Super Mario Bros. movie releases first trailer

Nintendo and Illumination released the first trailer of the adaptation of the classic video game Super Mario Bros. featuring the voice of Chris Pratt as Super Mario.

The trailer starts with the unmatched war between the Koopas and the Penguin Army. Before Bowser destroys all of the land, a hero emerges to their world in an unlikely plumber named Mario. He discovers the Mushroom Land and becomes what we know as Super Mario. His brother Luigi also gets in the trailer escaping the monstrous liege of the Koopas. Watch the trailer below.

Alongside Chris Pratt are the following talents lending their voices for the characters of our childhood.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be in theaters, April 7, 2023.

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The Fabulous Invites Viewers To a Glittering World of Fashion & Dream

Upcoming Netflix series The Fabulous will be reaching out to global fans on November 4th with its story of the dreams, love, and friendship of friends who are dedicated to the fashion industry.

Chae Soo-bin plays the role of Pyo Ji-eun, a manager at a PR agency for luxury brands, and portrays a bold woman filled with passion and pride for her work. Choi Min-ho plays the role of a freelance retoucher Ji Woo-min, who has always been indifferent but starts to grow as he learns more about his dreams and love.

The released teaser poster shows a glimpse of Pyo Ji-eun and Ji Woo-min shining brightly with passion under the spotlight. The palpable chemistry flowing between the two arouses curiosity about their relationship.

More of Chae Soo-bin and Choi Min-ho’s characters, as well as their close friends, can be seen in the released trailer which shows a glimpse of their lives amidst the glitz and glamor of the fashion industry. Lee Sang-woon, who has acted in The Good Detective and many musicals including Grease, plays the role of designer Joseph who has his own brand called Mr. Joseph. Real-life top model Park Hee-jung who has graced many runways for famous brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Balmain, and Burberry, portrays supermodel Ye Seon-ho, marking her first acting role yet.


Capturing the fast-paced and exciting side of the fashion world, the trailer reveals the hard work taking place behind the scenes in order to pull off a gorgeous runway. The friends comfort and encourage one another while dealing with all the ups and downs of the fashion industry that is written as fashion and read as passion.

Directed by Kim Jeong-hyeon of Hotel Del Luna, Legal High, A Korean Odyssey, The Fabulous, which embodies the vibrant and impassioned lives of young and fabulous friends, will be released on November 4th, only on Netflix.

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SM and Fast Retailing Foundation Launch ‘Grow Trees Community’ in Nasugbu

SM Foundation, Inc. the social good arm of the SM group, and the Fast Retailing Foundation (FR Foundation), a general incorporated foundation in Japan, formally launched the ‘Grow Trees Community’ project in Nasugbu, Batangas last September 27 as the first stop of three provinces for their ‘treescaping’ and reforestation initiative.

The Grow Trees Community project aims to plant and grow trees across the Philippines while helping create livelihood opportunities by working closely with the people’s organizations in the communities. The project also joins hands with Costa del Hamilo, Inc., Manila Southcoast Development, Inc and the local government of Nasugbu.

“The core of our program is to go beyond planting trees. It also addresses the social and economic needs of communities by providing them with the means to engage in agroforestry. With this in mind, we want to build a strong foundation to keep growing communities by fostering collaboration and leadership in caring for the environment” said Cristie S. Angeles, SM Foundation Assistant Vice President for Livelihood.

FR Foundation Secretary-General Yoshio Ishida (right) plants flowering trees at the launch of Grow Trees Community in Nasugbu, Batangas

“Facilitating sustainable development is one of the core activities of FR Foundation and we support this program to further promote environmental stewardship, preservation and the economic development among communities. We are delighted to partner with SM Foundation who has an extensive experience in community development and tree planting programs in the Philippines,” Mr. Yoshio Ishida, Secretary-General of FR Foundation said.

The project is also seen enhancing prospects for eco-tourism and in turn, job creation for the community.

“This endeavor will definitely boost the eco-tourism here in Nasugbu moving forward with the flowering trees creating a picturesque view of the property. This will promote not just Hamilo Coast, but also the local community with no other property hosting this vast array of Palawan Cherry and other flowering trees,” Franklin M. Bolalin, Assistant Vice President for Hamilo Estate Management said.

Hamilo Coast looks after one of the largest mangrove forests in the province of Batangas in partnership with WWF Philippines since 2007. The 24-hectare mangrove belt is covered by lush 50,000 mangrove trees.

Three of Hamilo Coast’s coves, namely Pico de Loro, Etayo and Santelmo, have been declared as Marine Protected Areas by the (Organization) since 2009.

The site serves as a marine sanctuary to an exuberant diversity of marine animals and a resilient locale for migratory and unique species of birds, now totaling 96, which includes the vulnerable Philippine eagle-owl (Bubo philippensis).

The presence of more trees in these areas will act as natural protection against erosion, and absorption of planet-warming greenhouse gases.

Grow Trees Community is in support of the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.

FR Foundation focuses on promoting research designed to help make the world a better place, spurring technological development, nurturing human resources, and supporting socially vulnerable individuals or groups.

It is part of Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., the leading Japanese retail company that owns well-loved casual wear brand, Uniqlo.

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LG: The Evolution of OLED evo

With the introduction of anything new, there’s always a fever pitch to get under the hood and explore what's inside. This is true for all industries especially in this day and age of vlogging and content creation. New menu items from your favorite restaurant, a facelift of a fan-favorite car model, next-gen gaming consoles, and of course, electronic equipment are some of the most popular things to compare and contrast to previous iterations. LG’s award winning OLED TVs are no exception. Its newest offering, the LG OLED evo, has been a hot topic for content creators worldwide. To help shed light on some of the OLED evo’s mystery, we go into detail about what’s new that it brings to the table.

What is LG OLED evo?
Simply put, LG OLED evo is the technological spirit behind the TVs, not a designation of a specific part. OLED evo is LG’s exclusive OLED technology which combines cutting-edge dynamic tone mapping and the powerful α9 Gen5 AI Processor. No matter what panel or parts may be used in the individual unit, all 42-inch C2 OLED TVs will meet the same picture quality standards.

While some other electronics companies might use the same underlying OLED hardware, what sets LG apart is their own processing technologies and models to finetune and enhance performance – which is why OLED evo is such a compelling choice for consumers. OLED evo leverages the superior capabilities of LG’s α9 Gen 5 intelligent processor to deliver outstanding picture quality. The combination of these features and qualities makes the OLED evo technology a cut above the rest.

All LG OLED evo TV variants, the 42”, 48” and 52” all offer industry-leading OLED technologies that go beyond hardware. They are all powered by the powerful α9 Gen5 AI Processor which optimizes the picture for more immersiveness, has foreground and back-ground effect enhancing, and reduces picture noise and offers better resolution upscaling. Whether you’re watching high definition 4K content or 20 year old videos, the picture quality is automatically adjusted to bring you the best possible viewing experience. It also provides viewers with more lifelike audio, enabling the TVs’ built-in speakers to produce virtual 7.1.2 surround sound. Even without the use of additional speakers, you get to experience clear and crisp sound.

Another key feature of OLED evo TVs is the Picture quality algorithm, which includes dynamic tone mapping that looks at the brightest and darkest areas in over 5,000 areas of the screen and then calibrates the best HDR for each of those areas. This means that optimal HDR can be applied for over 5,000 areas of the screen for optimal color expression. See colors as they should - dark areas stay dark as onyx and brights are exceptionally light.

Go beyond the panel and dive in with LG’s innovative OLED evo technology. Visit lg.com/ph for more product information. LG OLED evo TVs are available at authorized retailers nationwide and at LG’s official flagship stores in Lazada and Shopee.

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Latest Wakanda Forever trailer shows costume of new Black Panther

In the latest trailer of Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Basset) gives a pep talk to the Wakandans to "show who we are." A showcase of more Wakandan culture that is being threatened by Atlantean Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his underwater army.

What's more exciting is that they also gave a glimpse of the new Black Panther. Who do you think she is?

Watch the trailer here.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also casts Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Dominic Thorne as Ironheart and more in an all-black ensemble with Martin Freeman as Emerett Ross. Coming only to theaters November 11, 2022.

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LG Gives Grant of an Ambulance to Ambassador Challenge Winner Bahay Aruga

LG, delivering on their commitment to supporting the development of local communities, recently turned over its grant to one of its LG Ambassador Challenge winners, Bahay Aruga. The LG Ambassador Challenge is a global initiative spearheaded by the South Korean tech company together with Korea Friends of Hope International (KFHI). The program aims to give support to local programs that improve the livelihood of developing communities.

One of the winners of the first Philippine Ambassador Challenge was Bahay Aruga, a free halfway house for Pediatric Cancer patients of Philippine General Hospital (PGH). One of the organization’s biggest obstacles was the lack of transportation options between the halfway house and the hospital, especially during medical emergencies. As part of the LG Ambassador Challenge winning grant, LG recently turned over a brand new ambulance to Bahay Aruga.

In a small turnover ceremony, KFHI country manager Taeho Lee, Bahay Aruga corporate secretary Viana Joan B. Mata, LGEPH managing director Sungjae Kim, and LGEPH product director for Air Solutions Changsoo Jang were onsite to give the ambulance, together with LG loot bags, to Bahay Aruga and the children they are supporting.

LGEPH managing director Sungjae Kim expressed his happiness with the success of the first LG Ambassador Challenge in the country. “LG is fully committed to supporting local communities and lending a helping hand to aid in development. The LG Ambassador Challenge, together with the help of KFHI, lets us amplify our efforts. We are ecstatic with this first round because it definitely won’t be the last.”

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“13th of SEPTEMBER” Braces for 2nd International Performance in Germany

After its celebrated run in the 9 th Festival International de Théâtre De Mont-Laurier in Quebec, Canada, “13th of September” is all set for yet another international show at the THEATERWELTEN 2022 on Saturday, 15 October 2022 at the Cultural Center Dieselstrasse in Esslingen, Germany, now with the support of the Philippine and German government, National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) and Bund Deutscher Amateurtheater (BDAT). This opportunity and privilege to represent the Philippines fulfills one of the goals of BOGT Philippines to create and produce shows for international theater festivals.

“13th of September” is a Reimagination of Lanie Robertson’s “The Insanity of Mary Girard”, written and translated by playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc, directed by Riki Benedicto, with actors Marco Calilao, Norman Peñaflorida, and Lao Rodriguez who now takes the role of Mary Girard.

JayLo Conanan (Production Designer), Katreen Dela Cruz (Production and Stage Manager), Roldan Lozano (Lights Designer), and Ces Valera (Projection Designer) complete the delegation of 8 who will fly to Germany this October.

THEATERWELTEN is both a festival and an international theater encounter. It is held every two years since 2015 and - due to the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic - had its first ever digital festival in 2021, which was also attended by BOGT Philippines. This year’s festival will be held from 13 - 16 October 2022 with performances coming from 8 countries: Philippines, Ukraine, Chile, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, Germany, and Israel. An accompanying symposium will examine the topic of “Theater and Safe Spaces" from local and global perspectives: Is theatre a safe space?

How does it affect participation in social events?

The Philippines’ representation at the festival does not end on the stage after the curtain closes as Director Riki Benedicto leads two days of Stage Combat workshops (October 14 and 15, 2022) in Sporthalle der Gemeinschaftsschule. Stage Combat is an artistic representation of fighting based on principles of reality using techniques that ensure the safety of actors on stage, all the while showcasing the fight’s aesthetic aspects and dramatic power.

Any play can, practically, be “based on a true story” but “The Insanity of Mary Girard” is one of the few that took real-life events into a haunting and highly theatrical piece. Mary Girard (1758–1815) was committed to an asylum in 1790 where her husband declared her legally insane. During her confinement, she gave birth to a baby girl – unsure who the father was – who died five months later. After residing in the insanity ward for 25 years, she was laid to rest somewhere on hospital grounds, her grave unmarked.

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