Lola wins Grand Knight Award in Miami Filmfest

BREAKING NEWS: Lola, directed by Brillante “Dante” Mendoza, won the Grand Knight Award at the Miami International Film Festival that ended last week.

“With the award comes a $25,000 cash prize from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,” said Funfare “international correspondent” Ferdinand Lapuz who relayed the good news from France where he and Dante have just attended the Deauvilla Asia Film Festival. “Twelve films competed in the category that celebrates the works of up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world.”

Starring Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio, Lola also won Second Best Picture at the Venice Filmfest last year and Best Film (with a cash prize of $50,000) in Dubai.

The Deauville filmfest held a retrospective of Dante’s films, including Masahista, Tirador, Serbis, Kinatay, Foster Child, Kaleldo, Manero and Lola (which is currently competing at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival in Spain and will compete next at the Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland).

Ferdy and Dante are thanking Jacky Atienza of the Film Development Council of the Philippines for his all-out support.

Las Vegas mayor declares Dec. 4 Lani Misalucha Day

They just can’t get enough of her.

That’s what Angelo Giordano of World Entertainment, producer of Voice, says of Lani Misalucha who continues to shine, bigger and brighter, in Las Vegas where critics put her at part with the likes of Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

First starring with Vegas’ seasoned performing group The Society of Seven, and later with the quintessential artist Earl Turner in Voices at the Las Vegas Hilton, Lani went solo in Voices last year. Voices is a consistent crowd drawer.

Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre (of The Filipino Reporter) further quoted Giordano as saying, “Once they see Ms. Misalucha, many of them keep coming back with loved ones and friends.”

Said Edmund, “No wonder Lani has lately been hitting the red carpets in Vegas, Hollywood style, hobnobbing with stellar names like Zac Efron, Billy Zane, Mike Tyson, Jacqueline Bisset, Freda Payne, Randy Jackson (of the Jackson Five) and Dionne Warwick, as well as diplomats and politicians. Warwick described Lani as ‘absolutely magnificent’.”

Edmund added that in an interview with The Strip View Line TV program, Warwick exclaimed, “Wow, in a word. She is absolutely magnificent...incredible voice, perfect stage presence...I really, really enjoyed the show.”

As a testament to Lani’s popularity in Vegas, Mayor Oscar Goodman declared Dec. 4 Lani Misalucha Day, which means Lani’s talent will be celebrated every 4th of December. In his proclamation, Mayor Goodman asked all citizens of the city to recognize the Filipina’s “astounding three-octave vocal range, dead-on impressions and incredible dancing talent.”

According to Edmund, Lani is currently a hot topic among industry insiders. Rumors have it that Lani is planning to move to a bigger Vegas casino resort like The Venetian or Paris, which has a bigger and opulent music venue, and leave the Hilton that made her a star.

No official word yet from Lani as Voices continues to be a moneymaking nightly spectacle five times a week (except Tuesdays and Wednesdays) at 7:30 p.m. at Hilton’s Shimmer Showroom.

On March 21 (Sunday), Lani can probably shed light on the matter when she faces the press for her one-time only performance in Atlantic City (the Las Vegas of the East Coast). Lani is bringing her Voices act to the other side of the coast in response to numerous requests by those who can’t fly to Vegas to catch her.

The Atlantic City show is produced by Group Ole and will be staged at the Xanadu Theater of the famous Trump Taj Mahal Resort & Casino starting at 3 p.m.

Group Ole’s Drs. Ramon and Ching Legarda said even the Trump Taj Mahal bosses are thrilled to showcase Lani to their VIP clients.

“You can’t go wrong with Lani Misalucha if you talk about world-class Filipino talents,” said Dr. Ramon Legarda, whose outfit has produced the US shows of other high-caliber Filipino artists like Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Pops Fernandez, Jose Mari Chan, MiG Ayesa and Regine Velasquez.

“One great thing about Lani is her humility, discipline and professionalism,” noted Dr. Ching Legarda. “She’s too shy to talk about her new-found fame in Vegas as if it’s no big deal. Ganun pa rin siya. Magiliw siya sa lahat. Madali pa rin siyang kausap and yet she delivers first rate entertainment.”

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