* Remember Timi Yuro, singer of such ’60s hits as Hurt and I Apologize? She did a show in 1966 at the Araneta Coliseum where Nora Aunor had her first public appearance after winning the Tawag ng Tanghalan grand finals. Timi was so impressed with Nora’s golden voice that she wanted to "adopt" Nora and encourage her to try her luck in the States. Nora politely declined. The sad news (relayed to Funfare by "the other beauty expert" Celso de Guzman Caparas) is that Timi died peacefully in her sleep at age 62 at her home in Las Vegas at 4 p.m. last March 30 (Tuesday), surrounded by her husband Robert, her roommate and close friend Isabelle and two hospice nurses. Her ashes were spread on her mother and father’s graves in Cicero, Illinois.
* As requested by Funfare readers reacting to the story on the "healing" of Senatoriable Ernie Maceda, here’s the complete address of the Mother Ignacia Healing Center: Bagombong Road, Barangay Bagombong, Caloocan City. You can take the FX from the Farmers’ Market in Cubao, Quezon City, to Bagombong; or take a bus to the Novaliches town center and take the jeepney to Susana Road leading to the Healing Center. There are signs along the way.
* More stars with degrees: Katya Santos, Business Management (International Academy of Management and Economics); and Freida Fonda (real name: Frida Von Giese Parker), Dentistry (Loma Linda University in Los Angeles County). Her husband is also a dentist. Correction: John "Sweet" Lapuz finished Hotel & Restaurant Management at UST, not Arts & Letters.
Here’s a pleasant shocker of good news: The indie film has been officially invited to the Directors’ Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival next month. The official invitation was e-mailed last Thursday (April 22) by Cannes’ new Artistic Director Olivier Pere to Funfare’s Toronto-based "international correspondent" Ferdinand Lapuz who filed the following report:
According to Jeremy Segay of the Directors’ Fortnight who helped me all the way until the film was officially invited, Babae will have its international premiere on May 19 at 7:30 p.m. There will be a press screening in the morning and a market screening. Then three or four more screenings will follow all over Cannes.
I just spoke to him because I had to check if it is okay to issue an official statement because the official announcement for the final selection of the Directors' Fortnight is on April 27 at 3 p.m. I was referred to Segay by Jacob Wong, festival director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival who loves Babae so much.
I have spoken with Edgar and Arlene Aguas of Warehouse Entertainment Inc., producers of the film, and they are planning to attend the festival along with director Mario O’Hara and possibly with some of the cast members (Katherine Luna, Kristoffer King and maybe Gardo Versoza). They are very excited because this is such a big honor for a first-timer independent producer.
We are now discussing the possibility of re-issuing the film after Cannes. The French Embassy in Manila is very helpful especially Martin Macalintal who is in charge of Cinema and Lia Valera; they are coordinating with Aguas.
The love affair between Cannes and Filipino Cinema was started by the late Lino Brocka at the 1978 Directors' Fortnight with Insiang (starring Hilda Koronel, Mona Lisa and Ruel Vernal in 1978). Insiang was written by Mario O'Hara. Brocka’s multi-awarded film Jaguar (with Phillip Salvador and Amy Austria) was in the official competition at Cannes in 1980. In 1981, Brocka was back in the Directors’ Fortnight with Bona (starring Nora Aunor and Phillip Salvador).
In 1982, the Fortnight had a twin bill of Mike de Leon films, Kisapmata (starring a powerhouse cast that included the late Charito Solis, Charo Santos, Vic Silayan and Jay Ilagan) and Batch ’81, the very first Best Picture Awardee from the Film Academy of the Philippines.
Brocka had two more films at Cannes: Kapit sa Patalim which competed in 1984 (with Phillip Salvador, Gina Alajar and Carmi Martin) and in 1989 with Orapronobis (with Phillip, Gina, Bembol Roco and Dina Bonnevie).
Babae was awarded the Young Critics Circle Best Picture, Director, Screenplay (both for O'Hara) and Best Performer Award for Katherine. It was also nominated for 11 awards including Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress.
Magnifico (screening at Tribeca Film Festival in New York this May) and Bridal Shower which is being acquired for theatrical distribution in Singapore by Storm Pictures Inc. after the very successful screenings.
I am proud to say that because of the excellence of some Filipino movies, I was able to go to places that I could only dream of: 2000 in Berlin with Jose Javier Reyes' Live Show and Mel Chionglo's Burlesk King (opening film, Panorama); 2001 in Venice with Jeffrey Jeturian's Tuhog (Competition); 2003 in Karlovy Vary with Maryo J. delos Reyes' Magnifico (Competition) and in 2004 in Berlin again with Magnifico winning the Grand Prix and Crystal Bear Awards in the Kinderfilmfest.
And now, Cannes with Babae.
"LT is not only a grand-slam Best Actress winner," said Lolit, "she’s also known for her stunning beauty. At her age, LT has remained a looker; she seems to have defied the passage of time. Mas bata siyang tingnan di hamak kaysa maraming actresses na mas bata pa sa kanya. It’s because LT knows how to take care of herself."
Mark, a Starstruck winner, is on his way to stardom, seen regularly on GMA’s Love to Love, Click and Stage One; while Yasmien, although only a Starstruck runner-up, is making waves of her own. Lolit said that Yasmien eats the right food, drinks at least eight glasses of water every day, exercises 10 minutes daily and doesn’t drink nor smoke. She appears on GMA’s Stage One, Starstruck Playhouse, Click and S.O.P.
Flawless Forever has three branches (SM Megamall, SM Bicutan and SM North EDSA).
It won’t come as a surprise if Jed wins the hearts not only of the beauties but also those of the Germans. Jed was named Best Voice of Asia Male Singer of the Year 2003 by Mainhill Awards in Kazakhstan, only a few months after he won a Silver at the Voice of Asia Song Festival where he shared the limelight with Billy Joel and George Benson who were given Life Achievement awards.
Also getting airplay these days is Jed’s version of Keith Martin’s Because of You and his second Universal Records single Laging Ikaw.
A former talent of Ronnie Henares’ Primeline, Jed sings regularly at Fiesta San Miguel at Dusit Hotel (Tuesdays), Strumms Jupiter Makati (Thursdays) and Aruba Libis (Fridays). When he returns from Germany, Jed will go on a concert tour (including Cebu, Davao, Bacolod and Iloilo) which culminates in his first major concert in Manila in June or July.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)