The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia launches “Mickey Go Local” animated shorts

(Media Release)
The first animation series produced in the region depicting Mickey Mouse & Friends
in uniquely Singaporean and Malaysian settings

Fans in Southeast Asia can now be entertained by Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy in the “Mickey Go Local” animated shorts, which see the beloved characters exploring Singapore and Malaysia’s food, traditional wear and iconic architecture.

The six-part series is the first-time audiences will see Mickey & Friends in familiar settings, inspired by Southeast Asia’s rich culture and art. From watching the hilarious antics of Mickey and Donald as local street hawkers, to Minnie trying her hand at some very spicy cooking, the Mickey Go Local animated shorts will connect with audiences in locally relevant ways.

 “We are committed to creating locally appealing stories that are relevant to our fans. The Mickey Go Local animated shorts are the first time our beloved characters are seen enjoying Southeast Asia’s charms, providing heartwarming moments for kids and families,” said Amit Malhotra, Regional Lead, Emerging Markets (Direct-to-Consumer & International), The Walt Disney Company. “We are excited to work with an exceptional group of local creative talent from Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines to bring the animated series to life.”

Embodying the values of friendship, optimism and fun, the series is aimed at kids, with slapstick comedy that the whole family can enjoy. Fans can now catch the first short, “Master Hawker”, on Disney Channel Asia’s YouTube page (https://youtu.be/MWddaS3KWAQ). There will also be a new short every month till January 2020 on Disney Channel and across its social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram). Each episode is about two minutes long.

In “Master Hawker”, Goofy has to decide between eating Mickey’s satay or Donald’s roti canai.
The animated shorts series was created in support of Year 2 of the “Mickey Go Local” initiative in Singapore and Malaysia, which includes a refreshed product line across apparel, homeware and accessories. Fans can also look forward to mall activations in the following countries:

Singapore: From 6 August till 8 September, “Jalan Jalan with Mickey & Friends” across eight shopping malls. Activities include photo opportunities, interactive experiences, meet and greet sessions with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, and retail areas.

Malaysia:  From now till 16 September, “Jom Jalan Jalan with Mickey & Friends” in select malls across Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kuantan. Activities include photo opportunities, interactive experiences, games, retail areas, and meet and greet sessions with Mickey Mouse.

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN - Bring out the tissues ! This will be an emotional ride !

Based on the best-selling book by Garth Stein, The Art Of Racing In The Rain tells the story of Denny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia), a race-car driver looking for his big break. 

Narrated by Kevin Costner as the voice of the dog Enzo, we see Denny's life unfolds from the time he picks up Enzo from the litter of cute puppies, to when he meets Eve (Amanda Seyfried), gets married, have a daughter etc.

Enzo, the golden retriever is not the main focus of the film, but it's Denny's family as they face the challenges of life. We hear Enzo's thoughts as he observes the humans, and be part of their lives.

I have seen many movies about dogs, and I can say that this is one of the most emotional. It will pull your heart-strings and make your eyes tear-up. It's a good family drama, a love story, and comedy all rolled into one.  After watching the movie, you would want to hug your dog, in case you have one. 

Kevin Costner is funny, philosophical, and witty as  Enzo. He's an old soul inside the dog's body. Most of the human cast are great. Ventimiglia and Seyfried are both charming and relatable. Ryan Kiera Armstrong who plays their daughter Zoe is lovely. 

Written by Mark Bomback and Garth Stein. Directed by Simon Curtis, who also helmed Goodbye Christopher Robin. Rated PG. From 20th Century Fox.

FAST & FURIOUS HOBBS & SHAW - An All-Out Action-Comedy Extravaganza !

Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), an agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), a former British military elite operative, first met each other in  2015's Furious 7 where they exchanged insults and punches to bring down the  other. When MI6 agent  Hattie (Vanessa Kirby), who happens to be Shaw's sister, goes MIA and the world is threatened with a super virus; the two muscle men have to set aside their differences and battle Brixton, a genetically enhanced super soldier, and self-proclaimed Black Superman, who is chasing Hattie to get hold of the virus. 

This is the first spin-off from The Fast & Furious franchise, after having eight  movies. The action is  over-the-top and quite unrealistic, just like in the earlier Fast & Furious movies, and it's exactly what fans are looking for.   The Rock and (The Transporter) Statham are two of the top action heroes we have these days, and they have great chemistry onscreen. Each have proven themselves in several action movies and they are both funny too. 

Writer Chris Morgan and Director David Leitch (who also helmed Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2) deliver an all-out action-comedy extravaganza. The filmmakers bring new light to the franchise expanding the world of Fast & Furious. Watch out for the cameos of two famous faces, and stay for the post-credit scene. It's hilarious !  I'm so ready for more Hobbs & Shaw ! Rated PG-13. From Universal Pictures. Photos c/o United International Pictures. 

Going Full Circle: Generations of Filipino Artists Share the Stage to Perform “Circle of Life” From Disney’s The Lion King

(Media Release)
By now an iconic song long after the release of Disney’s “The Lion King” 25 years ago, ‘Circle of Life’, written by Elton John and Tim Rice, has since spawned many renditions, thus taking its rightful place as a pop culture classic.

Today, Disney brings this epic song closer to Filipino fans with the collaboration of the mother-daughter tandem of Zsa Zsa Padilla and Karylle; and the father-son team-up of Piolo and Iñigo Pascual, all of whom performed a roaring rendition of ‘Circle of Life’.

This rare musical collaboration shows how the much-loved music of Disney’s “The Lion King” has transcended different generations; just as they parallel the deep connection between Mufasa and Simba. The video of their performance can be seen here.

“Our family’s a big Disney fan. I remember as a kid, my mom bought a trapper keeper of The Lion King,” Karylle shares. “It truly is a thrill to be working with Disney, most especially because I get to do it with Kaye,” added Zsa Zsa.

Sharing similar sentiments, Piolo said, “Anytime that I get to perform with Iñigo, it’s always memorable for me. When my son was growing up we would bond over Disney movies.”

For young artist Iñigo, it was an enjoyable experience to be performing with such exceptional performers. “I grew up watching The Lion King so it’s an honor to be collaborating with Disney. To be able to sing with everyone was so much fun.”

Along with a revived version of ‘Circle of Life’, the live-action adaptation of Disney’s “The Lion King” also features updated renditions of ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ plus new songs like Beyonce’s ‘Spirit’. 

With visionary director Jon Favreau at the helm, the original story of Disney’s “The Lion King” rises to new heights through innovative filmmaking techniques and technology that pushes the boundaries of storytelling. As viewers follow Simba’s journey to becoming king, they will also be immersed in photo-real imagery of the Pride Lands. 

Disney’s “The Lion King” is now showing in cinemas nationwide, available in 2D, IMAX 3D, IMAX with Laser, 4DX and MX4D formats. Join the conversations online using #TheLionKingPH.

SM Cinema goes on full throttle with the release of Fast and Furious Hobbs and Shaw

SM Cinema is going full throttle with the release of Fast and Furious Hobbs and Shaw.
The first spin-off movie of the successful adrenaline-induced franchise, Fast and Furious Hobbs and Shaw is set to hit SM Cinemas on July 31.
From the box office movie franchise that has amassed $5 billion worldwide, Fast & Furious is adding yet another angle to the always-evolving storyline with Luke Hobbs (The Rock) and Deckard Shaw’s (Jason Statham) unlikely partnership.

Hobbs and Shaw is expected to be more inclined to be an action-packed movie while staying true to the identity of Fast and Furious that is linked to cool cars going on full speed. With car chases involving a sweet ride in the form of a McLaren 720s, gravity-defying stunts from 120 global stunt performers, fist fights and witty banters from The Rock’s Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Shaw, the movie revs up to be another Fast and Furious movie that’s going to be hard to miss out on.

The spin-off follows hulking lawman Luke Hobbs, a loyal agent of America’s Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Deckard Shaw, a former British military elite operative who are forced to work together to take on cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton Lore (Idris Elba). Despite their long-standing rivalry since the first face-off in 2015’s Fast & Furious 7, these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the MI6 agent gone rogue.

Get the full movie experience of this high-octane film by watching it in SM Cinema’s IMAX theaters nationwide.
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw arrives at all SM Cinema branches nationwide on July 31. Book your tickets through the website, www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app.  You may also follow /SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates. (Photos c/o United International Pictures).

SM Cinema Exclusive gives fans a glimpse of BTS’ off-the-spotlight moments with Bring the Soul: The Movie

(Press Release)
Attention ARMYs! SM Cinema is set to give you a peek into the world of massively popular K-pop group, BTS with the latest full feature film entitled Bring the Soul: The Movie.

The movie which will be shown exclusively at SM Cinemas beginning August 7 follows the K-Pop band’s record-breaking Burn the Stage: The Movie and their concert film Love Yourself in Seoul which were released in 2018.

Bring the Soul: The Movie invites fans to follow their journey from the stage to the big screen, witnessing spectacular concert performances to intimate moments off the stage while following the group’s 2018 Love Yourself tour in Europe where they performed in London, Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam.

This film captures BTS’s thrilling performances and candid behind-the scenes footages, interviews and moments shared with their fans.

Catch Bring the Soul: The Movie exclusively at SM Cinema! Advance tickets are now on sale at all SM Cinema branches. This is a movie you don’t want to miss!

Catch Bring the Soul: The Movie starting August 7 at any of SM Cinema’s 64 branches nationwide. Book your tickets through www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app.  You may also follow /SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates! Satisfy your cavings at Snack Time, the official food concessionaire of SM Cinema, which offers a wide array of snack like popcorn, hotdogs and burgers to complement your movie watching experience. Follow /SnackTimeOfficial on Facebook for more information.

World Vision’s Social Innovation Challenge aims to address community problems in the Philippines

(Media Release)
World Vision is seeking out creative Filipinos to create the most meaningful solutions to some of the country’s overlooked community challenges.

The child-focused organization’s latest project, the Social Innovation Challenge, is allowing innovators all over the country the opportunity to compete for seed capital to fund ideas that address obstacles faced by Filipino communities.

For this year’s edition of the challenge, World Vision is putting the focus on two community problems: (Challenge #1) climate change effects on soil that hurt the livelihood of almost 1,000 farming households in Sogod, Cebu¸ a small upland barangay where almost 50% of the population depends on agriculture; and (Challenge #2) 500 out-of-school youth in Brgy. Bucana, Davao City due to their families' lack of sustainable livelihood.

These challenges were identified using the human-centered approach that focuses on the families and communities, through various in-depth interviews, focused group discussions, user journey mapping, secondary studies, and other research and validation tools.

The finalists of the challenge, composed of students and professionals from the developmental sector, will vie to have their ideas implemented. Three teams will compete for each challenge.

For the agriculture-focused Challenge #1, the participating teams are: Ato Ani (represented by Maria Wilvenna Añora, Venecia Añora, and Kent Vincent Añora), a Bohol-based social enterprise that makes and distributes organic fresh produce and processed organic food products; agribusiness Plantsville (represented by November "Tina" Canieso-Yeo), which seeks to engage the Cabalawan youth in natural farming and entrepreneurship, teaching them ways of lessor-tiller land use to improve agriculture image, link to social media and leverage on ICT in agriculture; and Tagani (represented by Kevin Cuevas and Josin Macastac), an online application that connects farmers with buyers for the direct sale of their produce. Its extension, the Tagani Plus, serves as a farm management and analytics mobile app.

The participating teams who will be ideating solutions for out-of-school youths in Brgy. Bucana, Davao for Challenge #2 are: Edukasyon.ph (represented by Patricia Matias, Ria Tagle, Jose Soberano, Pam Suanco, Cristina Batalla), an organization that aims to develop an online portal specifically tailored for OSY (out-of-shool youths) providing information on both job and skills training opportunities; Quatro (represented by Daniel Galang, Sophia Salen, Aljay Bermejo, and Paul Dela, all students from De La Salle College of St. Benilde), a group seeking to create  both livelihood and scholarship opportunities for out-of-school youth; and lastly, Sora (represented by Juan Dalisay and Jan Matthew Rafol), a social apprenticeship training program designed to give out-of-school youth basic education, useful skills, apprenticeship, and possible hiring.

The finalists underwent a three-day long bootcamp, facilitated by British Council Active Citizens to ensure their ideas are well-formed and pertinent for eventual application to the communities of Sogod, Cebu and Brgy. Bucana, Davao. Aside from a seed money for implementation, the winning entry will win a cash prize.

Aside from ideation, the finalists want to encourage more people to take action in advocacies for environment and education.

“It’s a personal advocacy so we’re highly involved in organic culture and, as much as possible, we wanted more people to be involved in agriculture,” Maria Wilvenna Añora of Ato Ani, finalist for Challenge #1, said.

“We want to make education accessible for everyone because there are people left behind. And, with this challenge, it’s specific to out-of-school youth in Davao, we can really do that and learn how to scale it up in other communities as well,” said Pam Suanco of Edukasyon.ph, finalist for Challenge #2.

A panel of multi-sectoral experts will evaluate the entries to choose proposals that have positive social and economic consequences, financial sustainability and an environment-friendly purpose. These esteemed judges are Ms. Gretchen Ho, World Vision Ambassador for Social Innovation Challenge, Mr. John Aguilar of CNN Philippines' The Final Pitch, Ms. Abigail Mapua-Cabanilla of the Hub of Innovation for Inclusion, and Ms. Christine Diane Romero of J. Amado Araneta Foundation among others.

“I believe that each one of us can make a change in our own ways. World Vision’s Social Innovation Challenge is a welcome platform for Filipinos in creating a difference through their innovative solutions”, said Mr. Rommel V. Fuerte, Executive Director of World Vision in the Philippines.

“With the help of our exceptional list of partners and mentors, our finalists are honed to help the residents of Sogod, Cebu, and Brgy. Bucana, Davao. I am amazed to see this competition transform into a collaborative project, a fitting representation of what we are always pushing for at World Vision.”

About World Vision

World Vision is a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.