Hope for showbiz 2013

It’s the third day of the New Year and as we look forward to the year with hopes of better things to come, we wish everyone a peaceful New Year. May this year bring us more blessings and opportunities that will make our lives better.

The entertainment world in 2012 was marked with deaths to prominent personalities, breakups, weddings, as well as triumphs for our stars in international film festivals. We wish that the triumphs will continue as we believe that a number of film festivals had invited several of our movies to compete or be part of the exhibition section. We hope that our films will be recognized and find a new audience outside of our turf.

Thy Womb, winner of the Best Actress award for Nora Aunor and Best Director award for Brillante Mendoza at the still ongoing 38th Metro Manila Film Festival, had been invited to several film festivals. Here’s wishing it reaps more awards and accolades since the honor that comes Thy Womb’s way also brings prestige to our country.

Then there’s Bwakaw, the lovable story of an aging man who decides to go out and admit that he is gay, and who finds a new meaning in life after befriending a dog. Bwakaw already won for Eddie Garcia several acting awards – Cinemalaya and Asia Pacific Film Awards. For sure, he will be a frontrunner come the awards season.

We still don’t know the total number of local movies that were produced last year but we hope it was an improvement from 2011. For sure, Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival will still push through despite some controversies that it faced. This was the commitment made public by Antonio Cojuangco at the Cinemalaya Awards Night last year.

Of course, there is still Cinemanila International Film Festival, Cinema One Originals and there’s a new kid on the block, the Quezon Indie Film Festival which picked three entries which was given grant. But we hope that the mainstream producers like Viva, Regal, Star Cinema as well as indie film producers will continue to make movies.

Cinemalaya has cultivated its own audience who pack the CCP during the duration of the festival. We hope that the other film festivals are also able to entice more crowd. We also hope that small indie films will likewise find a regular audience.

On the TV front, GMA 7, ABS-CBN and TV5 are coming out with new TV shows this January.

GMA Network has ‘Indio’ which features Senator Bong Revilla, ABS-CBN has ‘Kailangan Ko’y  Ikaw’ which stars Robin Padilla, Kris Aquino and Anne Curtis, while TV5 has ‘Never Say Goodbye’ which stars Nora Aunor, Cesar Montano, Alice Dixson and Artista Academy winners Sophie Albert and Vin Abrenica, as well ‘Kidlat’ topbilled by Derek Ramsay.

Willie Revillame makes his comeback in the noontime slot as his TV show ‘WilTime Bigtime’ assumes a new title and gets pitted anew with Eat Bulaga for a slice of the noontime audience.

TV5 will also beef up its afternoon slot by fielding several dramas as post programming for the show of Willie Revillame (which we hope won’t fall into the trap of getting into overtime again).

One reason why TV dramas of TV5 don’t get any headway in getting an audience was because Willie’s show always goes overtime. How can one watch a TV drama that has a topsy-turvy time slot? Now that Willie’s show is being transferred, we hope that TV5 dramas on primetime will get more audience because of a more solid and regular time slot.

It is election year and for sure a number of politicians will once again seek the help of the entertainment people to help them gain votes. Whether these are newbies seeking to be elected or incumbent politicians running for reelection or seeking a new position, they will once again come and cajole the entertainment people (whether celebrity or member of the media) to give them support. This is always the scenario.

These politicians make all sorts of promises to help the movie industry which had long been sick. But we wonder who among these politicians would fulfill their promise to help? You can count on your fingers.

Even showbiz folks seeking elective posts will seek the help of the media. But not all of them will win with or without the support of the entertainment media.

Controversies will surely be around because that’s what makes the showbiz world alive and colorful. So expect stars on a relationship to either end up marrying or breaking up. That’s the usual ending. Get married for a blissful life or get into a new relationship after a breakup. Or get back together again. And break up again.

New discoveries who will try their luck to be the stars of tomorrow will surface anew – whether through reality shows, star searches or singing tilts. But one thing is sure – the road to stardom will not be that easy. Only the destined will make it. Or maybe, with a stroke of luck, someone who many would say doesn’t have the makings of a star, will surprise us and shine!

Happy New Year!