Viva has gone beyond just producing movies

The son has risen. In fact, it’s long overdue.

I am referring to Vincent del Rosario who has just been promoted to president and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Viva Group of Companies, a well-deserved position because Vincent practically grew up in the big shadow of his father, Boss Vic del Rosario Jr., learning the ABC’s of the trade first-hand.

The family business has been expanding at so rapid a pace that keeps it attuned to and up-to-date with the trends vis-a-vis the competition from social media.

“Social media has adversely affected so many things,” said Vincent (who should also be known henceforth as Boss Vincent), “one of them is the DVD and the CD since people can now download movies and music from the Internet. There’s also the competition from pirates.” (Viva has closed its Video City outlets for lack of customers.)

More than just movies, Viva has expanded into mounting concerts (those of, among others, Vice Ganda, Sarah Geronimo and Anne Curtis) through its Viva Concert Events; running cable channels (Pinoy Box Office, Tagalog Movie Channel, MTV Pinoy, History, Viva Channel, FYI, Lifetime, Crime & Investigation, RTL-CBS and H2, etc.); producing albums (Viva Records); publishing books; and staging plays.

Among the books published by Viva were Diary Ng Panget and Talk Back & You’re Dead which have been made into movie, and Boys Night Out. After a short partnership with Atlantis Productions (on two plays, Full Monty and Tarzan), Viva is into a partnership with Resorts World Manila with Bituing Walang Ningning the musical set to open in June, based on the hit Viva movie starring Sharon Cuneta, Cherie Gil and Christopher de Leon. The musical will star Cris Villonco (for the role played by Cherie), Mark Bautista (fresh from his critically-acclaimed performance in Here Lies Love in London, Christopher’s role) and Monica Cuenco (of Cebu) who was discovered in a search for the coveted role of Dorina (Sharon’s role).

It was also Viva that started showing Tagalized movies (on Tagalog Movie Channel) back in 2000, a concept adapted by other Asian countries like Japan. Recently, Viva International Pictures has joined forces with SM Lifestyle Entertainment for SineAsiaTheater which screens exclusively (at SM Cinemas) never-before-seen Tagalized Asian movies starting with the Lee Min Ho starrer Gangnam Blues (still showing in some theaters nationwide). SineAsiaTheater is the first Asian Tagalized theater in the country.

“It clicks with the audience,” said Vincent, “and it’s encouraging.”

Other movies lined up at SineAsiaTheater include Inferno; My Love, My Bride; Rise of the Legend; SPL 2; and Vegas to Macau.

“The idea revolves around One Asia,” added Vincent. “It facilitates exchange of products among Asian companies.”

And beyond. Also recently, Relativity International announced during the Berlin International Film Festival that it has signed and extended key foreign output deals in Germany, Austria and the Philippines. Relativity is a next-generation global media company engaged in multiple aspects of content production and distribution, including movies, television, fashion, sports, digital and music.

Vincent shared the information that Relativity Studios (the company’s largest division) has produced, distributed or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures, generating more than $17B in worldwide box-office revenue and earning 60 Oscar nominations. Relativity movies include Oculus, Safe Heaven, Act of Valor, Immortals, Limitless and The Fighter, with The Lazarus Effect and Desert Dancer coming soon.

Big Boss Vic leads the Viva Group of Companies. Working with Boss Vincent in his department are his siblings Veronique (for artist management), Valerie (for television) and Vincent Rafael (for events), with the ever-reliable June Torrejon-Rufino as supervising producer for films.

“With June,” said Boss Vincent, “I feel secure.”

There you are. The family that works together, succeeds together. 

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