (TV’s “Iron Fist,” “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens”) plays the hacker Bugs, the proverbial white rabbit on a mission to discover the one who sacrificed himself for humankind--and willing to take any risk necessary in search of the legend she idolizes.

 

Jonathan Groff (“Hamilton,” TV’s “Mindhunter”), plays Thomas Anderson’s business partner, a slick, confident corporate type with insouciant charm, a disarming smile and an eye on the bottom line--everything Mr. Anderson is not.

 

Neil Patrick Harris (“Gone Girl”) plays Thomas’ therapist, working closely with his patient to understand the meaning behind his dreams and to distinguish them from reality.

 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas (TV’s “Quantico”) plays a young woman with a wisdom that belies her years and an ability to see the truth, no matter how murky the waters.

 

And Jada Pinkett Smith (“Angel Has Fallen,” TV’s “Gotham”) returns as Niobe, the fierce General who once fought for the survival of Zion and who now sees to the welfare of her people with a familiar fire in her eyes, despite a sense of disbelief and suspicion upon Neo’s return.

 

Lana Wachowski directed from a screenplay by Wachowski & David Mitchell & Aleksandar Hemon, based on characters created by The Wachowskis. The film was produced by James McTeigue, Lana Wachowski and Grant Hill. The executive producers were Garrett Grant, Terry Needham, Michael Salven, Karin Wachowski, Jesse Ehrman and Bruce Berman.

 

Wachowski’s creative team behind the scenes included “Sense8” collaborators: directors of photography Daniele Massaccesi and John Toll, production designers Hugh Bateup and Peter Walpole, editor Joseph Jett Sally, costume designer Lindsay Pugh, visual effects supervisor Dan Glass, and composers Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer.

 

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, In Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, In Association with Venus Castina Productions, “The Matrix Resurrections.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It will be in Philippine theaters on 12 January 2022.

 

Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #TheMatrix