True blue Manileños, recent transplants, and visitors to our city all know — there is never a lack of things to do in Manila. This is Coconuts Manila’s guide to all things good and great happening over the coming weekend. Peruse it, take note of everything that interests you, and hit us up on our Facebook page or on Twitter @CoconutsManila to sound off on what you think.
Bond with your BFF
Date: Aug. 2, Friday
Venue: Mess Hall, Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City
FYI: July 30 was International Friendship Day. Those who missed the chance to celebrate with their favorite people in the world can do so this weekend at an event by the app Bumble BFF.
The theme is retro, so booths include mega nostalgia-inducing ones like bag decorating, hair braiding, and glitter makeup and temporary tattoo application. There’s even going to be a ball pit, which is a strange yet intriguingly fun way to bond with old friends and meet new ones.
But what’s a Friday night with no drinks? Juice boxes will be replaced with free cocktails, so attendees are covered on that front too.
It will be held in Mess Hall in Karrivin Plaza, Makati City. Entrance is free; attendees just have to show the Bumble app on their phone.
For more information, visit the Bumble BFF Retro Party Facebook event page.
Celebrate the written word and hone your craft
Date: Aug. 2 – 4 (Friday – Sunday)
Venue: Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Dr., Makati Ave., Makati City
National Book Store’s annual Philippine Readers and Writers Festival is happening this weekend and will once again bring together book lovers, budding writers, and award-winning authors in one place.
The three-day event will be held in Raffles hotel in Makati City, with activities like writing workshops, panel discussions, and book signings. Some interesting ones include:
From Screen and Stage to Page: Adapting Drama and Screenplays into Book Form – Aug. 2, Friday, 9am – 10:30am
Solving the Mystery: Getting the Lead in Crime Writing – Aug. 3, Saturday, 5pm – 6:30pm
Not Your Token Asian: A Look into Asian YA Lit in Recent Years – Aug. 4, Sunday, 5pm – 6:30pm
There will also be book signing sessions with Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen and United States-based Filipino author Gina Apostol on Saturday.
Admission is free and registration for all days start at 9am.
For more information, visit the Philippine Readers and Writers Festival website.
Catch the latest Filipino independent films
Date: Aug. 2 (Friday) – Aug. 13 (Tuesday)
Venue: Various locations
Another annual cultural event back this weekend is the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. It will open on Aug. 2, Friday and will run until Aug. 13, Tuesday, with screenings at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City, various cinemas in Manila, and other locations all over the country including Davao, Bacolod, and Iloilo.
Tickets are priced at PHP200 (US$3.93) per screening for regular audiences and PHP150 (US$2.95) for students. An all-access pass, where one can watch all movies including short films, is available for PHP4,000 (US$78.62).
Ten new full-length features are in competition this year, including the thriller Tabon by Xian Lim, sci-fi Ani by Kim Zuniga and Sandro Del Rosario, and love story Belle Douleur by Joji V. Alonso.
For a full list of all the featured films, read this Coconuts Manila primer on the event. A full list of screening locations is on the Cinemalaya page.
See a musical with the kiddos in your life
Date: Aug. 2 (Friday) – Aug. 18 (Sunday)
Venue: Maybank Performing Arts Theater, 26th St. cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
The 2005 DreamWorks film Madgascar is a modern classic. Those who have seen it, its two sequels and spin-off TV series can catch a fresh take on the story this week through a musical.
Atlantis Imaginarium Young Theatre’s Madagascar: A Musical Adventure, is based on the animated film and will feature the same characters. There’s Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippopotamus, and — of course — King Julien, the ring-tailed lemur who likes to “move it, move it.”
The show opens on Aug. 2, Friday and will run until Aug. 18, Sunday at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City.
Tickets are available on Ticket World and are priced between PHP1,500 (US$29.48) to PHP2,500 (US$49.14).
For more information, visit the Atlantis Imaginarium Young Theatre page.
Attend a collab concert of a local indie band and an OPM great
Date: Aug. 3, Saturday
Venue: Metrotent Convention Center, Metro Walk Commercial Complex, South Dr., Meralco Ave., Pasig City
Fans of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) can catch two acts live at the Metrotent in Pasig City this Saturday. Indie pop-rock band IV of Spades will be performing back to back with rock legend Rico Blanco.
IV of Spades, comprised of members Zild Benitez, Blaster Silonga, and Badjao de Castro, are known for the songs Mundo, Hey Barbara, and Bawat Kaluluwa.
Rivermaya, the band Blanco was the frontman of, was popular in the 90s and early 2000s. They are known in Asia for hits like Balisong and You’ll Be Safe Here.
Earlier this month, Blanco and IV of Spades released their collaboration Nagbabalik.
Tickets for their concert are available on SM Tickets and are priced between PHP905 (US$17.79) to PHP2,385 (US$46.88). The show starts at 8pm.
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