Last Monday, I woke up early hoping I’d catch a live telecast of the 2019 Academy Awards or more popularly known as the Oscars.
Unfortunately, not one of the cable channels carried the show in the Philippines, SkyCable had an announcement that none of the cable channels it is carrying would telecast the Oscars. What a downer! I’ve always looked forward to watching the awards show since the day it was brought to the small screens in the Philippines in the late ‘60s until last year when HBO Asia carried the awards show.
HBO Asia did not have an explanation why it did not carry the show live from Los Angeles, neither did it say whether it would be telecasting its future shows.
I was hoping Blue Ant Entertainment (formerly RTL-CBS) would because it has been carrying most of the awards-shows related to the movies lately, but it also didn’t. Fox Network (FoxLife and Fox, Fox Movies) didn’t too. Not even local network ABS-CBN, which for some time had a standing agreement with AMPAS to bring the Oscars to the Philippines.
I know that a lot of Oscars fans were, like me, disappointed that they weren’t able to watch the more-than-two-hour TV show last Monday, many of them resorted to finding any streaming service on the Internet.
After the ceremonies, many fans had googled the winners and watched clips of the Oscars.
Here is the full list of 2019’s Academy Award winners:
Documentary (Feature)—Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Free Solo
Actress in a Supporting Role—Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Makeup and Hairstyling—Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe, and Patricia Dehaney, Vice
Costume Design—Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther
Production Design—Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart, Black Panther
Cinematography—Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Sound Editing—John Warhurst, Bohemian Rhapsody
Sound Mixing — Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin, and John Casali, Bohemian Rhapsody
Foreign Language Film—Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Film Editing—John Ottman, Bohemian Rhapsody
Actor in a Supporting Role— Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Animated Feature Film—Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Animated Short Film — Domee Shi, Bao
Documentary Short Subject—Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton, Period. End of Sentence.
Visual Effects — Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm, First Man
Live Action Short Film—Guy Nattiv and Jamie Ray Newman, Skin
Best Original Screenplay—Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Best Adapted Screenplay—Spike Lee, Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele, BlacKkKlansman
Original Score—Ludwig Goransson, Black Panther
Original Song—Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt, “Shallow,” A Star Is Born
Best Actor in a Leading Role—Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Actress in a Leading Role—Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Best Director—Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Best Picture—Green Book
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Feng Shui master Joseph Chau performs prosperity ritual at LRI Design Plaza, a haven for artisanal designers and creative shop owners on 210 Nicanor Garcia Street, Bel-Air II, during a ritual held at the tail-end of the Chinese New Year.
Toni Lo, owner of LRI and the 81-year-old Luzon Rattan Industries (a furniture maker), Chau’s son Vittorio, 39, showroom owners, and their clients joined the Dragon dancers from Binondo, Manila’s China town that snaked around a stone fountain on the first floor and up to the spiral staircase – to all three floors of LRI on Feb. 9.
The Dragon dance participated in by both Filipinos and ethnic Chinese symbolized closer ties, “just like a family,” said Lo, adding that Chinese communities existed in the Philippines even before the arrival of Spaniards in the 16th century, and the Americans in the 19th century.
LRI’s celebration of the Year of the Pig culminated in front of a table laden with sumptuous offerings: a suckling pig; steamed chicken; roasted goose; five varieties of fruits; three cups of Chinese rice wine; three cups of tea; three bowls of cooked rice – with three pairs of chopsticks; dishes of fish and shellfish; and glutinous rice ball with peanuts and white sesame inside. The offerings and the lucky money offered in red envelopes (pau) invite good fortune, said elder Chau.
“We have to look forward to the future. We have to think positively always in order to strive for success, and give thanksgiving to God for giving us harmony, peace, protection, safety, and, most of all, the best of luck this year,” advised Chau, adding, “Businessmen must clear debts and not carry debts to the next year. It is unlucky to have unpaid debts. This is a good habit. If all merchants follow this practice, all businessmen will be happy and enjoy a prosperous New Year.”
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