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18 November 2019, Toronto, Canada. – Two (2) Filipino films made it to the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, “John Denver Trending” and “Yellow Rose”, which starred Tony-nominated Broadway performer Eva Noblezada, Broadway legend Lea Salonga, veteran Philippine actress Princess Punzalan, Libby Villari, and Dale Watson. Yellow Rose bagged the 2019 Reel Asian Best Feature Film Award, with a $1,000 cash prize.

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival or Reel Asian, held on 7 – 15 November 2019, is now on its 23rd edition. In the words of Executive Director Ms. Deanna Wong, “Reel Asian has continued to build a strong and supportive community that lays the foundation for the current proliferation of Asian-made work to happen... actively pushing newer and more marginalized voices into the centre, as well as continuing to push the boundary edges, to include even more divergent stories.”

At this year’s festival, nearly 60 percent of the works programmed are by women and non-binary artists. The featured films include artists of Korean and Filipino descent, the two (2) countries celebrating 100 years of cinema this year. There were also artists from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the US, and Canada.

Consul General Orontes Castro, accompanied by Consul Edna May Lazaro, were present during the Opening Night of Reel Asian on 7 November 2019. There was a wide participation of films from Canada and from all over Asia and a huge attendance during the opening night, which signifies that people are in the look-out for Asian content, Asian perspectives and Asian narratives.

At the Closing Night on 15 November 2019, Consul General Castro delivered his remarks to an enthusiastic audience that packed the 566-seat Isabel Bader Theatre. He was extremely proud that a Filipino film, Yellow Rose closed this year’s festival. The Canadian premiere of Yellow Rose by Filipino-American filmmaker Diane Paragas, coincided with the year-long celebration of the centennial year of the Filipino film industry.

Yellow Rose was one of the winners of an original screenplay writing contest sponsored by ABS-CBN-the leading media and entertainment conglomerate in the Philippines. The film won a string of awards within the festival circuit, garnering the Grand Jury Award at three film festivals: the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the Bentonville Film Festival and the CAAMFest37. The star of the film, two-time Tony Award nominee Eva Noblezada, also won the Special Jury Prize for Best Breakthrough Performance at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

At the Q & A held after the showing of Yellow Rose, Ms. Punzalan announced that Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired all worldwide rights to Yellow Rose and that the film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures. It is the first Filipino and Filipino American film to be acquired by Sony Pictures for theatrical release in the U.S. In the Philippines, the film will be distributed in theatres by ABS-CBN.

Another Filipino film titled John Denver Trending was shown during this year’s Reel Asian. The film is a 2019 Filipino independent drama film directed and written by Arden Rod Condez. Shot entirely in a small town in the Philippines with a limited budget, the film is about a 14-year old boy who fell prey to cyber bullying. The film portrayed a powerful statement against the dangers of social media. It won the award for Best Feature Film during the Cinemalaya, a Philippine-based festival for independent films and is currently going the rounds of international film festivals.

The success of Yellow Rose and John Denver Trending in the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is an indication that there is a huge market for Asian content. END

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Consul General Orontes Castro emphasized in his speech the importance given by the Philippine government to education. He also mentioned his aspiration during his student years to excel in his studies.

Left photo: Dr Cynthia Go, Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Material Science and Engineering, the Institute of Medical Science and the Munk School of Global Affairs and co-founder of Pueblo Science, addressing the audience and informing about the charity’s lighting project in Palawan. Right photo: Dr. Mayrose Salvador, co-founder and Executive Director of Pueblo Science, being introduced by Dr. Cynthia Go to Consul General Castro.

Left photo: Dr. Alon Eisenstein and his assistant during the Science Magic Show while the children were very attentive, responsive and enthusiastic (right photo).

The children of the Philippine Consulate General staff tried their hands on the different activities at Good Morning Science. Top Photos, from left: Dane Escobedo and Raya Fajardo were being coached at the Robotics table, while sisters Fatima and Lourdes Amihan-de Guzman stretched their arms out to feel the cold liquid nitrogen at the Ice Cream Making table (right photo). Bottom Photos, from left: Siblings Fatima and Lourdes waiting for their turn at the Slime-making table while the other children (and mom, too!) were being coached to make slime with a mixture of water, glue, food colouring and borax, and lots of stirring. Fatima successfully made her blue slime.

The Philippine Consulate General contingent led by Consul General Castro posed with Dr. Mayrose Salvador and the Pueblo Science scientists.

12 November 2019, Toronto – The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto’s Consul General Orontes V. Castro, accompanied by children of some Consulate personnel, Dane Escobedo, Raya Fajardo, Lourdes and Fatima Amihan-de Guzman, and Consulate staff, Dennis and Cherina Escobedo and Cecile Santos, took part in this year’s Good Morning Science held on Saturday, 9 November 2019 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Ballroom of InterContinental Toronto Centre in downtown Toronto.

Good Morning Science is the 5th annual fundraiser of Pueblo Science to support its educational outreach programs in low-resource communities around the world, including the Philippines, to increase science literacy. Parents and children come together to Good Morning Science to learn and celebrate the power and impact of education. The family-oriented ticketed event includes a buffet breakfast, fun hands-on science activities for kids and adults alike, a science magic show, a lecture on The Wonderful World of Bats and a silent auction. Activities include robotics, coding, liquid nitrogen ice cream-making, DIY lip balm-making, slime-making and molecular gastronomy.

Proceeds of this year’s fundraiser will go towards supporting Pueblo Science’s outreach programs that impact thousands of children across Canada, the Philippines, Guyana, and Jamaica, including the introduction of robotics to students around the world. Pueblo Science’s goal is to engage students in Science Technology Engineering and Math and help them acquire the necessary skills to become the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. END