Cartoonists in Intellectual Property Right Week celebration

BY NICKIE WANG/ MANILA STANDARD TODAY

Politics and social issues are serious topics, but because of editorial cartoons, these somber matters divert attention and somehow become a form of entertainment. Thanks to the lighter yet artistic and satiric approach of cartoonists for they add humor to the most relevant issues concerning the general public.

Editorial cartoonists can affect or influence opinion without using a word or a single caption. Indeed, they are a solid force in the print media creating direct impact whenever they explain and comment on issues using their drawing pen.

In line with celebration of the Intellectual Property Rights week slated on the last week of October, Intellectual Property Philippines invited some of the most prominent cartoonists in the country in a visual feast of political and social humors depicted through comics and editorial cartoons.

The exhibit dubbed Sining, Kamalayan at Paglikha (Art, Consciousness and Creation) is a joint effort of the IPP and the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas. The exhibit mounted at the Alab Art Space located at the lobby of the IPP building will run until Nov. 20.

SKP is premier artistic organization founded 30 years ago by pioneers led by Larry Alcala. The Samahan has about 30 members composed of active and retired editorial cartoonists, comic-strip artists and illustrators. The organization’s objective is to professionalize the profession of cartoonists and to improve their plight.

The organization is also active with different advocacies and supports the Asean missions and the United Nations Millennium Development goals. It has participated in numerous exhibitions here and abroad that showcased Filipino talents.

“Cartoon art is the most popular art form in the world. Cartoons amuse us, provoke us, and make us think. Cartoons are intellectual, entertaining, and educational. It is a means of communication unique throughout the world. They deliver messages simple and profound with directness and immediacy. For generation upon generation, cartoon serves both as a mirror of times and a memory of social and political history,” Norman Isaac, one of the founding members of the SKP, said during his speech at the launching of the exhibit.

According to Isaac, SKP discusses issues on environment like climate change, other issues like population, fight against graft and corruption, HIV/AIDS, and other matters concerning the predicament of the people.

Also during his speech, Isaac expressed his sentiments regarding the condition of editorial cartooning and illustration in the Philippines. Compared to other countries like United States, South Korea, Singapore, and Bulgaria, editorial cartooning is given much importance as a form of fine arts. In Bulgaria particularly, a museum called “House of Humor” contains vast numbers of cartoon art in print, animation and sculptures from all corners of the world.

“In the Philippines, so far, not a single cartoonist has been named as a national artist. Maybe the award-giving body thinks that cartoonists are just clowns who give comic relief to a depressed society,” Isaac expressed.

Isaac and the rest of the artists present at the event were glad to the IPP’s effort of inviting them to mount an exhibition at the Alab Art Space. The exhibition gallery is an alternative venue to showcase the works of budding artists.

According to Carmen Peralta, chairman of 2008 IPR Week celebration, the space for exhibition is free of charge, the arrangement between them and the artists is just a 10-percent commission that will go to the development of the venue and for the seminars being conducted by the IPP.

Some of the participating artists in the exhibition are veteran cartoonists and illustrators Roni Santiago, Hugo “Boboy” Yuzon, Norman Issac, and Rene Aranda. Other works are from SKP members William Contreras, Aileen Casis, Nick Pertierra, R2omy Buen, Ariel Atienza, Stanley Chi, Bladmer Usi, Freely Abrigo, Andrew Villar, Roger Sanchez, Julius Vilanueva, Toto Yonzon, and Jun Acquino.

Somewhere in China: A chronicle of adventurer siblings

China, a country of more than a billion people, has more than a billion stories to tell as well.

Many people across the globe think that China is a huge country where everything looks the same, like for example the people, food or the scenery.

In reality, the land of the dragon is a country of continuum, and award-winning photographer Jeff Hutchens and his equally talented brother Peter, a virtuous filmmaker, are out to prove it.

Peter and Jeff traveled across China in an adventure that gets below the surface of what have become familiar images of one of the world’s most fascinating countries. Their three-and-a-half-month adventure produced a six-part documentary that showcases Chinese culture captured through stunning photographs and film footage.

Somewhere in China, which started airing on National Geographic Channel (NGC) early this month, provides an interesting peek at the old China blending with the new. Their documented trips to the remarkable Xinjiang province which Jeff describes as “China’s wild west,” Kashgar and its devout Muslim population, the impressive Three Gorges Dam and Yangtze River, and the desolate steppes of Inner Mongolia, among others, simply unveil riveting and spectacular insights of the country within 17-hour shoot.

“China is an incredibly diverse country both geographically and ethnically. We want to give an accurate representation of what China is because the country is not just Beijing, or the Hong, it’s truly a diverse country,” lens master Jeff who visited the country shared during the NGC documentary press launch.

“And the other thing that we really would like to do with this series is to set up a unique visual style. Since Jeff is a still photographer and I worked on a number projects for the National Geographic and for other people, we have a good understanding of visuals and what makes a good show. Part of it, too, is the fact that I am a filmmaker and Jeff is a photographer our credibility rests on the visuals on the series,” Peter, the younger Hutchens added.

By exploring the unfamiliar and “unexpected” parts of China, the duo traveled in places like Gansu where they were kicked out when Tibetan protests turned the tranquil province into a place of unrest. They participated in ‘‘dragon boat race’’ in the Yangtze River with the Chinese locals, climbed a five-story sword ladder, jumped in a freezing pool in minus 14 degree Celsius temperature, and the list of their adventure continuous as they traveled from rough and tumble Western China.

“We know China pretty well, but because of the way we look, we couldn’t blend all that well. And that always left a certain feeling of distance. For me that makes the country so fascinating and I think it’s one of the reasons why we had a good time,” Jeff explained, revealing that they moved to Harbin, China in the early 1980s as ‘‘outsiders’’ to a homogenuous community of some seven million Chinese people.

“China was the first place we lived and the connection with it is the strongest. We speak enough Mandarin to get into trouble... but not enough to get us out of it,” said Peter, who also grew up in South Africa and the Philippines as a member of the globe-roaming Hutchens family.

At the beginning, the duo were asked by questions concerning about their show because the documentary seems not fit in just one particular genre. That particular fact makes the series suitable for the NGC for it caters to varied audiences.

“When you’re making a show or when you’re pitching a show in television, people will always want to say: ‘What is it, what is your show?’ I think our show was actually hard to define from the beginning, which is really tough when we first set up. Is it a travel show? Yes there are travel elements. Is it a buddy brother show? Yes we are brothers and we are buddies except when we fight,” Peter, the quick-witted younger Hutchens, explained.

Capping their visit to the Philippine were a meet and greet portion, a photo exhibit of their travels, video clip screenings and a photography seminar where the brothers imparted tips and techniques to attending students and hobbyists. The event was held at The Reading Room, Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati Avenue, Ayala Triangle, Makati City.

The six-part documentary will air until November; encores will be shown the following day. For more information and schedule, visit www.natgeotv.com.

7th Spanish Film Fest at Greenbelt

What do Christian Bales’ The Machinist, Sharon Stone’s Basic Instinct 2 and Nicole Kidman’s The Others have in common? Aside from being English-language films, all of them were produced by Spanish Cinema.

All throughout the world Spanish Cinema, which refers to films made within Spain or by Spanish filmmakers, has been acknowledged for its innovative approach in creating motion pictures and highly recognized for its excellence in creative and technical aspects of film making.

For almost a decade, Filipino moviegoers have been delighted by Spanish movies through the initiative of Instituto Cervantes by organizing an annual event that aims not just to introduce Spanish Cinema to the locals but to bring it much closer to the heart of the people. With a long history of Spanish oppression (333 years to be exact), movie, probably, is the best avenue to amend the mindset of the Filipinos towards the country they knew a couple of centuries ago.

Instituto Cervantes has gathered the best and newest Spanish films that range from comedy, drama, action and suspense all in one venue to celebrate October as the Spanish month. From Oct. 1 to 12 at the Cinema 1 of Greenbelt 3, people are invited to the 7th Spanish Film Festival dubbed “Pelicula Pelikula.”

Película is a yearly showcase of the best of Spanish and Latin-American cinema in the Philippines. It was first launched in 2002 and, since then, has been bringing the latest and greatest of Hispanic cinema to the Philippines. Now at its seventh year, Película is recognized as the biggest and most anticipated festival of Spanish film in Southeast Asia.

“It’s complicated to do a festival because you have to come up with a selection of best movies to spread a message. This year’s festival targets to draw 20,000 audiences, this target is 5,000 more than last year’s number of moviegoers who saw the featured films,” Instituto Cervantes director Jose Rodiguez told the media during the press launch held in Casa Armada Restaurant located at Greenbelt 3.

Several multi-awarded films will make their Philippine premier at the film fest. They are Siete mesas de billar frances ( Seven Billiard Tables), Bajo las estrellas (Under the Stars), El pollo, el pez y el cangrejo real (The Chicken, The Fish, and The King Crab) and Matahari.

Other films include Miguel and William, an imagining of what happens when William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) meet and La torre de suso (Suso’s Tower), a comedy about a group of friends who get together to bury one of their own. There are also line-up of films in different genres, some of which include: La Caja (The Wooden Box), Yo soy la Juani ( My Name is Juani), Concursante (The Contestant), Lo mejor de mi ( The Best of Me), Fados, Los crimenes de Oxford (The Oxford Murders), and the horror movie El orfanato ( The Orphanage).

Last Sept. 30, Nacho G. Vevilla presented his very first movie direction Fuera de Carta (Chef’s Special) at the by-the-invitation-only event which kicked off the film fest. The film that won Best Film Audience Award at the Magala Spanish Film Festival is a comedy about a man whose life suddenly becomes complicated when an Argentinean ex-football player moves in next door.

“This festival is not a function of making a movie for a few. The most important thing is to reach out to the youth, to the younger audience, so we could make this as a family affair,” director Rodriguez said while introducing Nocturna, the winner of the 2008 Goya Awards for Best Animated Film.

Aside from Nocturna, children and children at heart can get a taste of Spanish mimes as Tearofia, a group from Tenerife, Spain, presents “Aqui estamos. Es ova a ser que hemos venido (Here we are. That shows we have come).” About the foibles of traveling, the presentation on Oct. 11 (11 a.m.) is dedicated to families and children. The Oct. 10 (11 p.m.) run of Teatrifia’s show is for older audiences.

A photo exhibit by celebrated Spanish photographer Oscar Fernandez Orengo at the Greenbelt 3 cinema lobby will run during the whole duration of the festival. Coinciding with the event, the exhibit that presents Hispanic films in black and white photos is entitled A traves de mis ojos (Through My Eyes).

Entrance to the photo exhibit is free. Entrance to the movies is P65. For more information, call 526-1482 loc. 115 or visit www.manila.cervantes.es.

Grandpa is Lee Majors’ new role

What would you do if you had the power to turn yourself into 10 different entities with 10 different superpowers?

For Lee Majors, the American television icon who played Steve Austin in the series The Six Million Dollar Man, dreaming of having superpower is a thing of the past. But given a chance, he would rather have a peek of the future or perhaps go back in time and see some old folks.

“I was a superhero in a television series before so I have the idea what a superhero can do, but if I had real powers, well, I would like to see the people I really like; go back in time or have a peek of the future,” said Majors who was in the country for the promotional tour of Cartoon Network’s first live action TV movie Ben 10: Race Against Time.

Majors, 69, is chiefly known for his major appearances on TV during the ’60s and the ’70s. He initially graced the boob tube as Heath Barkley in The Big Valley, and continued to endear the audiences in Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, The Fall Guy, and Raven.

In an interview with Standard Today, Majors showed his enthusiasm for doing the movie and his unforgettable experiences with Ben 10 young actors Graham Phillips and Haley Ramm.

“My role here as Grandpa Max is pretty close to my personality in real life, I raised children. With this movie, I play the good-looking grandfather on the show. This is the first time I’m playing a grandfather,” said the American actor. “Graham, the kid who plays Ben, is really cute. He’s very attentive on what the director says and he has experiences doing a movie unlike Haley. Although both of them are really good, Haley needs a little more experience,” he added.

The movie for television he promotes was shot entirely in Los Angeles. It took them three weeks to make the movie. “The shooting period is quite short but the longer process is the post production, doing all the graphics and all,” he said.

Ben 10 landed in the Philippines in October 2006 to become an instant hit, achieving Cartoon Network’s highest rating for boys 7 to 15 on cable. The series has reached almost three million Filipino viewers since its debut and has become one of the most-watched Cartoon Network Originals for boys.

The animated series is also now being aired in more than 160 countries around the world. In Asia Pacific, the show is seen in 118 million households in 23 countries. These facts serve as challenge to the actors and to director Alex Winter because the movie is anticipated to equal the success of the animated version.

“There are challenges in doing the movie. You know, from animation it is made to a real-life action so the actors had to do all the stunts. It’s tough because you have to act with aliens who aren’t there. All you have is a green background and some markers,” he stated. “One of the most unforgettable experience I had with the movie is when we did a scene shot in a basement. The place was really hot and they filled it with smoke so it was hard to breathe. I wasn’t concern about myself, I was thinking about the one who plays Eon (the major antagonist in the movie), he’s a kid and his costume is a torture, he’s all in black,” he recounted.

Majors said that Ben 10 opened him to a whole new audience. “I was on a cruise about a month ago when a kid about five years old came to me and said, ‘Mr. Majors, can I have your autograph?’ I looked at him and said, ‘How do you know me?’ He said, ‘You’re Grandpa Max.’ At that point, the kid held up his wrist to show his Omnitrix and said, “Ben 10 was the greatest movie ever made for a five-year-old,” Majors revealed.

Ben 10 and the movie

For grown-ups with discriminating taste, Ben 10 is not an animated series for them to watch. It is all about Ben Tennyson, a 10-year-old boy with the ability to morph into different aliens using a strange alien device called the Omnitrix. The movie, however, is about Ben and his extraterrestrial nemesis Eon.

In the movie, Eon shows up to claim the Omnitrix and destroy the Earth. Eon was the first alien ever captured by Grandpa Max’s secret organization, “The Plumbers.” The now-escaped Eon is trying to locate the doomsday device that was taken and hidden when he was captured. The device is capable of opening a gateway to Earth and signaling the start of an alien invasion that would mark the end of humankind. Now, Ben, Gwen and Grandpa Max, with some help from The Omnitrix, are on a mission to stop Eon and save the world from total destruction.

Ben 10: Race Against Time is scheduled to air in the Philippines on Cartoon Network tomorrow, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m.

APO’s landmark concert at the Big Dome

“I still retain images of the Big Dome lighted with cell phones everywhere in the audience like points of happy light sending out warm affectionate signals to us on stage.”

Jim Paredes wrote these lines on his blog few hours after the APO’s successful three-hour-and-eight-minute concert at the Big Dome. He is referring to the moment when the audience at the Araneta Coliseum cooperated by raising and waving their cell phones up in the air while he, Boboy Garrovillo and Danny Javier were singing their classic “Kabilugan ng Buwan.”

More popularly known as The Apo Hiking Society or simply APO, the troika of these quick-witted yet wholesome gentlemen made everyone at the Big Dome laughed, smiled and reminisced through songs that have been a part of their lives.

For 39 years, the APO has made notable contributions on the local music scene and has become a formidable force that adheres to Original Pinoy Music advocacy. The APO has 26 albums under its belt and produced numerous hits that most OPM lovers grew up with. Who would ever forget “Batang-Bata Ka Pa,” “Ewan,” “Awit ng Barkada,” “When I Met You,” “Blue Jeans,” “Panalangin,” “Doobidoo” and “American Junk,” among many others? Many followers considered these songs as the hymns of their lives for they are enclosed with messages that describe Filipino peculiarity, lament social illness, draw positive energy, and ingrain pure emotions.

Unlike other concerts, Apo of the Philippines: Finally… at the Big Dome took the stage on time. This was the very reason why some early birds were distracted by latecomers who were finding their seats in the dark. There were attendees who came as late as 10 p.m. considering the concerts started exactly at 8.

Flocked by more than seven thousand attendees at the beginning of the show, it opened with a band playing some recognizable APO classics before Raymond Marasigan graced the stage with a rap performance. The crowd gave him a loud applause when he hummed “Wala pa nung Myx, wala pa nung MTV, wala pa nung Betamax, meron nang APO,” and heralded the most popular trio on the land.

Jim, Boboy and Danny were clad in tricolor outfit that symbolizes the Philippine flag. They opened the show with an excerpt from “Doobidoo,” followed by “Blue Jeans” and “Ewan.” Noticeably, even after four decades, the trio has maintained the same voice quality people can hear through their records and live performances furthered by their undeniable charisma, and their reunion at the Araneta after several years of hiatus in performing live in a big venue is no exception. Danny can still belt with ease and Jim and Boboy can still strut while singing.

After the opening salvo that earned applause from the grown-ups and youngsters alike, it was followed by “Panalangin” that the trio dedicated to fictional lovers Jun and Julie who became a married couple because of a serenade done by the Apo one early morning at the office of the woman.

In 2006 and in the following year, the country’s most prominent bands collaborated to pay tribute to the great compositions of the APO. Kami nAPO Muna and Kami nAPO Muna Ulit were released and achieved multiplatinum status. The younger generation was then introduced to songs their parents enjoyed. The trio said that even though young people recognize the songs in the tribute albums as contemporary compositions, the mere fact that youngsters sing these songs opened the APO to a whole new generation of audience. Apo Virgins (the term the trio coined to describe the people who saw their live performance for the very first time), were devirginized during the concert with the original versions of “Doobidoo” and “When I Met You.”

The APO never failed the expectation of the crowd, aside from rendering massive classic hits “Pumapatak Ang Ulan,” “Tuyo Na’ng Damdamin,” and “Paano,” they also had their former vocal coach Mon David to sing with them. David shared the stage with APO in performing a cappella “Lumang Tugtugin.”

They also had Jon Santos guest-appearing as president GMA standing on the podium when they performed a satiric bohemian rhapsody number. The trio then delivered a nationalistic note with Muslim-inspired intro of “American Junk. ”

For the whole three hours of the concert, the audience saw how the APO survived the test of time and how they reinvent themselves to adapt to the modern music scene. With different musical taste, they performed “Di Na Natuto” in three genres. Jim did the song in soul, Danny in classical and Boboy in rock. After that, they did a medley of some folk songs flavored with modern-day music. The three then received a standing ovation after that jocose performance.

They fittingly ended the show with “Saan Na Nga Ba’ng Barkada.”

During the opening, on the big screen that served as the backdrop of the stage, it was flashed that the concert is dedicated to the APO’s no. 1 fans (Jun, Dante and Bebot) who were victims of a mishap. Well, as part of the humor, the corruption of their names only means that the concert is actually dedicated to their triumvirate and to their friendship that has endured controversies and the harsh environment of the entertainment world.

For a band to actually last for four decades is something unattainable for most bands, vocal groups, musical groups and the like. Friendship, as the trio claims, is the significant foundation of their success. APO reinvents its sound and maintains the high standards that emanate from their virtuosity in the field they chose to traverse. Young musicians would want to do the same, but most of the time they are blinded by their selfish motives to advance and gain more popularity that only lasts for a couple of years or even less.

Seeing a performance like that of the APO while seated in an uncomfortable chair for three hours is an enough reason to be stuck in this kind of confinement. Audience will not mind poor sound system if their senses were charmed by an outstanding performance that does not try hard to impress. Some of the songs performed by the APO during the concert were unknown (let us talk about generation gap) but it is significant to note the APO is one of the artists, if not the only one in the country, that sings its own compositions. With no doubt, the Apo of the Philippines is a now a benchmark of local live performance.