Entertainment News (06/16/26)

Vina Morales headlines CenterPlay Concert Series

CENTERPLAY AT City of Dreams Manila will feature singer and actress Vina Morales in its monthly Concert Series on June 16 at 9:30 p.m. Ms. Morales is set to perform OPM hits such as “Pangako Sa’Yo,” “Hindi Ko Kaya,” “Muntik Nang Maabot ang Langit,” and “Nasaan Ka Na,” alongside songs other from her four-decade career in entertainment. The performance follows previous CenterPlay Concert Series shows featuring Ice Seguerra, Gabby Concepcion, Ian Veneracion, and Nina. Guests may reserve seats starting at P3,500 per person, inclusive of consumables, while resident bands Rewind, Zyncxation, and Sidetrack will provide live entertainment throughout the evening. For inquiries and reservations, call 8800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com.

BTS to drop its ‘Merry Go Round’ music video

KOREAN POP group BTS and Spotify are bringing “Merry Go Round” to life with a Spotify Music Video, set to premiere exclusively on Spotify on June 19 at 6 p.m. KST. “Merry Go Round” is from ARIRANG, BTS’ record-breaking fifth studio album. The Spotify Music Video is set to take the global audience deeper into the musical universe BTS has built, serving as a visual representation of life’s endlessly recurring cycles. Spotify said more teasers will be dropped in the lead up to the Spotify Music Video premiere.

QCinema Pride Film Fest returns with 7 features

THE QCinema Pride Film Festival returns this June with a lineup of seven acclaimed LGBTQIA+ features from nine countries, bringing together stories of love, identity, desire, belonging, and resistance. The program features recent winners from film festivals in Berlin, Busan, Jeonju, and Manila, spanning romance, psychological drama, comedy, animation, and thriller. Among the highlights is Iván and Hadoum, the Teddy Award winner for Best Feature Film at Berlinale 2026, which follows a trans man working in a greenhouse in southern Spain who falls in love with his newly hired Moroccan-Spanish co-worker. The one-time screening opens the festival and is co-presented by Instituto Cervantes. The festival also marks the big screen return of the Philippine feature Dreamboi, winner of nine awards at the CineSilip Film Festival 2026, including Best Film and Best Director. The erotic psychological drama follows a trans woman who becomes consumed by her fascination with an underground audio porn performer. Other films are Berlinale standout, Trial of Hein, which centers on a man returning to his remote island village after 14 years away; 3670, a South Korean drama that won four awards at the Jeonju International Film Festival 2025, about a young North Korean defector navigating loneliness and secrecy while taking his first steps into South Korea’s queer community; the science-fiction animated comedy film Lesbian Space Princess, which has won over 19 international awards; Tiger, the winner of the Hylife Vision Award at the Busan International Film Festival 2025, which follows a gay masseuse whose escalating dispute with his sister over family property pushes him into increasingly fraught moral territory; and Mike Nichols’ beloved comedy classic The Birdcage, led by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, which remains one of the most enduring and influential mainstream queer films of the 1990s. The QCinema Pride Film Festival will take place from June 24 to 26 at Cinema 17 and Cinema 18, Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao, Quezon City. Full screening schedules, ticketing information, and festival updates will be announced through the festival’s official channels.

Supergirl to hit cinemas on June 24

DC STUDIOS’ upcoming superhero film Supergirl is set to arrive in Philippine cinemas on June 24. Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, the film follows the heroine as she embarks on an interstellar quest for vengeance and justice after a ruthless adversary strikes close to home. Producer Peter Safran said the film will take audiences across alien worlds and introduce a diverse range of characters and environments. The cast also includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa. Produced by Peter Safran and James Gunn, the movie is based on the DC Comics character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Indie group signs with global management

FILIPINO INDIE rock quartet One Click Straight has signed with The Rest Is Noise (TRIN) for global management, with the company set to oversee the band’s international bookings, artist development, touring, brand partnerships, and licensing opportunities outside the Philippines in collaboration with manager Eezh Arcangel. The announcement comes as the band prepares for international festival appearances, including the Playtime Festival in Mongolia and a festival in Vietnam this July. According to TRIN co-founder MC Galang, the partnership builds on a year of collaboration through regional showcase festivals and music export initiatives. Formed by brothers Sam, Toffer, and Tim Marquez alongside longtime collaborator Joel Cartera, One Click Straight has released two albums and two EPs and has accumulated more than 20 million Spotify streams while performing across the Philippines and abroad.