STAR MAGIC Puts SPOTLIGHT on SETH FEDELIN

I've had the pleasure of watching Seth Fedelin and Francine Diaz's recent MMFF 2024 film "MY FUTURE YOU" which won Seth "Breakthrough Performance for an Actor" and a nomination for Best Actor in the film festival. Star Magic recently put the SPOTLIGHT on him after the win and he told us how he felt right after that win because he told us it didn't really sink in til he went home and celebrated with his family. Seth felt it wasn't just his win, but a huge win for his dreams, and his family.

Seth told us how he was very eager to make this count especially since projects of this magnitude doesn't come so often. When they were making it, he talked to Francine about its importance and they knew they had to return the trust being given to them by the production because it was the perfect vehicle to showcase their acting strengths. It was initially set to premiere during the 3rd quarter of 2024, but then it got moved twice, then was sent to the 50th MMFF. Regal told them that this was going to be just something they'd send to the committee with a prayer, til they saw it being announced as one of the finalists in the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival.

He even drove back home to tell his folks, Francine told him about it. And when they did the whole promotion thing for the movie, he wasn't ready about how BIG it is.

Here's the whole interview with him a few days ago, super thanks Seth for being so nice that day!

Seth says "In all the things I do, I am really too shy. I don't know how I do it when I'm in front of the camera especially when I do roles that are really important to me. When I do it, I try to toughen up because I'm my own critic. I just do my best, and when people see it, that's me. I really mix in my persona, I don't remove myself from scenes. I just tell myself that I need to do it, like self motivation. I am happy to do it even if I'm not in my best look in the studios, I just show my truth."

He adds "I've got so many actors I'd want to work with. I'd like drama, to have a bad boy flick, action or something like that. Still a hero but challenging, a different take to a character. I'd like to do that in a different project. I'd want to learn about it first because I know it is difficult to do that."

 

This isn't the last time you'll be seeing Seth because from the looks of it, he's going to have a few more projects this 2025 especially because of his recent win. He also is open to do projects with other stars, even if they won't be working with each other because he finds it limiting for Francine if the pairing is going to hold them back. But don't fret, because they still are eager to also work with each other (he says he's full tank). Who wouldn't want to see that!

Make sure you follow him and Star Magic's social channels because I'm sure they've got something up their sleeves! (TV series Nobody, shooting soon!).

The "NO WORRY" realme C75 Phone is NOW AVAILABLE in the Philippines

If you haven't seen it yet, the newest phone from realme Philippines is now available in the market. It's called the "NO WORRY PHONE" because of its ability to be underwater and in heat, but still works afterwards according to recent tests (oh yes we'll also come out with a video soon!). We have been able to unbox this specific unit a few weeks ago, and I've been using this to cover a few events, and by standards, it's performed quite well under circumstances.

For starters, having an IP69, IP68 and IP66 rating would probably give you a clue on how this works. IP69 means it is dust tight and can hold its own in high pressure and temperatures. IP68 means it can be immersed at a certain depth, while IP66 means it is dust tight and won't be damaged on water jets. I took mine to the shower and it didn't even blink. This also means that when you drop your phone into a pool or tub (1.5m) then nothing is going to happen to it.

This phone is available in Lightning Gold, but I've got the Storm Black variety because I love anything monochrome. This is priced at Php 8,999 for the 8GB 128GB unit, but the other one sells at Php 10,999 for the 8GB and 256GB storage phone.

If you get this at realme stores and authorized sellers, you can get FREE Techlife Wireless Earbuds Neo. This is only until February 2. You can also get it from HOME CREDIT for installment plans, or shopping apps if you want to get them online!

A Bigger Bolder PUREGOLD CINEPANALO 2025

 

These are exciting times, not just for the movie goers but the creatives, those who work behind the scenes in this year's PUREGOLD Cine Panalo Film Festival.

I went up the elevator of Artson events place this morning with some of the brightest stars, including filmmakers, directors that have already made names in the industry. I already knew how much this costs, millions just in production. Php 3M for 8 entries, and Php 125,000 for 24 student filmmakers, makes this a worthy festival in the country. Mind you, this has already produced international awards in previous years, so no doubt, this is a great platform for all these stars, production in the coming days. This year, they have partnered with MTRCB, Gateway Cineplex 18, Mowelfund, Terminal Six, CMB Films, and MFP rentals.

Choosing entries this year has been stressful for the committee and Puregold execs because of the so many talented individuals who sent their films. If my memory serves me right, they had over a hundred ++ to screen and only 8 would be picked. They had even more hopefuls for the Student Short film category and they got 24 out of it. Some of which are actually schools from provinces, so you see, that's exactly what they wanted to do, a platform for talented ones anywhere you are in the country.

Here are the 8 FULL LENGTH Entries:

 

 

 For the STUDENT SHORTS Category, here are the entries:

If you see that I have a wee bit of obsession when it comes to the entry of KD Estrada and Alexa Ilacad's entry called CO-LOVE, it's because people have been waiting for their pairings movie debut. Although this is probably going to be a moment for KD Estrada, Alexa is so supportive about their appearance in this film together with Kira Balinger and Jameson Blake. There's going to be real hard work to be done to showcase what they can do as a pair, and as individual artists. We also talked to Alexa a bit about their movie and her other projects:

 There's more where these movies came from, and certainly, we have a lot to look forward to on March where they plan to put these in theaters. Please make sure you also come in the theaters a bit early so you could see the short films that students have also made.

 

For more information about the films, please follow PUREGOLD's social channels and their official website. Be part of the growing crowd that not only adores Puregold's products and prices, but their passion to help film makers have this platform, to tell their story.

Campaign Calls for Responsible G@ming

With the unending thirst for all things exciting, the folks from DigiP|us Interactive and Bing0P|us Foundation just recently launched "Pust@ de Peligro". It's a responsible gaming campaign aimed to promote mindful choices when it comes to this community and entertainment platform. 

The campaign starts with three short films which was previewed to the public today, January 23rd at Gateway Mall Cinemas.

This is coined from the term "Petsa de Peligro" when budget seems low right before salary comes in. This time, it is when there are risks involved and you would want to only do it safe, and not put everything out because it's supposed to be just for fun. 

Eusebio Tanco said "We mark a defining moment for the community, to safeguard joy that g@ming brings. The short films we will see today would shed light where our choices matter most. We partner with mental health and financial experts, to make mindful game decisions. It's just a subset of the financial literacy program that we should have, it's a small piece, you need to safeguard your earnings for your daily needs. The decision to save and spend it. A lot of people use it for consumption, for investment, and how it equates to the savings you make. Without investment, there would be no growth. There should always be returns, everyone should know about it. We owe Pagcor for sharing this vision, a community driven approach of responsible gaming to ensure it remains fun and safe. We hope you put the Pust@ de Peligro message far and wide!"

Putting an entertainment fund is essential, should always bring joy not stress. It should always be through prevention, education, intervention so they could be aware, and do it responsibly. Do pause. Set limits and get the right support from friends and family. This will be included in the app, from controls of daily time limits, and things that could help with it.

Teresita Cambe Castillo, Armand Bengco went on stage and talked about it. This is part of the programs they do nationwide. It's a continuous effort for their financial literacy advocacy.

Ms. Teresita said we are a bit late in executing this because of the huge growth, this is somehow a public health issue too. The campaign should have available self care options, to remind people about something reliable. Problems stem when bills don't get paid, if they isolate, dysfunctional behavior, it is stressful. They are doing a great job in doing this."

Sir Armand says "Public and private efforts would cover a broader market. All stakeholders including the company should be in sync because we want to protect players in elements that go with it. This is a reality, and we hope instead of just playing, present a big picture on what would happen. It is entertainment, not a way to manage your finances, one of the things you do that is regulated. This is not an investment, whether you win or not, it should only be for qualified adults."

Ms. Celeste Jovenir and Ms. Angela Winickie added how they are doing this for the first time and how excited they are about how this will now be out in the public. Hope this will resonate not just for their users, but also for the environment they have, to hopefully be less toxic and exist for the long haul. They also said responsible gaming is everyone's responsibility. They want to educate and protect, to multiply the good. This will be shown in YouTube and their social platforms, including mass advertising. Even before they have invested inside the platform, the next step is to empower them while they are doing it on the KYC and a dedicated tab.

The short films were really fun to watch! You should definitely watch it on their channels.