Polish conductor Grzegorz Nowak is PPO's new music director and principal conductor

PPO music director/principal conductor Grzegorz Nowak 

The Cultural Center of the Philippines has finally made it official, Polish conductor Grzegorz Nowak is the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's new music director and principal conductor.

Nowak succeeds Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura who served as PPO's music director/principal conductor from 2016 up to 2021.

At the PPO's season series concert last October 2022, Nowak impressed audiences especially on how he handled the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto that featured violinist Vincent Owen Romanban. As the youngest and most inexperienced soloist from last season, Romanban was deftly supported by Nowak's expert direction of the orchestra enabling the young violinist to hurdle a nervous start, increase his confidence as the piece went on, and finish with an authority that belied his years.

As the new music director, Maestro Nowak will be responsible for the preparation and implementation of the PPO’s thrusts, programs, concert season, training of musicians, and other related activities. He is expected to conduct at least 10 to 12 performances per year, including the regular PPO season, outreach tours, the Young People’s Concert Series, and other special events of CCP. He will also be in charge of a development program for the PPO members and ensure that the level of musicianship and artistic quality meets the highest standard.

Nowak will open the PPO's 39th season this September 15, 2023, 8:00 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit, Makati with a program consisting of Hector Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9, Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, with guest pianist Mark Bebbington, and Ottorino Respighi’s Pini di Roma, P 141.

Volleyball fever spikes its way to Cinemalaya with "Rookie"

Pat Tingjuy and Aya Fernandez

The past weekend saw a packed volleyball schedule with leagues/tournaments wrapping up here and abroad.

PhilSports Arena saw Japanese club team Kurashiki Ablaze beat the Creamline Cool Smashers in a thrilling 5-setter to take the PVL Invitational Conference title.

Over in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, the Indonesian squad completed a sweep of both legs of the men's SEA V.League.

Overseas, the French women's team and the Turkish men's team bagged the VNL Cup Challenge titles thus earning them much coveted spots to next year's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Tournament.

This weekend, a mostly collegiate squad  suits up for the Philippines as the women see action for their edition of the SEA V.League.

Coincidentally, the volleyball fever crosses over from the courts to the silver screen with Rookie, one of the competing entries in the full length category at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival XIX happening this August 4-13, 2023 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Directed by Samantha Lee and written by Natts Jadaone, Rookie tells the story of Ace, played by Pat Tingjuy, who reluctantly joins the volleyball squad of her new school. Things change when she falls in love with the team captain Jana, portrayed by Aya Fernandez, although the latter sees Ace as a rival. The film also stars Agot Isidro and will also feature cameo appearances by star volleyball athletes Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Ara Galang.

Rookie is about the moments in our life that shape us. It‘s about how the lessons and the people from our younger days come together to help make us into a person. It’s about learning and losing and how to learn from all that losing. And ultimately it’s about how society is still very much rigged against women but we continue to play to win anyway. 

Samantha Lee, director

Sport themed films are no stranger to Cinemalaya with last year's Ginhawa and Cinemalaya 18 Best Picture The Baseball Player as prime examples. It was only a matter of time that volleyball found its way to Philippine cinemas considering women's volleyball has been rivaling men's basketball in terms of popularity for the past several years.

Given the sport's massive following, I wondered why there aren't many volleyball films yet. More so, queerness in sports is rarely explored. As the film's potential started to take root, my 5y.o. niece suddenly told me she wanted to be an athlete. When I asked what sport, she said volleyball, because it's for girls and basketball is for boys. I then realized how these gendered ideas form at such an early age and questioned if we want to continue perpetuating these misconceptions.

A female-centric film hinged on a well-loved sport, Rookie explores the sensitive yet timely issues of gender inequality and objectification of women in male-dominated spaces.

Natts Jadaone, writer

Catch Rookie at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival this August 4-13, 2023 at the Philippine International Convention Center and at select Ayala Cinemas around Metro Manila.

Visions of Asia returns to the Cinemalaya

Juboraj Shamim

The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival XIX welcomes back Visions of Asia with a selection of films from Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Tajikistan, and Bangladesh.

Last year's festival, although returning onsite at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, was marked by Visions of Asia's absence due to the ongoing renovation of the CCP Little Theater that has served as the main screening venue of this section curated by Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC).

Listed below are the five films to be screened in this year's Visions of Asia section.

Bone Marrow (2020, Iran)

Director: Hamid Reza Ghorbani

Cast: Parinaz Izadyar, Babak Hamidian, Javad Ezati, Behrouz Shoeibi, Navid Pourfaraj, Ahmad Saatchian, and Alireza Mirsalari

Bahar who has separated from her husband and now marry again lives a new life. She has a son from her past husband who has leukemia and must be cured. Her ex-husband is in jail and will be executed for his crimes. She has to find a way and compromise for her son.

Cold as Marble (2022, Aizerbaijan/France)

Director: Asif Rustamov

Cast: Gurban Ismayilov, Elshan Asgarov, and Natavan Abbasli

When a father is unexpectedly released from prison after serving ten years for killing his wife, his son wants to find out why he did it.

Declaration (2022, India)

Director: Mahesh Narayanan

Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Divya Prabha, Danish Husain, and Loveleen Mishra

A scandalous video triggers a crisis for a couple working in a factory, unleashing unexpected conflicts in their personal and professional lives.

Fortune (2022, Tajikistan)

Director: Muhiddin Muzaffar

Сast: Salohiddin Shukurzoda, Firuza Rahmanova, Isfandiyar Gulyamzadeh, Hushruz Ergashev, and Abdumumin Sharifi

Tajikistan on the eve of the declaration of its Independence. Komsomol, KGB, bread deficiency, inflation. Kahhor and Mannon, the two old friends, are tested when one of them gets the lucky lottery ticket as his salary.

The Instinct (2022, Bangladesh/Netherlands)

Director: Juboraj Shamim

Cast: Badsha Mia, Dulal Mia, and Sohagi Begum

A beggar called Lyangra, who regularly smokes weed and Kaala sells it. That's why Lyangra often goes to Kaala's house. Kaala's wife Sohagi catches his eye. Lyangra starts trying to get close to Kaala and eventually has an affair with kaala’s wife. Kaala finds out and beats Sohagi. She runs away with Lyangra. After going to Lyangra’s hometown, she gets to know that Lyangra is a convicted murderer. He runs away from place to place just to avoid his sentence. Conflicts start to arise between Sohagi and Lyangra. But now she has no way to return to Kaala either. Kaala finds out Lyangra's whereabouts. Kaala beats up Lyangra and brings Sohagi back home. Then they start their family again. One day Lyangra secretly comes to see Sohagi. But Sohagi gets scared after seeing Lyangra.

The Instinct director Juboraj Shahim is flying to Manila and will have a talkback after the screening of his film on August 6, 2023, 6:15 PM, Cinema Felipe (Meeting Room 4) at the PICC.

The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is a worldwide, voluntary organization of 29 member countries. Founded in 1990 by Aruna Vasudev, it is managed entirely by cinephiles who have worked tirelessly and selflessly without remuneration over a period of 25 years to promote Asian cinema. The NETPAC Award is given at select international film festivals, like the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, to promote Asian cinema by spotlighting exceptional films and discovering new talents.

The Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival XIX runs from August 4 to 13, 2023 at the Philippine International Convention Center and at the CCP's Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).