Bohol-filmed movie ‘Circle of Bones’ to debut in US theaters

“Circle of Bones”, an independent horror/action film written and directed by award-winning Filipino filmmaker Vincent Soberano, is showing in US theaters in 10 major cities starting October 22.

Released by Vertical Entertainment and represented by Safier Entertainment, it is produced by IndieGo Pictures Entertainment in cooperation with CMB Films and Blackburst Studios.

The movie is in Tagalog and English and was filmed in Panglao, Bohol and Cainta, Rizal. It is based on Soberano’s unpublished book “Yawa” – a tale of local superstitions and modern-day urban legends in the Visayas region. Set in the picturesque island of Panglao, the story is told by a lone survivor of a mysterious cult suspected of mass murders and human sacrifices.

Soberano recounts how the story was developed: “I get my inspiration for stories usually in the most unexpected ways. I was location-hunting for another movie and I stumbled into a cult temple in Bohol. Curious, I started asking around and based on stories from the locals, I came up with the new plot for ‘Circle of Bones.’”

Hollywood action star Sarah Chang rounds up the cast with Filipino stars Jana Victoria, Marela Torre, Ian Ignacio and Epy Quizon, with a cameo by veteran actor Joel Torre.

“This movie is uniquely Filipino and features sights and stories never before seen by the US audience,” says Jared Safier, one of the executive producers and a four-time Emmy Award winning producer. “I’m confident it will do well in the US market, both theatrically and on streaming platforms.”

This is the first time a Filipino movie has been released theatrically in the United States, Canada and the UK by Vertical Entertainment, a top-ranked film distribution company based in Santa Monica, California, and founded by producers Richard B. “Rich” Goldberg and Mitch Budin in 2012.

Following its theatrical run, the film will also be released on VOD, on platforms such as Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, etc.

“Having a Filipino-made, independent genre film get a theatrical release throughout the U.S. is a huge achievement for me,” Soberano says. “It gives me great pride as a Filipino filmmaker that I’ve gotten this far to represent Filipino films in the U.S. mainstream market. Next step, worldwide distribution!”

Indeed, under the brokerage of Safier Entertainment, “Circle of Bones” is poised for worldwide distribution after its North America and UK releases. For more information, contact: [email protected]

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#WorldPandesalDay was celebrated on October 16 as a civic and cultural event by 82-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café with special guests, education advocate Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (who welcomed vaccinations of teenagers and prospects of opening face-to-face classes), culture advocate Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, urban renewal and food security advocate Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Regal Films founder Mother Lily Y. Monteverde (who welcomed the opening of theaters as good news for the hard-hit Philippine movie industry) and consumer rights advocate Atty. Neri Colmenares (who called for science-guided anti-pandemic policies). All of them paid tribute to the Philippines’ unique pandesal bread, honored bakers nationwide and called for socio-economic reforms to solve poverty and hunger. Oct. 16 is also UN’s World Food Day.

Instead of its annual tradition of giving 70,000 free pandesal and other food the whole day to the urban poor plus free medical/dental/optical missions, due to Alert Level 4, owner Wilson Lee Flores said bread donations shall be delivered to orphanages, diverse children’s shelters and urban poor communities. World Pandesal Day seeks to honor the humble yet great Filipino bread pandesal, also to highlight the need to address global hunger and poverty.

Messages of support for the annual #WorldPandesal Day came from various leaders led by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Vice-President Leni Robredo, Senator Bong Go, Senator Grace Poe, Senator Sonny Angara, Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, GMA Network, Inc. Chairman & CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon and Regal Entertainment founder Mother Lily Y. Monteverde.

Actor Dingdong Dantes has also graced World Pandesal Day and helped distribute free bread and other food. Among Kamuning Bakery Café’s partners in this annual philanthropic and cultural project are Philippine Foremost Milling, San Miguel Mills, Mondelez, Pagcor, Mega Sardines and Caltex Iba Malhacan Road in Meycauayan Exit.

Despite the economic crisis, Kamuning Bakery Café donated new public school buildings to Barangay Dinalaoan Elementary School in Calasiao, Pangasinan in cooperation with the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII).