‘Felix Manalo’ premiere breaks 2 Guinness records

CEBU, Philippines - With a whopping attendance of 43,624 at the 55,000 seater Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on Sunday, “Felix Manalo” set two Guinness world records –  Largest Attendance for a Film Screening and Largest Attendance for a Film Premiere.

This was confirmed and certified by Guinness World Records UK adjudicators Marco Frigatti and Victoria Tweedey who attended the film’s red carpet premiere night. Frigatti and Tweedey presented plaques certifying the new world records to Iglesia ni Cristo auditor Glicerio Santos, Jr. and Viva Films president and CEO Vic del Rosario, Jr. as well as to lead stars Dennis Trillo and Bela Padilla.

The previous record for Largest Attendance for a Film Screening was held by the documentary film “Honor Flight,” which had 28,442 attendees in 2012 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin while the Largest Attendance for a Film Premiere was previously recorded by the Hollywood fantasy feature “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” with over 10,000 in attendance at 02 Arena, London in 2008.

The venue of the premiere, the Philippine Arena, holds two world records of its own — world’s largest indoor arena and world’s largest mixed-used indoor theater.

“Felix Manalo” is a biopic of the INC founder from his birth in 1886 and the humble beginnings of the religious sect he registered in 1914, to his death in 1963 and the INC’s rise as the biggest and a highly influential indigenous religious group in the Philippines. It was produced with a budget of P150 million.

Directed by Joel Lamangan, the film also boasts of a large supporting cast that includes Gabby Concepcion, Heart Evangelista, Lorna Tolentino, Philip Salvador, Mylene Dizon, Jaclyn Jose, Alice Dixson, Joel Torre, Tonton Gutierrez, Richard Yap, Gladys Reyes, Yul Servo, Joem Bascon, Alfred Vargas, Ejay Falcon, Bembol Roco, Snooky Serna, Roxanne Barcelo, Arci Muñoz, Eddie Gutierrez, Jay Manalo, Raymond Bagatsing, Mon Confiado and Elizabeth Oropesa.

“Felix Manalo” opens in 300 theaters nationwide beginning tomorrow. — InterAksyon.com