AS THEY WELCOME VACCINATED AUDIENCES SOON IN NCR

MANILA, October 20, 2021 -- Now that cinemas are allowed to reopen in the National Capital Region (NCR) after being shut down for a year and seven months, theater operators are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety of moviegoers and cinema employees.

“That is the main goal right now,” says Charmaine Bauzon, president of The Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP).] “We have devoted the past 19 months of cinema closure identifying solutions and precautions based on science.  We will implement these measures to confidently welcome back movie fans to cinemas and send them home safe.”

Last Wednesday October 13, the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Covid-19 (IATF), placed NCR under Alert Level 3, paving the way for the reopening of cinemas, but with several restrictions: only fully vaccinated people will be admitted and seating capacity to be limited to 30 percent.  The actual date of reopening is still subject to confirmation -- the public is advised to wait for further announcement.

Cinemas are safe spaces

“We would like to assure the public that cinema is a safe place,” says Bauzon.  “In fact, LGUs have converted some theaters into vaccination centers, and no super-spreading were ever reported, even though people waited inside for hours.”

Indeed, there’s also a recent study in Germany which concluded cinemas are safer than almost any other indoor environment, as long as safety guidelines are followed like mask-wearing, physical distancing and proper air ventilation.  

The same German research took into account the following factors in its conclusion:

• People spend an average of only two hours at a cinema 
• People inside the cinema simply sit down and face the same direction which is known to reduce transmission risks
• People are not talking to each other during a movie, which minimizes possibility of infection

(Note: The aforementioned German study is entitled “Covid-19 Contagion via Aerosol Particles – A Comparative Evaluation of Indoor Environments” conducted by scientists at the Berlin Institute of Technology / Hermann-Rietschel-Institut. Link -- https://www.artcena.fr/sites/default/files/medias/kriegel_hartmann_2021_aerosols%20anglais.pdf)

Cinemas will strictly impose all safety protocols

Aside from adhering to IATF-mandated health standards, CEAP has also developed the “Sa Sine Safe Ka” protocols patterned after the “CinemaSafe” measures set by America’s National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and endorsed by epidemiologists.  Dr. David F. Goldsmith, PhD, Occupational & Environmental Epidemiologist at the Milken Institute School of Public Health (U.S.A.) has reviewed the efforts of NATO and commented that, “These protocols demonstrate a serious, comprehensive effort by movie theater owners to identify potential risks, and reduce them.”  

[Watch the video testimonial about the CinemaSafe protocols with Dr. David F. Goldsmith at https://youtu.be/B-4feoqrLlM]

These protocols are:

• Monitoring of moviegoers’ body temperature as they enter the cinema
• Moviegoers to present authentic vaccination card
• Implement regulations set by the IATF and LGUs on facial coverings
• No eating inside the cinema
• Enforce socially-distanced seating
• Encourage contact-less transaction in ticket-purchasing
• Improved air ventilation
• Availability of hand sanitizers at the cinema entrance
• Mandatory hand-washing every 30 minutes for cinema employees
• Deep cleaning between screenings

[Watch the “Sa Sine Safe Ka” video featurette at https://youtu.be/QjseuWLsQjM]

Not feeling well? Stay at home. Please

CEAP would like to stress that only healthy, fully vaccinated people will be allowed back to cinemas.  “If you are experiencing a fever, cough, or other symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 – or think that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, please stay home and we welcome you to join us again in the future,” concludes Bauzon.

Unlocking cinemas will save jobs

The 19-month long closure of cinemas has dealt a severe blow to the entire movie industry, leading to unprecedented massive unemployment.  It is estimated that a workforce of some 336,000 has lost its livelihood.  These are hardworking women and men from various fields intersecting the movie business:

Creative & Production: Directors, screenwriters, talents, editors, crew, bit players, caterers and runners

Distribution: Logistics team, production checkers, monitoring team, back office support

Exhibition: Cinema ticket-sellers, usher-porters, projectionists, snack bar personnel, janitors, branch management team

Others: Cinema suppliers, event organizers, employees of stores and restaurants around cinema premises

Thanks to the looming return of cinemas, these workers may now heave a sigh of relief.  

[Watch the “We Miss Cinemas” video featurette at https://youtu.be/55xyZGF1xN0]

Photo Credit: All handout images grabbed with permission from SM Cinemas’ YouTube channel

About Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP)

Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) is an association of cinema owners and operators in the country that works to represent its 47 members and to collaborate with the different stakeholders of the motion pictures exhibition industry towards the attainment of common good and objectives.

CEAP is the only cinema exhibition trade organization in the country representing 1,039 movie screens nationwide.

After an eternity of cinema closure, the time has come to experience “Dune” on the big screen the way it’s meant to be seen.  Warner Bros. Philippines is happy to announce that the epic adventure will open exclusively in Philippine theaters on Wednesday, November 10.

As director Denis Villenueve (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Arrival”) has said: “`Dune’ has been made, designed, dreamed to be seen on a big screen.”

[Watch the “Dune - Big Screen Experience” featurette here]

The Academy Award nominated filmmaker directs Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune,” the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller, considered one of the most influential books of the 20th century and credited with inspiring many of the greatest films of all time.  

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

“I discovered the book in my teenage years and I remember being totally fascinated by its poetry, by what it was saying about nature—the true main character of Dune,” Villeneuve relates.  “Frank Herbert’s view of nature was absolutely mesmerizing—all those beautiful ecosystems he created.  His exploration of the impact and chaos caused by colonialism was a portrait of the 20th century that is still relevant today.  And through all of this was a young man struggling with his identity, trying to find his way in the world, as I was doing myself.  The way Paul discovers his identity through another culture was, for me, amazing.”

Villeneuve’s big screen adaptation fully immerses the audience in this profoundly moving story of Paul’s coming of age set against family rivalries, tribal clashes, social oppression and ecological disaster on the unforgiving, austere planet, creating a fantastical cinematic experience that is both epic and intimate.

When it came to casting the many roles, Villeneuve and the producers assembled an astonishing list of actors to fill the coveted roles, including Timothée Chalamet as our hero, Paul Atreides, alongside Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, David Bautista and many more.

“To my great pleasure, most of my first choices were available and willing to embark on this journey with me,” Villeneuve smiles.

Acclaimed screenwriters Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, as well as Villeneuve, tackled the daunting adaptation of Herbert’s novel.  Spaihts offers, “This was a chance of a lifetime for me.  I first read Dune at probably 12 or 13, and at that age I was struck by it almost like scripture; it felt like one of the most profound things that I had read and became one of my annual reads, like The Lord of the Rings.”

“I was a fan,” Roth states.  “It has all the ingredients that come together to create a wonderful alchemy of storytelling: what happens to planet Arrakis, the father-son and mother-son storylines, the fact that women are very powerful… It seems modern and all of a sudden very pressing, and he wrote it in the `60s.”

“To me, ‘Dune’ is a psychological thriller, an adventure, a war movie, a coming-of-age movie.  It’s even a love story,” concludes Villeneuve, who at last is able to fulfill his lifelong dream of bringing the landmark work with its complex mythology to life.  “There’s a reason the book stayed on my shelf, beside my bed, all those years.”

Only in cinemas starting Nov. 10, “Dune” is distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a WarnerMedia Company.

Watch the main trailer for “The Batman” now, only in Philippine cinemas soon.  Also checkout the two new teaser posters featuring Batman and The Riddler.

Facebook:  https://fb.com/971400420384527 

YouTube: http://youtu.be/X6o8RZLRAIg 

About “The Batman”

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes “The Batman,” with director Matt Reeves (the “Planet of the Apes” films) at the helm and with Robert Pattinson (“Tenet,” “The Lighthouse,” “Good Time”) starring as Gotham City’s vigilante detective, Batman, and billionaire Bruce Wayne.

Also in the star-studded ensemble as Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Mad Max: Fury Road”) as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy,” “12 Years a Slave”) as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright (the “Hunger Games” films) as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro (the “Transformers” films) as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard (“The Magnificent Seven,” “Black Mass”) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Barry Keoghan (“Dunkirk”) as Officer Stanley Merkel; Jayme Lawson (“Farewell Amor”) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the “Planet of the Apes” films, “Black Panther”) as Alfred; and Colin Farrell (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Dumbo”) as Oswald Cobblepot.

“The Batman” was written by Matt Reeves & Peter Craig.  Reeves and Dylan Clark (the “Planet of the Apes” films) are producing the film, with Simon Emanuel, Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada and Chantal Nong Vo serving as executive producers.  Reeves’ behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (“Lion,” upcoming “Dune”); his “Planet of the Apes” production designer, James Chinlund; editors William Hoy (the “Planet of the Apes” films) and Tyler Nelson (“Rememory”); Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon (“The Jungle Book”); Oscar-nominated SFX supervisor Dominic Tuohy (“1917,” “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”); Oscar-nominated sound mixer Stuart Wilson (“1917,” the “Star Wars” franchise); Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“1917,” “Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”) and costume designers Glyn Dillon (the “Star Wars” franchise) and David Crossman (“1917,” the “Star Wars” franchise); hair designer Zoe Tahir (upcoming “No Time to Die,” “Spectre”); and Oscar-nominated makeup designer Naomi Donne (“1917”).

Based on characters from DC.  Batman was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger.  “The Batman” is set to open in theaters soon in select 3D and 2D and IMAX theaters and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

October 19, 2021 -- Uncover the past. Protect the future. Watch the new international trailer of Columbia Pictures’ Ghostbusters: Afterlife, exclusively in Philippine cinemas soon.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/vstFiU4r-Cc 

And in case you missed it, watch what went down at the recent New York Comic Con during the Ghostbusters: Afterlife panel.  Check out the sizzle reel and photos below.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/cejjDDHlLqg 

About Ghostbusters: Afterlife

From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes Columbia Pictures’ Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe.

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan. Based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters, an Ivan Reitman film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.

Starring Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and Paul Rudd, Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s executive producers are Dan Aykroyd, Gil Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Michael Beugg.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. 

Do you like scary movies? Watch the new trailer for Paramount Pictures’ horror thriller “Scream” opening in Philippine cinemas January 2022.

Facebook: https://fb.watch/8EMBGyYNGg/ 

YouTube: https://youtu.be/i3sXCxPaRl0 

About “Scream”

Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past. Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”), Courteney Cox (“Gale Weathers”) and David Arquette (“Dewey Riley”) return to their iconic roles in “Scream” alongside Melissa Barrera, Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Sonia Ammar.

“Scream” is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett of the filmmaking group Radio Silence (“Ready or Not,” “V/H/S”), executive produced by Kevin Williamson, Chad Villella, Gary Barber, Peter Oillataguerre, Ron Lynch, Cathy Konrad, Marianne Maddalena; produced by William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein.

The film is written by James Vanderbilt & Guy Busick, based on the characters created by Kevin Williamson.

“Scream” is a long-running genre-busting horror franchise which generated four feature films including “Scream” (1996), “Scream 2” (1997), “Scream 3” (2000) and “Scream 4” (2011). Directed by famed “maestro of horror,” the late Wes Craven, the films went on to gross more than $600 million in worldwide box office receipts.  Williamson wrote the original film as well as “Scream 2” and “Scream 4.” 

“Scream” is distributed by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures.