Nora, Lolita joining Metro Manila filmfest?

Are Nora Aunor and Lolita Rodriguez joining the Metro Manila Film Festival this December?

Well, a relatively new movie company, Angora Films, submitted an entry titled Araw, Bituin at Buwan, supposedly topbilled by Nora Aunor and directed by Elwood Perez. On the other hand, Viva Films submitted Ang Pilipinas Kong Mahal, listing the California-based Lolita Rodriguez as leading the all-star cast to be directed by Joel Lamangan.

But isn’t Nora supposed to be rehearsing for the rock opera Himala, which has an October playdate at the Cultural Center of the Philippines? Will she have the time to shoot the Elwood Perez film? Nora cut short her top-rating soap on ABS-CBN, Bituin, to give her time to do Himala.

Viva has sent the script of Pilipinas to Lolita but to date it isn’t clear whether she has accepted or rejected the offer. Lolit comes home every now and then if a project excites her, like Lino Brocka’s Ina, Kapatid, Anak, Celso Ad Castillo’s Paradise Inn and Mel Chionglo’s Lucia.

It will be recalled that in the 1979 Metro Manila filmfest, Nora and Lolit co-starred in Lino Brocka’s Ina Ka ng Anak Mo, sharing the Best Actress trophy in the filmfest.

Nora is the most awarded actress of the Metro filmfest, having won seven Best Actress statuettes.

Other Metro Manila filmfest aspirants include:

= Regal’s Mano Po 2, with Ms. Susan Roces leading the cast and directed by Erik Matti.

= MaQ’s Gagamboy, with Vhong Navarro in the title role. Erik Matti is supposed to direct it, but then the schedule of Mano Po 2 might conflict with Gagamboy’s.

= OctoArts-MZET’s Lastikman 2, starring Vic Sotto and directed by Tony Y. Reyes. The original Lastikman was No. 2 at the box-office, second to the first Mano Po, which was the filmfest topgrosser and winner of the major awards.

= Imus’ sequel to Agimat – no definite director yet.

= Star Cinema’s Vilma Santos starrer – no definite director yet.

= RVQ’s Dolphy starrer with Eric Quizon directing.

Entries to the filmfest (nine last year, seven opening on Dec. 25 and two on Jan. 1) are shown simultaneously in Metro Manila and key cities in the provinces, including Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.

The Christmas/New Year playdate is the most lucrative throughout the year, grossing P350 million last year.

Soap kings

Recent and current soap opera or telenovela queens include Claudine Barretto, Judy Ann Santos, Nora Aunor, Eula Valdes, Lorna Tolentino, Kristine Hermosa, all from ABS-CBN. But are there soap kings?

Christopher de Leon and Richard Gomez of GMA’s Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw Pa Rin come to mind. Boyet and Goma play the principal roles in the soap, now on its Book 2. While other telenovelas are focused on women, or loveteams, Ang Iibigin has the two drama actors hogging the plot, set in the corporate world. They play half-brothers bitterly fighting over the wealth left by their father.

Only once did Boyet and Goma co-star on the big screen, Eskapo, and their sharing the limelight on TV is truly a casting coup.

Supporting Boyet and Goma are Lani Mercado and Alice Dixson, playing their respective wives. The roles of Barbara Perez and Jackie Lou Blanco are getting more and more exciting, really mean contravidas.

Do Boyet and Goma tend to outshine each other in the telenovela? Unconsciously, perhaps?

Not really as their roles are quite contrary. Boyet is low-key, while Goma is aggressive. It is more of complementing each other in Ang Iibigin Ay Ikaw Pa Rin, directed by Joyce Bernal and Lore Reyes, with Gina Marissa Tagasa as head writer.

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