 GMA Pictures logo (since 2019) | |
| GMA Pictures | |
| Formerly |
|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | |
| Founded | June 22, 1994; 31 years ago (1994-06-22) |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | GMA Network Center,EDSA cornerTimog Avenue, Diliman,, Philippines |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Products | |
| Parent | GMA Network Inc. |
| Divisions | Backyard Productions |
| Website | gmanetwork |
GMA Network Films Inc.,doing business asGMA Pictures (formerlyCinemax Studios andGMA Films), is aPhilippinefilm,televisionproduction anddistribution company based in Diliman,Quezon City.[1] It is one of the largest film studios in the Philippines, along withStar Cinema,Viva Films andRegal Entertainment.[2] Its notable films includeSa Pusod ng Dagat (1998),José Rizal (1998),Muro-Ami (1999),Deathrow (2000),Let the Love Begin (2005),Moments of Love (2006),Ouija (2007),Firefly (2023), andGreen Bones (2024).[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
GMA Network tested the movie waters by co-producing films withViva Films. Among the movies that were co-produced wereOber Da Bakod: The Movie,Forever andSana Dalawa ang Puso Ko. Although not credited in the opening and closing credits of the movies, the network's logo appeared in the aforementioned movies' posters in theaters and newspaper ads.
In 1995, GMA Network launched its own film outfitCinemax Studios under the supervision ofJimmy Duavit and Butch Jimenez, withRun Barbi Run (1995) as its maiden movie. Later that year, Cinemax signed a co-production deal withOctoArts Films in which OctoArts would distribute the movies in theaters nationwide, while Cinemax (through its mother network, GMA) would handle publicity and promotions of the movies for TV and radio. GMA Network holds the airing rights for those movies. Films co-produced with other production companies are distributed by Cinemax.[11]
In 1997, Cinemax began producing and distributing its own movies, beginning withMga Bangka sa Tag-araw (later on known asSa Pusod ng Dagat) and Indios (later on known asMy Guardian Debil). At this time, it partnered with sister companies Film Experts and Optima Digital for production and post-production of its movies respectively.[12][13]
In 1998, it changed its name toGMA Films afterHBO's sister channelCinemax entered the Southeast Asian market.Sa Pusod ng Dagat andJosé Rizal, both produced and directed byMarilou Diaz-Abaya. GMA Films also producedMuro-Ami andDeathrow, both which were entries at their respective MMFFs and also critically acclaimed.[11]
On June 9, 1999, GMA Films locally distributed the anime filmVoltes V: The Liberation, produced by Carlos Agustin.[14]
In 2000, after the departure of Butch Jimenez from GMA Network, GMA Films was placed on hiatus.Deathrow was the last film produced.
In late 2004, GMA Films made its comeback, withLet the Love Begin as its first production. It became the highest-grossing Valentine film in the Philippines when it released in February 2005.
It later released other films that also became hits in the Philippine Box-office.
In 2007, the award-winning filmOuija co-produced withViva Films was supposed to be its first film to be released internationally. However, the scheduled overseas premieres in four U.S. cities (Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego) were cancelled. Only the one in New Jersey pushed through.[15] The movie is titledSeance internationally.
In 2009, GMA Films produced the reboot of the classickomiks novelAng Panday in partnership with Imus Productions. StarringRamon "Bong" Revilla Jr. in the title role, it became the official entry of GMA Films and Imus Productions for the 2009Metro Manila Film Festival. It became the festival's top grosser and won 6 major awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Revilla.
From then on, all films were only released nationwide while selected films had selected screenings in key points worldwide such asWhen I Met U, starringRichard Gutierrez andKC Concepcion had various international screenings andYou to Me Are Everything, starringMarian Rivera andDingdong Dantes had a New Jersey showing in 2010 and its recent film to be released at least within US borders wasIn Your Eyes, starringClaudine Barretto,Richard Gutierrez andAnne Curtis, had an international screening in notable cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego.
During the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival, GMA Films' entrySi Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote became the top grosser. The film starredVic Sotto andRamon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and was a joint production with Imus Productions, M-Zet Production, Octo Arts Films and APT Entertainment.
On May 11, 2012,The Road was released to theaters in the U.S. and Canada.[16][17]
2012 is the year that GMA Films has produced eight films in a year, the most it has ever done since its very start. This was part of GMA Films' resolution to produce one film per month. Even though that did not happen, they managed to produce eight films. On the same year, It made their own first venture for television wasCielo de Angelina on the morning slot.
In 2013, GMA Films produced only 2 feature film,Dance of the Steelbars andMy Lady Boss. Both films performed less than its previous films last year despite a star-studded cast. It distributed theCinemalaya 2013 entrySana Dati to theaters.
In 2014, the film outfit produced the horror-thrillerBasement, the action-thrillerOvertime and the40th Metro Manila Film Festival entryKubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2, which won 5 major awards.
With the popularity of theAlDub love team (Alden Richards andMaine Mendoza) rising to phenomenal heights in 2015, GMA Films partnered with Octo Arts Films, M-Zet Productions, APT Entertainment and MEDA Productions to produceMy Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore as entry to the41st Metro Manila Film Festival. The hottest love team was joined byVic Sotto andAi-Ai delas Alas, directed byJose Javier Reyes. The movie figured in a tight race with another MMFF entry,Beauty and the Bestie for the top spot at the box-office. The movie eventually earned P385 million, breaking box-office records. The said movie also earned 3 major awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Maine Mendoza.
In 2016, GMA Films partnered withAPT Entertainment andM-Zet Productions for the movieImagine You and Me, which marked the second team-up of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza. Shot mostly inComo andVerona in Italy, the movie was directed by Mike Tuviera. It was also one of the only two films (the other one is the film adaptation of Angels & Demons by Dan Brown) permitted to shoot in Verona.
Upon the movie's release on July 13, 2016, the film grossed over ₱12.8 million on the first six hours of opening day and it went on to gross over ₱21.5 million at the end of the day. It was 2016's highest opening gross for a Philippine film until it was surpassed by the Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla starrerBarcelona: A Love Untold, which grossed ₱23 million according to Star Cinema. Overall,Imagine You and Me was a big box office hit and had a successful four-week run in Philippine cinemas nationwide.
AfterImagine You and Me, GMA Films took another hiatus as parent GMA Network focused on its migration to digital TV.
After a 2-year hiatus, in 2019, GMA revived its film outfit asGMA Pictures. They also signed a co-production deal withMic Test Entertainment, starting withFamily History.[18][19] It also co-produced theCinemalaya 2019 entryChildren of the River with Spears Films and Luna Studios.
GMA Pictures also created a new division calledBackyard Productions, withKiko en Lala as its first release.[20]
On April 29, 2022, GMA Pictures signed a joint venture agreement withViva Films.[21]
In November 2022, GMA Pictures became active once again, in cooperation withGMA Public Affairs.[22] Among its films released the following year wereThe Cheating Game andFirefly, which was one of the entries of the49th Metro Manila Film Festival, in which it won asBest Picture.[23]
On July 1, 2023, GMA Network appointed Nessa Valdellon as Senior Vice President for GMA Pictures.[24] Valdellon later promoted as Executive Vice President for the film studio on April 1, 2024.[25]
On August 7, 2024, GMA Pictures has successfully completed its digitally restored and remastered version of the 1998 movieJosé Rizal and was shown at Cinemalaya Festival 2024.[26][27]
On May 19, 2024,Deadline Hollywood confirmed that GMA Pictures andABS-CBN's film outfit,Star Cinema would collaborate on a film together withKathryn Bernardo andAlden Richards reprising their respective roles as Joy and Ethan from the filmHello, Love, Goodbye. The film's sequel titledHello, Love, Again was released on November 13, 2024 in the Philippines and has become thehighest grossing Filipino film of all time.[28] GMA Pictures andColumbia Pictures signed a distribution deal on September 5, 2024 to distributeGreen Bones andKMJS' Gabi ng Lagim: The Movie under the latter studio's Sony Pictures Releasing International banner. The deal marks Columbia Pictures' return to distributing local films in the Philippines after an eight-year hiatus.[29]
Green Bones, an entry of the2024 Metro Manila Film Festival, won the festival'sBest Picture award, marking the first time that GMA Pictures achieved back-to-back wins for the award (following their win at the previous year's edition withFirefly) since bothJosé Rizal andMuro-Ami did in1998 and1999 editions respectively.[30]
GMA Pictures announced their first foray toadult animated feature films:Carl Joseph Papa'sdocudrama58th about theMaguindanao massacre that took place in 2009,[31] and Mervin Malonzo'sdark fantasyElla Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko, based on a 2017komikElla Arcangel by Julius Villanueva.[32]
| Formerly | GMA Records Home Video (2003–2019) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Division |
| Industry | Home entertainment |
| Founded | 2003; 22 years ago (2003) |
| Headquarters | GMA Network Center,EDSA cornerTimog Avenue, Diliman,, Philippines |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | |
| Products | Home video releases |
| Services | |
| Owner | GMA Network Inc. |
| Parent | GMA Pictures |
GMA Home Video (formerly known asGMA Records Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of GMA Pictures. It is the exclusive home video and DVD distributor of films produced by GMA Pictures, as well as programs from GMA Network and films from select production companies. Nonetheless, some movies are released with GMA Films partners (most beingRegal Entertainment orViva Films).
GMA Network's film distribution activities are managed by the GMA Films department, a subsidiary of the network. The department oversees the distribution of both domestic and international films, operating under the leadership of Joey Abacan, the Senior Vice President for Film Production and Programming at GMA Network. Abacan also serves as the executive producer for GMA Films (formerly known as GMA Pictures). He is supported by Annette Valdes, the current President of GMA Films, and Nessa Valdellon, the Senior Vice President of GMA Films.
Under Abacan’s leadership, GMA Films has gained recognition for distributing a wide range of internationally acclaimed films, both for television and theater releases. Notable films distributed by GMA Films locally include Titanic, Voltes V: The Liberation, A Moment to Remember, Train to Busan, The Shutter (a Thai horror film), Pee Mak, 7 First Kisses, Uncharted, and Insidious: The Red Door. GMA Films has also collaborated with major studios such as Columbia Pictures to distribute their films in territories outside the Philippines.
| Key figures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radio stations | |||||
| Television networks |
| ||||
| Other assets | |||||
| Former assets | |||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
