LITERARY | AUTHORities: The 9th Philippine International Literary Festival

Are you an avid reader of Philippine literature? Loves to watch films? Want to learn how to write but got no extra cash to do it?

The National Book Development Board (NBDB) invites all to the 9th cycle of the Philippine International Literary Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from April 19 to 20, 2018.

Image Courtesy: National Book Development Board

With the theme “(AUTHOR)ITIES”—underscoring the power and voice that come with creation—this year’s Festival will feature various talks, workshops, and a book fair, as well as film screenings, and performances. 

The NBDB, the government agency mandated to develop and support the Philippine book industry, will hold the Festival in celebration of "Buwan ng Panitikan" (National Literature Month) in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF). 

All activities in the 9th Philippine International Literary Festival are free and open to the public, running from 8:00 a.m.to 8:00 p.m. on both days. Sessions will take place in various venues around CCP, while the book fair will be at the Main Theater Lobby extending to the Little Theater Lobby. Film screenings will be held at the Little Theater and the Dream Theater.

For updates on the Festival program, please visit http://fb.com/nbdb.phil orhttps://www.facebook.com/events/182119419236650/. 

For queries, you may contact the Festival team through litfest@nbdb.gov.ph or at (632) 929 3887 local 804.

MOVIES | Universal's "Minions" a blockbuster hit!

Poster Courtesy: Universal Studios

Universal Studio's "Minions", a spinoff of the "Despicable Me" movie, has taken the lead in movie theaters worldwide. With a $115.7 million in box office gross, it beat Disney's animated film "Inside Out" which is now on it's 4th week and took a very high average receipts earnings per location. It also outranked box office hit "Jurassic World."

Meanwhile, American comedy-drama film Channing Tatum-starrer "Magic Mike XXL" still made it to the top 10 grossing $48 million in two weeks.

"Minions" showing in the Philippines has not yet been announced, or has it been? Watch the trailers of the "Minions" at the end of this post.

Enlisted below are the top movies in North America, the distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Rentrak:

1. “Minions,” Universal, $115,718,405, 4,301 locations, $26,905 average, $115,718,405, 1 week.

2. “Jurassic World,” Universal, $18,151,275, 3,441 locations, $5,275 average, $590,689,595, 5 weeks.

3. “Inside Out,” Disney, $17,665,796, 3,644 locations, $4,848 average, $284,196,100, 4 weeks.

4. “Terminator Genisys,” Paramount, $13,830,369, 3,783 locations, $3,656 average, $68,848,110, 2 weeks.

5. “Gallows,” Warner Bros., $9,808,463, 2,720 locations, $3,606 average, $9,808,463, 1 week.

6. “Magic Mike XXL,” Warner Bros., $9,582,350, 3,376 locations, $2,838 average, $48,301,179, 2 weeks.

7. “Ted 2,” Universal, $5,666,310, 2,171 locations, $2,610 average, $71,684,895, 3 weeks.

8. “Self/Less,” Focus Features, $5,403,460, 2,353 locations, $2,296 average, $5,403,460, 1 week.

9. “Max,” Warner Bros., $3,542,406, 2,088 locations, $1,697 average, $33,826,601, 3 weeks.

10. “Baahubali (Telugu),” BlueSky Cinemas, $3,068,964, 170 locations, $18,053 average, $4,433,887, 1 week.

11. “Spy,” 20th Century Fox, $3,052,681, 1,457 locations, $2,095 average, $103,516,203, 6 weeks.

12. “Amy,” A24 Films, $1,799,780, 341 locations, $5,278 average, $2,140,576, 2 weeks.

13. “San Andreas,” Warner Bros., $1,231,228, 756 locations, $1,629 average, $150,022,103, 7 weeks.

14. “Me And Earl And The Dying Girl,” Fox Searchlight, $661,177, 570 locations, $1,160 average, $5,541,967, 5 weeks.

15. “Dope,” Open Road, $624,894, 380 locations, $1,644 average, $15,480,118, 4 weeks.

16. “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Warner Bros., $617,148, 338 locations, $1,826 average, $150,253,195, 9 weeks.

17. “Avengers: Age Of Ultron,” Disney, $455,764, 338 locations, $1,348 average, $455,238,846, 11 week.

18. “Love & Mercy,” Roadside Attractions, $430,977, 294 locations, $1,466 average, $11,326,741, 6 weeks.

19. “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” Bleecker Street, $353,055, 212 locations, $1,665 average, $6,451,179, 9 weeks.

20. “Pitch Perfect 2,” Universal, $274,060, 284 locations, $965 average, $183,058,230, 9 weeks.

TRAILERS (Courtesy of Youtube channel Illumination)