News: HENERAL LUNA AND PATINTERO INVADE TOYCON

The cast of the films “Patintero: Ang Alamat ni MengPatalo” and “Heneral Luna” treated legions of pop culture fans with a special Independence Day presentation at the recently concluded ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience. John Arcilla and Mon Confiado of “Heneral Luna” were greeted with loud cheers from the crowd as they officially launched the new “Heneral Luna” deluxe edition DVD last June 12. More importantly, the two leads gave a very timely and rousing message of patriotism to everyone in attendance. Amidst the popular international comic book superheroes, both actors noted and thanked everyone for the overwhelming support and interest for local national heroes in an event such as ToyCon.

 

Meanwhile, the adorable kids of “Patintero: Ang Alamat niMeng Patalo” led by Nafa Hilario Cruz (Meng), WilliamBuenavente (Shifty), Isabel "Lenlen" Farial (Nicay) and Claude Mikael Adrales (Z Boy) and director Mihk Vergaraintroduced the movie and gave an exclusive first-look at the film’s new trailer. “Patintero” was one of the films featured in last year’s QCinema Film Festival. It won the Audience Choice Award and Gender Senstivity Award. The wholesome and heartwarming coming-of-age family filmabout a ragtag group of neighborhood patalo will have its theatrical release this September.

The films’ producers, TBA (Tuko Films, Buchi Boy Entertainment, and Artikulo Uno Productions), had an impressive booth set-up during the three-day event. The booth, designed with a thematic look-and-feel from the filmPatintero, drew in kids and kids at heart with its special coloring book station. Premium items such as stickers, postcards, fans, and a limited edition Patintero coloring book were given away to participants.  

 

The booth also offered cinephiles a chance to sign up at Cinetropa.com. Cinetropa, the first exclusively Filipino-movie streaming site, offers a wide selection of Filipino independent films in HD for film enthusiasts from around the globe to enjoy. As a special treat for ToyCon, those who signed up during the event got a chance to win a free single movie screening at Cinema ’76, the metro’s coolest micro-cinema.

“Heneral Luna” fans trooped the “Heneral Luna” sari-sari store for the film’s official merchandise. Among the store’s bestseller was the film’s deluxe DVD. The special dual disc edition contains never-before-seen cast auditions, behind-the-scenes footage, and commentaries from the director and producers. Fans of the film patiently braved the long lines at the TBA booth last Sunday for a chance to have their copies signed by John Arcilla and Mon Confiado.

 

The “Heneral Luna” deluxe edition DVD is now being soldin all leading record stores and bookstores nationwide.   

Toycon 2016: Reaching Unprecedented Heights

We have been attending Toycon for the past few years and when it was announced that Toycon will be moving from its home of 14 years at the Megatrade Halls in SM Megamall to the SMX Convention Center, I was admittedly a little bit sad since Megamall is close and traveling to Pasay would definitely be longer but I knew it was all going to be worth it and needless to say, Toycon delivered!

Hodor in Manila

Now those are word is never thought I would get to say or write down. I'm a big "Game of Thrones" fan, I've read all the books and consider "Game of Thrones Monday" as sacred and holy. So just imagine my seeking when Toycon announced that they would be bringing Kristian Nairn, who plays the gentle giant in the bit TV show to Manila! 

Not only will Nairn be holding panels, taking pictures with fans and signing autographs but he also played a couple of DJ sets for his Filipino fans. You see, aside from acting, the 6'11 native of Belfast is also a musician, he sings and plays the guitar as well.

As a result of the popularity of "Game of Thrones", Nairn has been traveling the world, playing DJ sets aptly called "Rave of Thrones" and I still pinch myself when I realize that I have been to one, thanks to Toycon 2016 and Pop Life Fan Experience.

Super Man Indeed 

I grew up watching "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" in the 90's. (The series ran from 1993-1997) They used to show it on ABC 5 (before it was TV 5) and yes, before they dubbed everything in Filipino. 

I was really surprised when I saw Dean Cain in person because damn! 

(Ang gwapo parin niya!) - I actually said out loud when he got up on stage. 

He was so nice to the PRESS and Media, remembering each name of the Press who came up to ask him a question. He would address them by name and you can tell that he really wanted to give a personal experience to everyone that was there. Giving hugs and kisses and even a recorded greeting. 

Local Heroes Make Debut in Toycon 

For the longest time, Toycon has been bringing the spotlight to our local talent as well by featuring artists and comic book creators. This year's Toycon was extra special as they were able to celebrate real life heroes in history through the cast of Heneral Luna, where in John Arcilla and Mon Confiado even appeared on the stage dressed as their counterparts, Heneral Luna and Emilio Aguinaldo. The crowds cheered and applauded at them as it was also June 12, Independence Day where they made their appearance-how timely indeed. 

The cast was also present to promote the exclusive DVD launch of Heneral Luna. 

Toys, Toys and Furniture?! 

Of course, a Toycon staple is the many impressive toy displays and there were a couple of new ones this year, such as Stan Lee's very own personal collection being on display and a whole lot of life sized Funko Pops! A booth that I found very interesting was Space Coaster which featured furniture and art pieces inspired from our favorite pop culture movies and TV shows! 

I'd love to have that Star Wars couch in our living room! 

I love that there was actually extra leg room to walk around in and places to sit and rest. Going around Toycon can be tiring but always fun. 

It was nice to see friends all around Toycon, of course each was busy with his or her Cosplay or helping out in a booth and despite being a tiring and challenging experience each and every year, it's something that we all do for the love of our hobbies and passion. 

Congratulations Toycon you really set the bar high up! Can't wait for next year! 

Click HERE for MORE Photos! 

Experience Toycon 2016

TOYCON PHILIPPINES 

The Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention, or TOYCON as it’s more widely-known, is Asia’s longest running convention for collectibles, toys, anime, comics, cosplay, gaming and anything and everything related to hobbies and collections. The convention has been ongoing since 2002 so it is now on its 15th year of thrilling fans and aficionados alike. It is, simply put, the biggest pop culture event in the country. 

Being a milestone year, the TOYCON reaches new heights as it readies itself to be the first international multi-genre entertainment and hobbies convention based in the Philippines. Held annually in June every year, it has grown in scale and popularity since its humble beginnings and is now regarded as the one of the most anticipated and visited events in the country, with event-goers filling the venue to capacity with close to 40,000 people attending.

TOYCON 2016 & Pop Life FanXperience 

After 14 conventions, TOYCON Philippines is proud to announce its partnership with Pop Life Entertainment to create the ultimate FanXperience for the Filipino pop-culture fans!
ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience will be the biggest celebration of all things associated with pop-culture such as toys, games, movies, cosplay, anime and collectibles. 

FanXperience is the offshoot event of the Salt Lake City Comic Con, the 3rd largest comic convention in the United States with over 125,000 in attendance. Through its global partnership with Pop Life Entertainment, ToyCon 2016 will be the staging-ground of the "ultimate FanXperience for their international fan base with exclusive show merchandise, exhibitions, international cosplay competition COSFANX, celebrity appearances  and much more.

The exhibits will feature some of the world’s biggest brands in entertainment with such licensed properties as Marvel, DC, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Cartoon Network, UFC, Peanuts, Nickelodeon and the NBA to name a few. It will also highlight gaming brands such as Capcom, Namco and DOTA 2. 

The ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience will give ToyCon fans up close and personal FanXperiences with their favorite pop culture icons. These FanXperiences will feature big name local and international celebrity guests from movies, television, music, comics, gaming and anime. Stay tuned for exciting announcements on who will be our featured line-up of guests for the inaugural ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience!

June 10 to12, 2016 
SMX Convention Center Halls 1-4 
Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Event highlights include:

1. Stan Lee Excelsior! Exhibit (see attached) 

2. Pop Life Exhibit - exhibit of the newest Funko Pop toy releases, including one of the most anticipated lines, Suicide Squad, the new Cosplay line and possibly prototypes of the new Encantadia line of Funko Pop toys 

3. CosFanX – The biggest and newest international Cosplay competition which pits the best cosplayers in Asia against each other in country eliminations, country finals and regional finals. Top prize in the local finals is P50,000 cash and the chance to represent the country in the championships in Thailand 

4. Suicide Squad Movie Exhibit – Warner Brothers Pictures exhibit of DC Comics newest cinematic blockbuster coming in July 

5. Voltes V Exhibit – It’s Voltes V 40th Anniversary and this exhibit is highlighted by a 20-foot statue of the iconic robot and various memorabilia from the creators of the hit anime series of the 70s and 80s

6. TOYCON Toy Club Gallery – The biggest toy collectors’ exhibit ever assembled under one roof featuring top toy brands, Kotobukiya, Enesco, Bandai, Hero Cross, Hasbro, Mattel, Hot Toys and Lego. This exhibit makes ToyCon one of the most photographed events in the country. 

7. FanX Celebrity photo-ops and autograph-signing - fans meet and greet with the international guests during interactive stage panel interviews, one-on-one photo booths and autograph-signing

8. Artists Alley and custom artwork - fans meet their favorite local and international guest artists for custom sketches, signing and art critiquing 

9. Multi-media entertainment – Interactive booths from top gaming companies, Capcom, Namco and DOTA 2 and also from top subscription video on demand company, iFlix 

10. The biggest dealer floor of around 240 merchants of various pop-culture merchandise, comics, accessories, cosplay merchandise, toys and collectibles

FanXperience International Celebrity Guests 

Confirmed –

Kristian Nairn, actor and musician, known for his portrayal as Hodor from Game of Thrones 

Mario Maurer – Thai pop-star, actor, model and brand endorser. Also known locally for various film projects with local celebrities 

Bronson Pelletier and Kiowa Gordon – Members of the werewolves pack in the Twilight saga: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn movie. 

Frankie J – R&B/Pop Singer songwriter known for his hits Top 40 hits “Obsession”, “How T Deal” and “That Girl” 

Dean Cain – best known as Clark Kent/Superman in the 90’s series Lois & Clark and now portrays Jeremiah Danvers in the hit new TV show, Supergirl

Daniel Logan – New Zealand actor best known for his portrayal as young Boba Fett in Star Wars Attack of the Clones 

(More celebrities to be confirmed in the coming weeks)

The event is organized by the Asian Comics, Toys & Hobbies Collective Inc. and Pop Life Entertainment

Movie News: Heneral Luna Goes to Toycon!

This June, “Heneral Luna” commemorates Independence Day with a massive and simultaneous multi-media rollout, making the film available in several platforms that include online, free-TV, DVD, theatrical, and participation in ToyCon 2016.

Starting June 2, “Heneral Luna” will have its first global streaming via Cinetropa.com, the first exclusively Filipino-movie streaming site. The world will now get to see the movie online in HD for PhP 288 and $6.99 for those watching outside of the Philippines. In true history-making fashion, “Heneral Luna” carries subtitles in nine languages, including Catalan, Chinese, English, French, Italian and Spanish for its growing global audience.

Those who will watch the hugely successful action epic at Cinetropa will also get two other movies for free—“K’na The Dreamweaver” and “Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo”. This promo is offered until the end of the month.

Aside from an online platform, “Heneral Luna” and “Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo” will be available on free-TV for the first time this coming June 11 and June 12 respectively. The back-to-back historical epic and Independence Day commemoration will air on ABS-CBN.

Fans of the movie and the “Heneral Luna” DVD can now enjoy a bigger and more dynamic version with the launch of the new deluxe DVD. This special edition dual disc will contain featurettes, never-before-seen cast auditions, behind-the-scenes footage, and commentaries from the director and producers.    

The promotional launch of the DVD will be held on June 12 at ToyCon 2016 at SMX Convention Center in SM Mall of Asia. ToyCon is the biggest pop-culture event for toys, games, movies, and animation. The producers of the film, TBA (Tuko Film Productions, Buchi Boy Entertainment, and Artikulo Uno Productions), are one of the sponsors of the event. TBA will have a booth set-up where fans can avail of the deluxe DVD and other official merchandise. The film’s cast will be at the event for this celebration.

Finally, “Heneral Luna” and “Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo” will have a free theatrical screening at the newest and coolest micro-cinema Cinema ’76 on June 12. “Heneral Luna” cast will also drop-by to meet-and-greet moviegoers and sign copies of the deluxe DVD edition.

This unprecedented move is TBA’s way of thanking the fans for their unwavering support and clamor for the film. With this multi-media platform launch, TBA hopes to extend its reach to more audiences who would like to discover “Heneral Luna” both here and in other parts of the world.

For more details and updates on upcoming movies, visit cinetropa.com andwww.facebook.com/cinetropa/

For Cinema ’76 screening schedule, visit www.facebook.com/cinema76fs