Philippine show looks for Pinoy talent in the UAE

Plus: Macau to host IIFA celebrations; it's a working birthday for director Gunasekhar.

Ryan Agoncillo, the host of Talentadong Pinoy. OSN.
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Talentadong Pinoy is coming to the Middle East. The Philippine reality talent show, produced by the Kapatid TV5 network, is looking for the best Filipino acts in the region. The show's host Ryan Agoncillo and its celebrity coaches Gelli de Belen, Arnell Ignacio and Marvin Agustin are in the UAE this week to hold the finals of the series, where Talentadong Pinoy Middle East's winner will be crowned, going on to represent the region in the show's international edition. Hundreds of contestants participated in the first round of auditions held in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Dubai will play host to the qualifying rounds this week before the final on Friday. "Pinoys are known for their talent, especially in the performing arts, which is why we are excited to see the acts of our 'Talentadong Pinoys' in the Middle East," Agoncillo said in a statement. Talentadong Pinoy Middle East will be broadcast exclusively on OSN's Kapatid TV5 channel. – The National staff

Macau to host IIFA 2013 celebrations

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards will return to Macau this year from July 4 to 6; it was last staged there in 2009. Now in its 14th year, the IIFA will celebrate Indian movies across a range of genres, says the organiser Sabbas Joseph of Wizcraft International Entertainment. "We are celebrating the magic of the movies across everything from fashion to dance," he told reporters. The annual festival has previously been held in Dubai, London, Sun City, Amsterdam and Johannesburg. Joseph believes the last Macau edition was one of the most successful in the IIFA's history. "In many ways, we wanted to repeat the experience because it [Macau] feels like home to us." he said. "We thought we would develop that as a stronger platform to make the event memorable." Bollywood's glitterati is expected to attend although Joseph remains tight-lipped on exactly who will be there. "I think we have Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and some others. At the IIFA, we never really get into names. We talk about the entire industry." – IANS

A working birthday for the filmmaker Gunasekhar

It may have been Gunasekhar's birthday on Sunday but it was business as usual for the Telugu filmmaker, who turned 35. "We are chasing a deadline and want to finish the movie as quickly as possible," he said of his period drama Rudhramadevi. Instead of taking the day off, the director enjoyed a small family gathering after the day's filming was done. About his project, he said: "The film is nearly 30 per cent complete – we have finished two songs and some important action sequences." Anushka Shetty plays the role of Queen Rudhramadevi; the cast includes Rana Daggubati, Krishnam Raju, Baba Sehgal and Nathalia Kaur. – IANS

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