Gawad Kalinga presents premiere of 'Paraiso' feature film in Toronto May 27, 2007

GK hopes to build a Paradise for all with stories brought to life in feature film debut

Toronto, ON – May 1, 2007 – Just in time for the celebration of Asian Heritage Month in Canada, non-profit organization Gawad Kalinga (GK) brings Filipino culture, inspiration and resiliency to the silver screen with the movie premiere of Paraiso: Tatlong Kwento ng Pagasa (Paradise: Three Stories of Hope), highlighting a powerful trilogy of faith and hope. This Filipino produced and developed film reveals the extraordinary stories of three ordinary people whose lives are forever touched by GK’s tremendous strides to “give care” by offering land to the landless, home to the homeless and food to the hungry. On Sunday, May 27, 2007, Paraiso debuts at the RBC Theatre in Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre.

Celebrated Filipino actors such as Cesar Montano, Maricel Soriano and Michael V., in addition to top entertainment executives and producers like Butch Jimenez, Robert Arevalo, Ricky Davao, Carmi Martin, Lilia Dizon and Bobby Barreiro waived their fees and volunteered their time and talent to bring Paraiso to life. This trilogy captures the spirit of GK with every scene and creates hope for the future through images of heroism and grassroots momentum towards “rebuilding a nation by rebuilding each other”.

“The compelling stories that unfold in Paraiso will impart viewers with the essence of GK’s continuous efforts and endeavours here in Canada to impact the lives of the poor in the Philippines and beyond,” said Ricky Cuenca, President and CEO of ANCOP International Canada. “This film also brings poignant images to the forefront that will inspire everyone to take action and hopefully give of themselves through contributing to GK.”

General admission tickets are available at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga (905-306-6000) and they cost $25 for showings at 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM. The Red Carpet event begins at 6:30 PM with a cocktail followed by the film screening at 8:30 PM. Tickets for the exclusive formal attire affair are $200, with all proceeds going to GK’s charitable efforts abroad. For more information on Red Carpet tickets, call 905-564-8539 x 226.
Gawad Kalinga invites you to the Toronto premiere of Paraiso

Date: Sunday, May 27, 2007
Time: 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM, Red Carpet viewing 8:30 PM
Location: RBC Theatre in the Living Arts Centre
4141 Living Arts Drive, Mississauga ON L5B 4B8
http://livingartscentre.ca 905-306-6000
Tickets: $25 – general admission; $200 - Red Carpet tickets, includes cocktails and movie
Info: Cheryll San Juan, cheryll_sanjuan@hotmail.com or 416-731-5322

About GK: ANCOP International Canada is a registered non-profit charity organization in Canada involved with a project called Gawad Kalinga. Gawad Kalinga, or GK, translated into English means ‘to give care’. It is a charitable initiative created to improve the lives of the poor in the Philippines and abroad by transforming their qualities of life and communities. GK builds the impoverished homes and equips them with education and livelihood to sustain their communities as well as offers them spiritual support and hope for a more positive future. GK’s development program includes four key components: Shelter—transforming shanties into decent 200 sq ft homes; Education – giving street children a chance to go to school; Health – access to cure and sickness prevention; and Livelihood – setting people up to be productive members of society. Each GK Village is composed of a cluster of 50 to 100 homes, with access to clean water, electricity and a landscaped environment. A GK home is a modest and equates to the size of a typical Canadian garage, but to many poor people it is a step change in living comfort, and a gift of hope. For more information, lease visit www.gawadkalinga.org and www.ancopcanada.org or call the offices in Mississauga, Ontario at 905-564-8539.

Official Website: http://www.ancopcanada.org