Enter the Expanded Multiverse of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"

How do you follow up an Oscar®-winning animated feature which redefined what a CG-animated movie could look like, while introducing a new multicultural version of a classic Marvel superhero?

© Columbia Pictures

If you are part of the creative team at Sony Pictures Animation, you up the visual ante, take audiences to new places and offer surprising plot developments while never forgetting the emotional core of the story. Watch the trailer below:
“We took everything that we did in the first movie and cranked it to a whole new level,” says filmmaker Christopher Miller, one of the film’s writers and producers. “With this movie, we’re visiting different universes, and each universe has its own aesthetic and own artistic style. Each world is so different visually from the others, and the things that the people at Sony Pictures Animation and Imageworks have designed are limited by absolutely nothing. Anything you can imagine, paint and conceive, they can make an immersive 3D spectacle – and that’s often absolutely jaw-dropping.”

© Columbia Pictures

Producer Amy Pascal says, “This movie is a lot bigger and will have all the action that everyone’s looking for. But what I hope we’ll achieve is that the action sequences come out of character development and that you’re always telling a good story – we’ve been quite rigorous about that.”

“I think one point that comes across in the movie is that heroes exist in all cultures,” says producer Avi Arad.

Vision to the Power of Three

“What’s really inspiring is that each one of our new directors was able to bring something unique to the experience, a personal strength or viewpoint that was completely different from ours,” says filmmaker Phil Lord, also a writer and producer for the sequel.

“We’ve often joked about the fact that as a team of three directors, we each have our own individual superpowers,” says Joaquim Dos Santos, who directs the sequel with Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson. “Justin was the production designer on the first film, and has an amazing eye for design and knows how to push design especially when you’re visiting all these different worlds. Kemp is obviously an amazing writer. He has this fantastic backlog of work that has received every accolade and deserves even more because he’s an absolute virtuoso. My own background is as a story artist, so I am about telling stories through visual camera work. We are constantly checking each other’s work and showing each other what we are doing, and everybody has a say. It’s a very democratic process.”

A good old friend

“I hope audiences will feel like they’ve been reunited with a good friend,” says Peter Ramsey, one of the directors of the first film and now an executive producer for the sequel. “We want them to hold on tight as Miles goes through some really tricky and treacherous times. Most of all, I hope his journey comes across as powerfully and emotionally strong as it did in the original movie.”

© Columbia Pictures

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is coming exclusively to theaters on May 31, 2023, distributed by Columbia Pictures Philippines.

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ZTE Reaffirms Commitment to Sustainability, Committed to Building Sustainable Green FTTH Networks

"ZTE advocates the green development concept and has taken the lead in exploring a series of environmental protection measures. These measures cover various fields such as product architecture, device packaging materials, key components, and O&M, to promote the sustainable development of the industry," says Hans Neff, Senior Director of the ZTE CTO Group

• Building sustainable green FTTH networks is a key direction for network development
• Following the green design concept of smooth evolution, high integration, miniaturization, and easy deployment in its product architecture
• Adopting intelligent management methods for O&M

ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions has reaffirmed its ESG commitment, during the the annual FTTH Conference in Madrid, Spain. In his presentation with the theme “Building Green FTTH Networks for Sustainable Development", ZTE’s Senior Director of the ZTE CTO Group, Hans Neff, highlighted the company’s latest technologies, perspectives, and experiences with green FTTH network.

Advocating green development concept, ZTE has taken the lead in exploring a series of environmental protection measures. These measures cover various fields such as product architecture, device packaging materials, key components, and O&M, to promote the sustainable development of the industry. In his presentation, Neff emphasized that building sustainable green FTTH networks is a key direction for network development that benefits the whole society. Neff said that the "green" requirements should be integrated into the full life-cycle of FTTH networks.

ZTE’s products follow the green design concept of smooth evolution, high integration, miniaturization, and easy deployment in its product architecture. For example, ZTE's Any-PON multi-mode solution, the first of its kind in the industry, can meet the requirements of diverse scenarios through flexible configuration, and effectively reduce the number and types of cards. ZTE's compact OLTs also effectively save space and energy in equipment rooms.

The booth at the forum

ZTE's fixed network CPEs use 100% recyclable plastic enclosures, and packaging boxes use 100% green plant-based ink that is non-toxic and harmless for device packaging materials. ZTE likewise enhances the functions and lowers the power consumption of its key components. ZTE adopts intelligent management methods for O&M. For instance, smart fiber detection provides visualization and manageability, preventive maintenance, and accurate fault location functions, which help reduce the consumption of O&M resources.

According to ZTE “energy consumption is a major part of the operating costs for network operators. To achieve sustainable development and enhance their competitiveness, operators need to build energy-efficient networks. ZTE is committed to green development and will continue to cooperate with industry partners to create green solutions for enterprise operation, supply chain, digital infrastructure, and industry empowerment. ZTE will continue to build sustainable green FTTH networks and help industries to adopt the green development path quickly.”

Know more about ZTE innovations and devices in the Philippines. Visit and follow ZTE Devices Philippines’ official social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.

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Project Hulmahan Exhibit at The Manila Hotel

From May 8 to 20, Project Hulmahan is setting foot at The Manila Hotel’s Grand Lobby and Art Gallery. The art exhibit features a diverse range of artworks such as sculptures, paintings, and mixed media pieces—all using shoe molds—created by both established and emerging artists who share a passion for helping others through their art.

“We looked for volunteer artists by posting publicly on Facebook who were willing to paint or make any kind of art out of hulmahan [shoe molds] that are no longer being used because the pandemic hit the struggling shoe industry in Marikina, the Shoe Capital of the Philippines,” relates Bernardo. The call for volunteers had a positive response that hundreds of artists all over the Philippines expressed interest. The Manila Hotel’s creative consultant Rachy Cuna, National Artists Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and Kidlat Tahimik, sculptors Pete Jimenez, Jonathan Dangue, Julie Lluch-Dalena, and thespian Dolly De Leon are some of the participating artists whose works are featured in Project Hulmahan.

Project Hulmahan is a brainchild of Zena Bernardo, one of the members of Ladies Who Launch (LWL) and one of the co-founders of Bayanihang Marikenyo at Marikenya. Ms. Bernardo met with shut down shoe manufacturers in her hometown, Marikina, and their group purchased almost 500 pairs of shoe molds with the intention of transforming them into artworks to earn funds for community-based activities.

“It is fitting that The Manila Hotel collaborates with inspiring ladies, as the Grand Dame celebrates ladies, especially mothers, in the month of May”, says Marvin Kim Tan, Director of Sales and Marketing of The Manila Hotel. Ladies Who Launch is a four-woman team made up of Zena Bernardo (mother of Ana Patricia 'Patreng' of the famed Maginhawa community pantry), Dolly De Leon, internationally-acclaimed actress, Judith Albano, and Jasmine Ong. They were the founders of the community kitchen, which assisted many people during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The proceeds from the artworks will benefit the advocacy efforts of these three organizations: Bayanihang Marikenyo at Marikenya for community kitchen and livelihood programs, The Community Kitchen Project for nationwide disaster response, and a community-based art school for kids.

“Sa akin napaka-deep ng story ng [Project] Hulmahan. We want to give dignity back to the community; we consider them as partners in our community-based projects and not beggars. We may not be popular, but we want to be transparent and accountable. [Project] Hulmahan is about molding a person and molding a society. The success of this project will depend on working together and pooling resources so we can ensure that those in need have access to necessities during these challenging times,” says Bernardo.

Project Hulmahan is on display at The Manila Hotel’s Grand Lobby and Art Gallery until May 20, 2023. Admission is free.

To culminate the fundraising endeavor, a "by invitation" grand auction will be held at Centennial Hall of The Manila Hotel on May 21 from 6PM to 11PM.

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Start your engines as “GRAN TURISMO” revs up with first trailer

High speed brings higher stakes. Columbia Pictures’ upcoming action-thriller Gran Turismo is the exhilarating true story of Jann Mardenborough, a gamer who became a real-life racecar driver.

Credits to: Columbia Pictures

In cinemas soon across the Philippines. Watch the trailer.

Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp, screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin, based on the PLAYSTATION STUDIOS video game.

Produced by Doug Belgrad, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Dana Brunetti. The executive producers are Kazunori Yamauchi, Herman Hulst, Jason Hall, Matthew Hirsch.

The cast is led by David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner and Djimon Hounsou.

In Philippine cinemas 2023, Gran Turismo is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

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SM Supermalls backs DOH’s Chikiting Ligtas vax campaign

Opens 60 mall sites for pediatric vaccines aged 0 to 59 months

SM Supermalls, in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) launches the Chikiting Ligtas Measles-Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-OPV SIA) on May 01-31, 2023 in 60 SM malls in cooperation with Healthy Pilipinas, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dubbed as “Chikiting Ligtas sa dagdag bakuna kontra Polio, Rubella, at Tigdas,” this nationwide campaign aims to prevent impending outbreaks from these vaccine-preventable diseases and to inoculate children aged 9-59 months old against measles and rubella with the vaccination of one (1) dose of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, and children aged 0-59 months old against poliovirus types 1 and 3 with the vaccination of one (1) dose of Bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine. Just like all other vaccines in the routine immunization program, getting inoculated against these diseases are FREE, safe, and effective in keeping them healthy.

“SM Supermalls remains committed to creating a safer, better normal by providing a convenient, accessible, and enjoyable immunization experience to our SuperKids. With this, we encourage our shoppers, especially parents with children aged below five years old to get them their supplemental immunization against these preventable diseases in 60 SM malls nationwide,” said SM Supermalls president, Steven Tan.

Measles, rubella, and polio are highly contagious and can be fatal. In the Philippines, the 2022 year-end report of the Epidemiology Bureau of the DOH documented a 186% rise from 2021 in epidemic-prone diseases, particularly measles. Further, the country is also at risk of the re-emergence of polio.

“The only way we can prevent these life-threatening diseases is through vaccination. We, at SM Supermalls, are giving our full support to the DOH’s campaign by ensuring that our young stakeholders are given the opportunity to access Measles-Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine (MR-OPV) in the comfort of our malls,” Steven Tan added.

With its long-standing commitment to ensuring the health and safety of the public, SM continues to provide not just a #SafeMalling experience to shoppers, but also a convenient and accessible venue where their communities can get vaccinated.

The following SM Supermalls in the East are now accepting vaccinees until May 31 st :

• SM Center Angono, Weekdays except Wednesdays, 2nd level in front of Worlds of Fun
• SM Cherry Antipolo, Weekends, 2nd Level
• SM City Taytay, Weekdays, Basement 1 of Building B
• SM City San Mateo, Weekdays, 3rd level Community Services Area
• SM City Marikina, Weekdays, Ground Level beside near Main Entrance 2
• SM City East Ortigas, Saturdays and Sundays, 2nd Level near Mesa

To know more about SM Supermalls’ partnership with the DOH for Chikiting Ligtas, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow @SMSupermalls on social media.

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ZTE brings ZTE Day to the Philippines, brings global ICT innovation to local partners

With the theme "Shaping Digital Innovation", ZTE Philippines showcased groundbreaking products and solutions and demonstrated how ZTE’s ICT innovations create new value for the digital world

ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions, introduces its latest products and solutions to industry players, partners and consumers from various industries at the Philippine leg of the ZTE Day.

With the theme "Shaping Digital Innovation", ZTE Philippines showcased groundbreaking products and solutions and demonstrated how ZTE’s ICT innovations create new value for the digital world, including:

1. Products and solutions for access, transport, and cloud core networks to deploy end-to-end, efficient, and green digital infrastructure;
2. Innovative solutions and best practices for the B2B and B2H fields to facilitate operators' development of brand-new digital services;
3. Smartphones and other diverse terminal product series to empower full-scenario digital life;
4. Cutting-edge technologies to break the boundaries of coverage, capacity, and services and unlock infinite possibilities.

Specifically, ZTE day hosted a variety of sessions reflecting the current technology trends in the world – 5G connectivity, Intelligent Transmission Network, FTTx Evolution and New Smart Home,5G Cloud Core, Computing Power Accelerate Digitalization, ZTE Servers and Storage Products Introduction.

ZTE Day also aims to underscore ZTE’s Research and Development investments. In 2022, the company strengthened its key technology and product competitiveness, with R&D expenses reaching RMB 21.60 billion, 17.6% of the revenue.

This is the 3rd leg of ZTE Day. In addition to the Philippines, ZTE Day will also be held in other countries as well, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Morocco, etc.

ZTE Philippines is excited to showcase these cutting-edge technologies to our partners, to break the boundaries of coverage, capacity, and services and to unlock infinite possibilities for their businesses. ZTE continues to be committed to technological innovation.

Moving forward, ZTE will strive to make consistent advancements based on customer requirements, and to provide solid support in the Philippines, to help drive and facilitate global digital transformation.

For more information about ZTE Corporation and its devices available in the Philippines, you may follow the official pages at Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok (@ztedevicesph).

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LG Teams Up with Prime Video for New Series, Citadel, Available on LG Smart TVs

Complete with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and automatic FilmMaker Mode,

LG OLED TVs are set to shine a light on the action of Prime Video’s latest hit series.

Starting this week, LG Smart TV owners worldwide can enjoy Citadel, Prime Video and Amazon Studios’ epic spy-thriller series and the latest global sensation in streaming television. With LG OLED TV’s self-lit technology allowing for deep blacks and life-like color, viewers are placed at the center of the action-packed Citadel universe and can enjoy the show with intended color, aspect ratio, and frame rate, thanks to Automatic FilmMaker Mode. LG OLED TVs also feature Dolby Vision® for stunning ultra vivid picture and incredible immersive Dolby Atmos® sound, which further elevate the cinematic experience when enjoying your favorite titles available in Dolby.

Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Citadel is set after the fall of the titular spy organization, as two spies attempt to piece together what happened. The two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.

Citadel premieres exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, April 28, with two adrenaline-fueled episodes, followed by a new episode released weekly every Friday through May 26. Citadel will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

To mark the launch of the cinematic new television series, Prime Video and LG teamed up to bring the characters and high-tech world of Citadel closer to its fans, through a series of exclusive visuals, rolled out across multiple channels, including online, in-store, in New York’s Times Square and London’s Piccadilly Circus.

This is not a first for Prime Video and LG, as it continues a long relationship between the streaming service and smart TV manufacturer. Both have a combined goal to deliver the best viewing experience to millions of customers across the world who stream Prime Video’s great content with the LG OLED evo superior technology.

From launching the first 4K HDR streaming experience on LG OLED TVs in 2015, to enabling Filmmaker Mode on Prime Video’s movies and series in 2021, to bringing opted-in personalized recommendations on the LG home screen for customers to discover the best Prime Video content in 2022, LG’s long relationship with Prime Video continues to lead to innovations in the home watching experience.

“At Prime Video, we are always looking for new ways to innovate and provide our customers the best viewing experience,” said Andrew Bennett Head of Global Video Partnerships for Prime Video, MGM+ and Amazon Freevee. “Our relationship with LG and joint commitment to customers has allowed us to continuously raise the bar with new technology that enhances the overall user experience”

This comes as LG aims to boost marketing efforts designed to offer customer value through the delivery of unique experiences across a variety of touchpoints. Prime Video was a natural partner to expand LG’s marketing relationship given their global reach, continued tech innovation, and engaging content. LG plans to introduce more exciting collaborations like this in the future.

“LG is actively collaborating with its content partners like Prime Video to provide customers with an engaging experience on the big screen at home, and beyond,” said Chris Jo, senior vice-president of platform business at LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “We are happy to kick off this initiative with Prime Video, whose global partnership and shared passion for innovation through the years helps us provide a best-in-class experience for customers”.

For more details, follow @LGPhilippines on Facebook and @LGPhilippines on Instagram. LG products are available in all authorized dealers nationwide both in-store and online. Visit lg.com/ph for a complete list of our retail partners. You can also visit LG's Official Flagship Stores in Lazada and Shopee.

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