ANG documentary film na “And So It Begins” ang napili ng Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) bilang official entry ng Pilipinas para sa 97th Academy Awards o sa Oscars 2025.
Lalaban ito sa kategoryang “Best International Feature”.
Ang magandang balita tungkol sa pagkakasama ng “And So It Begins” ay inanunsyo ng FAP sa kanilang Facebook page na may caption na, “And the winner is….”
Kasama ng post ang mga larawan ng direktor na si Ramona Diaz na tumanggap ng certificate of proclamation sa kanyang documentary film bilang official entry ng bansa.
Gaganapin ang 97th Academy Awards sa March 2, 2025 sa Los Angeles.
Ipinalabas ang “And So It Begins” nitong August 2024 sa mga sinehan sa bansa.
Umiikot ang kuwento ng pelikula sa naging presidential campaign ni dating Vice President Leni Robredo sa nagdaang 2022 National Elections.
Kasama rin ang istorya ng CEO ng Rappler at Nobel Prize awardee na si Maria Ressa sa pakikipaglaban niya para sa malayang pamamahayag.
Sa hindi pa nakakapanood ng ‘And So It Begins’ at palabas pa ito sa piling sinehan.
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PINARANGALAN nga si Lea Salonga ng 2024 Gawad CCP para sa Sining.
Malaking karangalan ito para sa international singer na parangalan ng Cultural Center of the Philippines ang kanyang mga naging kontribusyon sa entertainment industry. “CCP was my home for ‘The King and I,’ the first show I ever did,” pahayag ni Lea.
“It was my home for ‘Annie,’ ‘Miss Saigon,’ where I auditioned in the first place when I was 17. I spent a lot of time on those stages. So, it is an absolute honor to be receiving this.”
Nagbigay naman si Lea ng reaksyon tungkol sa National Artist award na puwede raw isama sa mga pagpipilian.
Ayon naman sa international diva, “No, there are folks who are far more deserving and whose National Artists Awards are long overdue. I would love to see somebody like Dolphy, for example.
“We have to judge him as an artist for his body of work. He has contributed so much, even the movies where he is cross-dressing. It lends so much tolerance and so much acceptance towards LGBT community.
“Even if that was not his intention at that time, that was an effect. I think he should be heralded first. Hopefully, I will be given an opportunity to champion him,” paliwanag ng nag-iisang Lea Salonga.
(ROHN ROMULO)