MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Philippine media giant GMA Network, through its content distribution arm GMA Worldwide, showcased ground-breaking Filipino dramas at the recently concluded MIPCOM Cannes, the world’s greatest gathering of television entertainment professionals from 100 countries. It was held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France.
Representing GMA Network in MIPCOM were Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, Program Management First Vice President Jose Mari R. Abacan, Business Development and Strategic Content Partnerships Consultant Reena Garingan, and GMA Worldwide Division Vice President Roxanne J. Barcelona.
Some of the GMA drama titles highlighted during the week-long event were Widows’ Web, I Left My Heart In Sorsogon, To Have and To Hold, and Broken Faith (Magkaagaw).
Widows’ Web is a gripping family suspense-drama with four women caught up in a twisted murder case that will entangle them in a web of secrets, mysteries, and lies. Filled with intense and heart-pounding scenes, the primetime series is headlined by Ms. Carmina Villarroel, Vaness Del Moral, Ashley Ortega, and Pauline Mendoza.
GMA’s romantic drama series I Left My Heart in Sorsogon stars the Philippines’ crazy rich Asian and global endorser Heart Evangelista. She plays Celeste, a fashion designer and socialite, who is engaged to the most eligible bachelor in town, Tonito, played by Richard Yap, and Paolo Contis who plays the role of her old flame, Mikoy. When Celeste’s father suddenly becomes ill, she reluctantly returns to her hometown and is forced to confront the life she left behind. There, she crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend which creates friction between them.
To Have and To Hold is a compelling story of marriage and love that knows no bounds. When the bad starts to outweigh the good, is love truly enough to uphold the sacred vows of marriage? The series is top-billed by the finest ensemble of actors in the Network, Carla Abellana, Rocco Nacino, and Max Collins.
Last but not the least, top-rating afternoon drama Broken Faith (“Magkaagaw”) is the story of a legal wife who eventually becomes the person she hated the most — a mistress. The drama is the reunion of two of the industry’s veteran actresses Sheryl Cruz and Sunshine Dizon in the intriguing drama harped on vengeance. The show also features homegrown GMA talents Klea Pineda and Jeric Gonzales in their most challenging roles yet.
The first major market that GMA Network has participated in since the pandemic. MIPCOM (Marché International des Programmes de Communication), or the International Market of Communications Programmes, is dubbed as “the mother of all entertainment content markets.” It is an annual event highly anticipated by global decision-makers who compete for new series, distribute content from all over the world, source international production partners, and who set the development agenda for 2023 and beyond.
