Arya Stark is Pinoy Martial Arts Trained

'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams trained in this Filipino martial art for Battle of Winterfell scene
ABS-CBN News
11 May 2019

Defending Winterfell against the Night King's army was no small matter.

It's no surprise that Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark in the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones," came prepared, training in all sorts of martial arts, including in the Philippines' Pekiti-Tirsia Kali.

As revealed in an interview with US-based site Inverse, the stunt team of "Game of Thrones" shared that they had Williams learn an "adapted version" of the style in preparation for the final season.

"Kali is a style we drew from," stunt choreographer Rowley Irlam said. "My team comes from a very wide background of martial artists, weapons experts, so we draw from all styles we possibly can. Filipino stick work is definitely one of them for this piece."

Irlam shared that fans can see this during the scene where Arya had to continue fighting despite her spear being broken in half.

Kali is a style that specializes in close quarter fights and situations where people are forced to use improvised weapons.

Irlam also explained that the idea of incorporating Kali came to them when they were presented with the plan to have Arya fight in a tight interior stairway, which was part of the Winterfell set.

The Battle of Winterfell was the centerpiece fight of the show's final season, which began airing midway last month.

He said that they were "looking for something new and original" when they opted for the Filipino style. "We never wanted to repeat anything we've done before."

Pinoy flutist winner

Pinoy flutist bags awards in Denmark's Carl Nielsen

Sandra Sotelo Aboy, ABS-CBN News

Apr 09 2019 

A Filipino flutist bagged awards at the prestigious Carl Nielsen International Competition held in Odense, Denmark.

Rafael Adobas, 21, won third place in the flute division and best interpretation of a new piece.

"It has been like a roller-coaster mix of emotions. I had only 2 months of preparation after receiving the invitation from the committee. Every performance was a different scenario and with different repertoire - from baroque music, classical, romantic, and contemporary," he told ABS-CBN News.

"I had to learn to be flexible each day of every round. I had to acquire a general overview on everything, and yet be totally focused on every piece that I was playing. I had to be sure of what I wanted to express through my music on the moment of my performance."

Rafael, who was born in Ibiza, Spain, took his passion for music after his father.

His father Margarito, who hails from Southern Leyte, used to be a guitarist.

Music is life for the Adobas family. Rafael’s eldest sister Isabel plays the piano while his younger sisters Mary Grace and Mary Jane plays the violin and saxophone, respectively.

Rafael is currently studying fourth year of Music Performance-Flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in Germany. 

Out of the almost 500 applications received by Carl Nielsen contest, only 66 young musicians were invited to perform.

In the first round, Rafael won the the best interpretation prize for his passionate delivery of the commissioned piece written for the competition by Austrian composer Thomas Larcher. He took home €2,000.

Rafael played "Life" in the second round, drawing inspiration from the works of Carl Nielsen. His piece is an expression of life from birth to maturity in the company of family, friends, and church.

In the semifinal round, Rafael, together with Odense Symphony Orchestra, played flute concerto in E minor by Franz Benda.

For the finale, Rafael was accompanied by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra as he played 2 movements from Mozart concerto and Carl Nielsen flute concerto. He won 3rd place and €8,000 cash.

“I dedicate this victory, firstly to my family. They have always been supportive to me from the very first day I held an instrument. And to the church, the Filipino community and everybody who followed and watched me through livestream in this wonderful journey," he said.

"I am proud to be a Filipino."

Pinoy films in Italy Filmfest

3 Pinoy film projects chosen at Italy film fest

Mye Mulingtapang, ABS-CBN News

Apr 09 2019

MILAN, Italy - Three Filipino film projects were selected for a co-production market at the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy.

"Everybody Leaves" by Phyllis Grae Grande and "The Grandstand" by Mikhail Red were chosen among 15 titles for Focus Asia, the festival's project market dedicated to genre cinema "with convincing potential for co-production and co-financing in Europe or Asia."

Grande's coming-of-age drama tells the story of a Japanese-Filipina exchange student who searches for her father in Japan, while Red's project is loosely based on the 2010 Quirino Grandstand hostage crisis.

"The Grandstand" also received in March the Focus Asia Award at the 17th Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), a prominent film-financing platforms in Asia.

Meanwhile, Keith Deligero's "Babylon" was among 10 projects selected for Ties That Bind, a program design to assist producers in Asia with potential European-Asian co-production. The short film is about 2 girls who travel back in time to assassinate a village chief.

The projects were chosen out of 95 applications by a committee made up of specialists of genre films. Filmmakers will meet up with over 200 industry professionals, including financiers and distributors, in one-on-one meetings and other activities. 

The FEFF runs from April 30 to May 2.

Miss Universe 2015 waxed

Pia Wurtzbach in wax unveiled 



Nathalie tomada
The Philippine Star
29 March 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach felt like a winner again as she unveiled in Manila yesterday her wax figure for Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach poses under the crown held by her Madame Tussauds wax replica, which was unveiled to the media during an event at the EDSA Shangri-La yesterday.Jesse Bustos

Wurtzbach is the first and only Filipino celebrity to have a figure at the popular wax museum chain’s flagship attraction in Asia.

“It’s so surreal. I cannot explain how happy I am now. I feel like I won again,” the 29-year-old beauty queen and actress told The STAR.



Wurtzbach said she used to go to Madame Tussauds and even had a throwback photo from 10 years ago when she went to the wax museum in Las Vegas, USA.

“So I know how fun it is there, how fun it is to take photos with the celebrities in wax figures. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’m gonna be immortalized,” Wurtzbach said.

“I’m going to look young forever,” she quipped.

When asked how she was selected, Wurtzbach said she was informed that a survey was undertaken on Filipino celebrities.

“That’s what they told me. They did like a survey, a study, and that’s how they decided to select me.”

According to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong general manager Jenny You, they decided to have a Filipino wax figure due to the request of their Filipino visitors.

 “Our Filipino guests have always been important to us and we’ve always believed we should have a Filipino wax figure, so we’re very pleased to have Pia mark this milestone with us. We can’t imagine having anyone but her to represent the Philippines in this way.”

She added, “More than being a queen, (Wurtzbach) has all the makings of an icon and we’re proud to be able to house her wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong for the rest of the world to be able to interact with.”

At the big reveal held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, it was like seeing double for the media as Wurtzbach came face to face for the first time with her wax version.

It wore the same stunning Swarovski-embellished royal blue ball gown by Michael Cinco, which she donned when she passed the Miss Universe crown in 2016.

People will enjoy their own crowning moment with Wurtzbach’s wax version. “I really love it. I really love the pose. It’s very interactive. People are going to be able to touch it.”

To come up with such a flawless resemblance, the process of getting her measurements took four to five hours. The making of the figure took six months, with 20 artists working on it in London where Madame Tussauds originated.

“I had to do the pose for quite sometime because they had to measure everything, like the distance from my wrist to my elbow, everything. They had to measure manually,” she said.

They also took a lot of pictures of her face, from different angles, but Wurtzbach said, “I never got tired because I was too excited, my adrenalin was up.”

She continued, “They really paid attention to detail. They checked the color of my hair because iba pala ang color natin dito sa harap, sa likod, sa ilalim, the hair has highlights and lowlights and then I had to step outside into the natural light so they could get the exact color of my eyes. And fun fact, the teeth (are) exactly the same because they got my dental impression from my dentist.”

The Miss Universe crown used in the wax figure is the Mikimoto crown as approved by the Miss Universe Organization.

Her wax version is home for the #PiaMadeIconic Travel Festival today at SM Mega Fashion Hall.

The festival is a joint effort of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong with two other major travel brands, international airline Cathay Pacific and booking platform Klook.

Special packages are being offered at the event for first time and frequent travelers to Hong Kong.

After the travel fest, Wurtzbach’s wax figure will be flown to its permanent home at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, where it will join life-size replicas of some of the world’s most famous celebrities and historic icons in themed galleries.

Pinay Marvel Hero

Here comes Wave, a Filipina superhero from Marvel


Philippine Daily Inquirer
16March 2019

LOS ANGELES — A Filipina superhero will be gracing the pages of the Marvel Comics soon.

After the release of “Captain Marvel,” the first woman superhero to have its own major film, comic book writer and filmmaker Greg Pak on March 9 unveiled “Wave” on Twitter, designed and co-created by Filipino comic book artist Leinil Francis Yu.

Greg Pak/TWITTER

Wave has been described by Marvel as “a mysterious new Filipino heroine.” She has identifiable Filipino “morena” skin, a green and gold costume, weapons, and she will be teaming up with heroes from China named Aero and Sword Master.

Wave will debut in “War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #1,” the first of four “War of the Realms” issues to be released in May. The story will be set in Asia and will center on the New Agents of Atlas led by Korean-American superhero Amadeus Cho (aka Brawn, previously the Hulk).

Joining his team (aside from Wave) are Chinese Kung-Fu master Shang-Chi, Korean-American heroine Silk and SHIELD agent Jimmy Woo.

“Thank you so much for the huge response to Wave, Marvel’s new Filipina superhero, who’ll debut in War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #1! Huge thanks to [Leinil Yu], who co-created and designed her,” Pak posted on Twitter.

Marvel’s website, editor Will Moss said that “War of the Realms” will involve all the heroes from the “Avengers,” “Fantastic Four,” “Wolverine” — pretty much the whole line.

All these superheroes are out to fight Malekith, the king of the dark elves, who is conquering all realms including Midgard or Earth.

Filipino Oscar nominees

Filipino artists receive Oscar nod


Jan Milo Severo
Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be represented in the upcoming 91st Academy Awards as several Filipino creatives and their films have been nominated in various categories.

Filipino-American Matthew Libatique is nominated for Best Cinematography for his work in Lady Gaga's "A Star is Born."

Filipino-American Matthew Libatique is nominated for Best Cinematography for his work in Lady Gaga's "A Star is Born." 

Facebook/A Star Is Born

He was also nominated at the recently concluded Critics’ Choice Awards but was bested by Alfonso Cuaron of the film “Roma.”

Matthew Libatique

Matthew was first nominated for an Oscar in 2011 for his work in “Black Swan." 

Disney’s “Ralph Breaks The Internet” is nominated in the Best Animated Feature category. One of its story writers is Filipina Josie Trinidad, while its special effects team was headed by Cesar Velasquez.

Josie Trinidad

Nominated in the same category is “Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse” which featured Filipino-American Hailee Steinfeld who voiced Spider-Gwen.

Hailee Steinfield

Filipinos Louie del Carmen, Ryan Rubi and John Butiu formed part of the movie's animation team.




Meanwhile, two works by Filipinos are nominated in the Best Animated Short Film category: "One Small Step" co-directed by Bobby Pontillas and "Weekends" by Trevor Jimenez.

Bobby Pontillas

Trevor Jimenez

Popularly known as the Oscars, the Academy Awards will be held on February 24 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.