GERALD SANTOS, ANG MAY K NA TAWAGING PRINCE OF BALLAD

FEW WEEKS ago, may lumabas na item sa isang column tungkol sa isa sa mga winner ng Tawag ng Tanghalan na si Anton Antenor Cruz.
Sa panulat na ‘yun ay binansagang The Prince of Ballad si Anton. Pero may isa nang binansagan ng titulong Prince of Ballad at identified na siya sa titulong ‘yun—- si Gerald Santos. In fact, ang 4th album ni Ge­rald ay may cover title na Gerald Santos : The Prince of Ballad.
Apparently, ang moniker na ‘yan ay galing mismo sa Tawag ng Tanghalan.
Magaling naman si Anton pero sana, iba ang ibigay sa kanyang title, maghanap sila ng ibang ti­tulo para sa kanya. Besides, hindi pure ballad ang genre ni Anton. May pagka-RnB siya samantalang si Gerald ay pure ballad ang genre. Paano magiging Prince of Ballad ang singer na may pagka-RnB?
Sana malaman ito ng Star Music kung saan kapipirma lamang ni Gerald bilang kanilang recording artist.
Sa industriyang ito na napakadaling magbigay ng titulo sa isang celebrity, sana mag-isip ang Tawag ng Tanghalan ng ibang titulo para sa kanilang winner, o magtanong-tanong muna kung may nagmamay-ari na ba ng titulong gusto nilang ipagamit sa talent nila.
Maririnig sa albums ni Gerald na siya ay pure balladeer. At si Anton, prinsisito muna siguro.

DR. CARL E. BALITA NANAWAGAN SA INDIE

PRODUCERS PARA ITAGUYOD ANG PHIL CINEMA

GUSTONG pagtiba­yin ng Dr. Carl E. Balita Productions na pinamumunuan ni Dr. Carl E. Balita ang kanyang adbokasiya na ita­guyod ang Philippine Cinema at ipagpatuloy ang kanyang suporta sa local independent filmmakers through the INDEPENDENT FILM PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES.
Naniniwala si Dr. Carl E. Balita na ang mga pelikula is a way of “immortalizing stories, a testament and a validation of the stories of people” tulad ng mga pelikula noong 2017 ng CBP, MAESTRA (Directed by Lemuel Lorca) na tungkol sa mga kuwento ng mga guro. Ipinagdiinan ni Dr. Balita ang kahalagahan ng pelikula at ang kapasidad nito to combine “entertainment and education” through his own new micro-cinema – The CBRC Dream Theater.
“It is the Age of the Microcinema, the Millennials and the Independent Films.”
Binigyang-diin din ni Dr. Balita ang problema na hinaharap ng industriya na kakulangan ng access sa mga sinehan. Ilang beses na nga raw nangyayari na walang nararating ang mga pelikula dahil tinatanggal agad ang mga ito sa mga sinehan at nasasayang lamang dahil nabuburo lamang sa taguan ng matagal na panahon.
Kaya gumawa si Dr. Balita, through the Dr. Carl Balita Productions (or CBP), ng solusyon at dahil na rin sa kanyang entrepreneurial achievements, Carl E. Balita Review Center (CBRC) facilities, marketing and networks.
Ang CBRC Dream Theater, formally opened on June 22, is the latest contribution to this solution. A 250-seater “medium” microcinema (the biggest so far in Manila), it boasts a 5000-lumens projector and a 5.1 Digital Surround Sound, kung saan na-impress ang Larawan star na si Celeste Legaspi who claims she heard the secret geckos in particular scenes during the film’s Dream Theater screening.
Pero may kakaiba sa CBRC Dream Theater, ang kanilang eco-friendly chairs – na gawa sa Valenzuela City ang “jeepney loads of pet bottles”.
Mula nang magbukas ito, nakapag-host na ang CBRC Dream Theater ng screening ng Ang Larawan, Maestra, Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa at ang I Love You Thank You. Future screenings include 100 titles from Cinema One Originals.
Nasa plano na lumikha pa ng ci­nemas sa 100 branches ng CBRC, and is even interested in building an “outdoor theater” in far flung areas of Surigao, Vigan, Calapan and Kabankalan.
He is also keen on building a cinema at CBRC Cebu, recognizing the strength of Cebuano films that are rarely screened in Manila. Magsisilbi rin itong stageplay venues lalo na sa future theater caravans around the CBRC branches.

MAY KAKAMPI NA 40,000 STUDENTS

Along with more than 100 branches, a market of 40,000 CBRC students and reviewees stand as initial potential audiences. The CBRC Dream Theater alone caters to the U-Belt students since it is the nearest microcinema to UST, FEU, PUP, etc.
But among CBRC students alone, Dr. Balita emphasizes that the potential market are teachers – influencers who often require films and plays to the bigger market of millennial and Gen Z students.
Backed by reliable facilities, a strong market and an effective network, Dr Carl E. Balita is spearheading the creation of an organization called INDEPENDENT FILM PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, composed of the best independent producers who will showcase a “local, indigenous and independent cinema”.
With these strong features of the Dr. Carl Balita Productions, Dr. Balita is keen and passionate in standing as a distributing platform for local films.
Para pormal na masimulan, iniimbita ni Dr Balita ang lahat ng independent producers to a PRODUCERS’ SUMMIT this July 2018 for a dialogue on films, cinema and distribution. “It will be exploratory” he notes, ready for filmmakers to join in his vision of a cinema that is safe in the Dr. Carl E. Balita Review Center.
For inquiries about Dr. Carl Balita Productions, please contact Jerrick Josue David of CBP @ 0945-4922869.