It was around January when I saw him for the first time. Star World relentlessly replayed American Idol so even on an early Saturday evening, while working out, I got to watch the show. AI auditions are normally entertaining and I would watch it for the humor as did many people. Suddenly, a guy came into the audition room, looking like any other hopeful, without a hint of flamboyance or star factor. He was the last guy from the Savannah leg and was bland as a piece of bond paper.

And then he sang Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. I stopped running. His voice and awkward mannerisms made him look like he had electricity going through his body. J.Lo said my thoughts out loud. Pretty good, I thought. Randy made him get his guitar and he sang his unique rendition of MJ’s thriller. I knew at that moment that I was gonna watch the the entire season.

Phillip Phillips was the guy’s name and funny as it may sound, I believed even then that it was a “showbiz” name – like Madonna or Beyonce Knowles or even Lady Gaga (as opposed to Stefanie).

I haven’t cared about Idol since the Jasmine Trias season. Sure, I followed season 4, too up until Carrie won. I also rooted for both Davids of season 8 and would occasionally watch performances of idol finalists in the past years. However, only now did I actually give a shit again and I didn’t even know why then.

I would’ve lost track of Phillip during the Hollywood and Vegas legs if not for Heejun Han and his hilarious personality. I loooooved that guy (not because he’s Korean but that helped too, sue me) and I enjoyed watching him quarrel with the obnoxious cowboy dude. I realized at that time that wow, he was in the same group as Phillip Phillips and they went all the way to the Top 24 together!!! I didn’t know they were best friends in the competition until Heejun was informed that he was in the Top 24 and P2 was the only person who was there to congratulate him.

The tissue tears. Oh, how Koreans love those.

PhilJun bromance. Shipping it since Feb 2012.

Even as early as the Top 24, I was a solid Phillip Phillips and Heejun Han supporter and only on the Top 12 did I even learn that a Pinoy that made it that far, too, just like Thia last year. My top 3 in the top 10 had always been P2, Han and Jay.

Kring’s Note: This piece was written by my friend, mentor, producer and former professor, Ms. Faye Martel. I don’t normally re-post articles written by other people here but there’s exception to every rule. “This Hunger Game Called Life” is one of the best dissections of the film/book that I have read and, albeit short, it made me ponder about the story, its lessons and my own life.

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Two years ago, my daughter bugged me relentlessly to buy her this book Hunger Games. Based on the title alone, I knew it was full of violence and I didn’t want to feed her mind (she was just 12 then) with such things. But, as I said, she did this relentlessly until I, well, relented (only after I researched what the book was about). And now everyone knows that it’s such box office hit. I watched it with her on its 1st day of regular showing (only because it was her exam week, if it were not, we would have one of those who watched in the midnight screening the night before), and I really liked it. Not really enjoyed it as I believe the premise of the movie can stand for a lot of things. At first, I thought it could be a great reference movie for my BroadComm class for when I explain camera work, but then as then as the story progressed, I discovered the Hunger Games is a TV show and it can be a better reference for the whole Broadcasting industry. At this point I was thinking that I have to get a DVD of this movie when it gets out. Then I felt a deep pang of sadness when Katniss volunteered for her sister and I realize that the Hunger Games may also be about life and how our children are launched in to it when they graduate.

Life, is like one big Hunger Games.

Yesterday, I attended a special screening of Boy, the highest-grossing New Zealand film of all time and one of the films lined up for the New Zealand Film Festival 2012 at the Shang. The story is set in 1984 and revolves around Boy, a dreamer who loves Michael Jackson so much that he imagines his absent father, Alamein, to be just like the singer. When Alamein returns to reveal he’s been at jail for robbery, Boy has to face the man he thought he knew.

Boy is a simple yet well-written movie, which was written and directed by Taika Waititi, who also happens to play the father, Alamein. Indeed, he’s one talented man. It’s funny, it’s nostalgic, it’s beautiful… but more importantly, it’s honest and in a way is a perfect movie to represent to New Zealand (we all know that NZ has wonderful scenery, which was highlighted in the film). The visuals reminded me of those serene Japanese films that I love like A Gentle Breeze in the Village.

More than the tight script, the actors, especially the children did a wonderful job. I particularly loved “Rocky”‘s effortless yet heartfelt performance.

I had a chance to have a little chat with Mr. Andy White of the Embassy of New Zealand and he explained that the objectives of this film festival are to showcase the talent of the people working in their film industry and show the diverse culture of their country. All of the films are good, he said but if he were to recommend his favorites, he said we shouldn’t miss Sione’s Wedding and The Whale Rider.