Cathy Garcia-Molina
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Catherine Rosales Garcia-Sampana (; formerly Molina; born November 28, 1971) is a Filipino
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
and
television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...
best known for directing
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
and
family drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...
films produced and distributed by
Star Cinema ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc., trade name, doing business as Star Cinema and also known as ABS-CBN Films (since 2018), is a Philippines, Philippine film studio, film, television production company, production and distribution (marketing), di ...
. She has also directed a few television series on
ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...
, being one of the network's resident directors. Her films have been the highest-grossing Filipino film of the year on nine occasions, and on six occasions have been the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time.


Major films


''One More Chance'' (2007)

In 2007, Sampana worked with
John Lloyd Cruz John Lloyd Espidol Cruz (born June 24, 1983) is a Filipino actor. Regarded as the "''King of Contemporary Cinema''" by the media, Cruz has top-billed several box-office successes. He has more than ten films with box office grosses of ₱100 mill ...
and
Bea Alonzo Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom (born October 17, 1987), known professionally as Bea Alonzo, is a Filipino actress, singer and Youtuber. She is best known for playing dramatic roles in romantic drama films. Her notable films include '' The M ...
for the second time in the film '' One More Chance'' (first time was in the film '' Close to You''), released by
Star Cinema ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc., trade name, doing business as Star Cinema and also known as ABS-CBN Films (since 2018), is a Philippines, Philippine film studio, film, television production company, production and distribution (marketing), di ...
. It differed from her previous films, becoming her first romantic film to contain such solid drama and a mature feeling. In an interview, she stated "This one's different, though, as it's more of a drama and not really a romantic-comedy. In romantic comedies, we usually follow the formula of the two lovers having a ''cute meet,'' then they start fighting each other, but you know that in the end, they will still end up in each other's arms. This time, the film opens showing the lovers ..breaking up right at the start of the story. That's why this is really different from any movie I've done before or any movie John Lloyd and Bea have made in the past." The film was given a B rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB), saying " ruz and Alonzohave graduated from their bubble-gummy roles and can really be considered serious actors now." The board also described their performance as "very good and sensitive." Aside from receiving positive response from film critics, the film did well in the box-office, grossing ₱66,334,614 in its opening weekend. It grossed a total of ₱152,791,025 ($3,684,908), becoming the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2007, and the fourth highest-grossing film of 2007 in the Philippines, behind ''
Spider-Man 3 ''Spider-Man 3'' is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, and Laura Ziskin Productions, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it was directe ...
'', ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two Extraterrestrials in fiction, alien robot fac ...
'' and ''
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth and longest novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter's struggles through his fifth year at Hogwart ...
''. The film also won Sampana the Movie Director of the Year trophy in the 2008 PCPI Star Awards for Movies.


''A Very Special Love'' (2008)

In 2008, Sampana directed ''
A Very Special Love ''A Very Special Love'' is a 2008 Filipino romantic comedy film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina Catherine Rosales Garcia-Sampana (; formerly Molina; born November 28, 1971) is a Filipino Film director, film and television director best kno ...
'', a romantic comedy film which talks about Laida Magtalas (portrayed by
Sarah Geronimo Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo-Guidicelli ( ; born July 25, 1988) is a Filipino singer and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Sarah Geronimo, Her accolades include a Billboard Women in Music, ''Billboard'' Women in Music Award, an ...
) who is a fresh graduate and applies for a job in a magazine publishing company owned by Miggy Montenegro (played by John Lloyd Cruz). Laida is a simple girl and is the breadwinner of her family, while Miggy is a rich, handsome businessman. The movie is about two young people with totally different backgrounds, but they discover that love truly knows no barriers. It is the first film of Cruz and Geronimo together, after their successful team-up in an episode of the ''
Maalaala Mo Kaya (, abbreviated as ''MMK'') is a Philippine television drama anthology series broadcast by ABS-CBN and Kapamilya Channel. Hosted by Charo Santos-Concio, its first iteration was aired from May 15, 1991 to December 10, 2022. It is the longest ...
'' TV series entitled "Kwintas". The film was released as part of Star Cinema's fifteenth anniversary, in collaboration with
VIVA Films Viva Films, Inc. (also known as Viva Films, stylized as VIVA Films) is a Philippine film production and distribution company owned by Viva Communications. It was founded in 1981 by Vic del Rosario Jr. and his sister Tess Cruz. Viva Films is o ...
. It marked the first project that Molina has worked with Geronimo. Molina expressed that people knew Geronimo for being a dramatic actress, based on the TV series she has appeared on, and that she wanted to show the lightness of the actress. She described Geronimo as "light and ''kikay''," saying that it was easy to work with her. ''A Very Special Love'' was rated A by the CEB, with its comedic and innocent concept in contrast to ''One More Chance''. The film earned ₱58,448,223 at the box-office in its opening weekend. It became a commercial success, grossing a total of ₱179,569,117 ($3,836,701) and becoming the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2008 (second highest-grossing film of 2008 in the Philippines behind ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
''). The film later overtook ''
Ang Tanging Ina ''Ang Tanging Ina'' () is a 2003 Filipino comedy film directed by Wenn V. Deramas and starring Ai-Ai delas Alas and Eugene Domingo. It was the highest grossing Filipino film until it was surpassed by '' Sukob'' in 2006. Each film was produce ...
'' in terms of revenue, and is currently the fifth highest-grossing Filipino film of all time. It also earned Molina three Best Director nominations from major awarding organizations.


''You Changed My Life'' (2009)

In 2009, Star Cinema and VIVA Films released the much-awaited sequel to ''A Very Special Love'', entitled ''
You Changed My Life ''You Changed My Life'' is a 2009 Filipino romantic comedy film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and starring John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo. It is the sequel to the 2008 film ''A Very Special Love''. It received an “A” rating from the C ...
''. The film was rushed, since the production companies wanted the sequel to have a
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
release. The film was directed, still, by Sampana, with John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo reprising their roles.
Rayver Cruz Raymond Oliver Cruz Ilustre (born July 20, 1989), better known by his screen name Rayver Cruz (), is a Filipino actor. He is the younger brother of fellow actor and dancer Rodjun Cruz. He is currently an exclusive actor of GMA Network. Per ...
was cast as Mackoy, Laida's high school best friend who later broke away for their group and went to a different college. The story revolves around the growing relationship of Miggy and Laida as a couple. Things get tough when Miggy was assigned to manage his family's business in Laguna far from Laida. Having no time for his girl, Laida finds comfort in Mackoy's arms. Like its prequel, the film was also rated A by the CEB and received positive reviews from movie critics. Karen A. Pagsolingan of ''Philippine Entertainment Portal'' stated "I have two words for the movie: Entertaining and engaging!" She described the plot as "flawless," and praised Molina's surprises and "
avant garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
tactics." ''You Changed My Life'' earned ₱97,893,449 in its opening weekend, becoming the highest opening weekend for a Filipino film. The film was a box-office hit, grossing a total of ₱230,436,128 ($4,724,411) and eventually becoming the highest-grossing Filipino film in record time. It is also the first Filipino film to surpass the ₱200 million mark, after Ruel S. Bayani's ''
No Other Woman ''No Other Woman'' is a 2011 Filipino romantic drama thriller film directed by Ruel S. Bayani and starring Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay, and Cristine Reyes. The film is notable for breaking box office records in the Philippines. It was the third ...
'' did the same in 2011. ''You Changed My Life'' was the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2009 and the fifth highest-grossing film of 2009 in the Philippines behind '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'', ''
Avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
'', '' The Twilight Saga: New Moon'' and ''
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
''. The film earned Molina a Best Director nomination from the 2010 ENPRESS Golden Screen Awards.


''Miss You Like Crazy'' (2010)

In 2010, Molina's fifth project with John Lloyd Cruz and third with Bea Alonzo, entitled ''
Miss You Like Crazy "Miss You Like Crazy" is a song by American singer Natalie Cole, released as the lead single on March 15, 1989, from her 11th solo studio album, ''Good to Be Back'' (1989). Critical reception Jerry Smith from ''Music Week'' complimented the son ...
'', was released under Star Cinema. Like ''One More Chance'', the film is a romantic drama with a mature concept. Cruz and Alonzo played the roles of star-crossed lovers, Alan Alvarez and Mia Samonte. Fate throws them chances to be together, but time is not their ally. When they first meet on board the
Pasig River Ferry Service The Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) is a Public transport, public water bus service based in Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is currently the only water-based transportation service in Metro Manila that cruises the length of the Pasig River a ...
, they are instantly attracted to each other. Both of them are from the middle-class and are down-to-earth. As they bond over
Divisoria Divisoria () is a commercial ''sub-district'' along the districts of Tondo, Binondo, and San Nicolas in Manila, Philippines known for its mass market shops selling low-priced commodities; and for its diverse manufacturing activities. Tutuban C ...
shopping and all-night conversations over coffee, Allan starts to doubt his feelings for his high maintenance fiancée Daphne (portrayed by
Maricar Reyes Maricar Reyes-Poon (born Maricar Concepcion Pozon Reyes; June 20, 1981) is a Filipino actress, singer, songwriter, model and entrepreneur. Early life She graduated high school from St. Bridget's School in Quezon City. She finished her Bachel ...
) who happens to be the daughter of his boss. Sooner, Alan and Mia learn that "time is meaningless when you're in love." The film was shot both in the Philippines and
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
. The performance of the cast was praised by critics, but the story was panned film reviewers. ''Philippine Entertainment Portal'' stated "Star Cinema's weakness is its inability to produce a realistic ending ..this perfect world only exists in fairy tales. In the real world, the more prevailing concepts are moving on and acceptance." The same opinion was given by ''
Manila Bulletin The ''Manila Bulletin'' () (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...
'', saying "A Cathy Molina film always ends happily, although one would probably hope it wouldn’t, for a change, and adhere to a bit of ''realism'' ..Another problem was the unexplored subplots." Despite mixed response to the film, ''Miss You Like Crazy'' became a commercial hit, grossing a total of ₱138.27 million ($3,183,529) in the box-office and becoming the second highest-grossing Filipino film of 2010 only behind ''
My Amnesia Girl ''My Amnesia Girl'' is a 2010 Filipino romantic comedy film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina from a story and screenplay written by Jade Francis Castro, with Juan Miguel Sevilla and Carmi Raymundo co-wrote the latter. The film stars John Lloyd C ...
'', which also stars Cruz in the lead role.


Personal life

Catherine Rosales Garcia was born on November 28, 1971, in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. She is the youngest child of the late Sikatuna Antonio Garcia (1929—1983) and Luisa Rosales Garcia. She was married to
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
and
technical director A technical director (TD) is usually a senior technical person within e.g. a software company, engineering firm, film studio, theatre company or television studio. They are responsible for overseeing and coordinating all of the technical aspect ...
Philip Rey "Epoy" Molina (who died from a vehicular accident in 2009) with two children. Garcia married cinematographer Louie Sampana on May 2, 2023.


Verbal harassment controversy

In 2014, Rosselyn Domingo and her boyfriend Alvin Campomanes, a history professor from the
University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...
, who played as bit players in the teleseries '' Forevermore'', accused Molina, talent supplier John Leonardo and a woman named "Jeng" of mistreatment of their extra. Domingo points that Molina allegedly spoke expletives and humiliated her and Campomanes during a taping of the drama series shot in
Benguet Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital cit ...
. The open letter of Domingo with a complaint of Campomanes addressed to
Cory Vidanes María Socorro Valenzuela-Vidanes, popularly known as Cory Vidanes (born May 15, 1962), is a Filipina executive and Chief Operating Officer for Broadcast of ABS-CBN Corporation, the largest media conglomerate in the Philippines. Personal lif ...
, ABS-CBN's COO, originally posted on
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
on December 31, 2015. Film director
Peque Gallaga Maurice Gallaga (August 25, 1943 – May 7, 2020), better known as Peque Gallaga, was a multi-awarded Filipino film-maker. His most significant achievement in film was , which he directed after winning a scriptwriting contest sponsored by the ...
backed the two talent's testimonies against Molina. Molina, admitted in an interview with TV host
Boy Abunda Eugenio "Boy" Romerica Abunda Jr. (; born October 29, 1961) is a Filipino television presenter, publicist, and talent manager. Known as the "King of Talk", Abunda has presented several talk shows centered on the Philippine entertainment indus ...
that she cursed the two "extras" during a taping with "good intentions" and asked for a dialogue between her and the two complainants to settle the issue.


Casting

Molina often casts certain actors more than once in her films. She has consistently worked with
Kathryn Bernardo Kathryn Chandria Manuel Bernardo (born March 26, 1996) is a Filipino actress. She began her career as a child actress, portraying young versions of lead characters in series such as '' It Might Be You'' (2003) and '' Endless Love'' (2010). She ...
,
Alden Richards Richard Reyes Faulkerson Jr. (born January 2, 1992), known professionally as Alden Richards, is a Filipino actor, entrepreneur television personality, and singer. Known for his leading man roles in romantic and historical drama in television an ...
,
Bea Alonzo Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom (born October 17, 1987), known professionally as Bea Alonzo, is a Filipino actress, singer and Youtuber. She is best known for playing dramatic roles in romantic drama films. Her notable films include '' The M ...
,
Sarah Geronimo Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo-Guidicelli ( ; born July 25, 1988) is a Filipino singer and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Sarah Geronimo, Her accolades include a Billboard Women in Music, ''Billboard'' Women in Music Award, an ...
,
Toni Gonzaga Celestine Cruz Gonzaga-Soriano (born January 20, 1984), professionally known as Toni Gonzaga, is a Filipino media personality, host, actress, businesswoman, singer and vlogger. Gonzaga was the former lead host of ABS-CBN's long-running reality ...
,
Daniel Padilla Daniel John Elago Ford (born April 26, 1995), known professionally as Daniel Padilla, is a Filipino actor and singer. He is a recipient of multiple accolades across television, film, and music, including the FAMAS Award for Best Actor and PMP ...
,
Sam Milby Samuel Lloyd Milby (born May 23, 1984) is a Filipino actor, model and musician. He came to prominence after joining the first edition of '' Pinoy Big Brother''. Biography Samuel Lloyd Milby was born on May 23, 1984 in Troy, Ohio, USA to parent ...
and
John Lloyd Cruz John Lloyd Espidol Cruz (born June 24, 1983) is a Filipino actor. Regarded as the "''King of Contemporary Cinema''" by the media, Cruz has top-billed several box-office successes. He has more than ten films with box office grosses of ₱100 mill ...
.
;Notes * 1 Cruz made a cameo appearance in ''My Only Ü''. * 2 Cruz and Geronimo reprised their roles as Miggy Montenegro and Laida Magtalas. * 3 Locsin made a cameo appearance in ''My Amnesia Girl''. * 4 Zulueta and Gomez made a special participation in ''She's Dating the Gangster'' and considered as the main cast of the film because of taking the role of adult version of Bernardo and Padilla. * 5 Cruz and Alonzo reprised their roles as "Popoy" and "Basha".


Filmography


Film


Television


Cameo appearances


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia-Sampana, Cathy 1971 births Living people Filipino film directors Filipino television directors Filipino women film directors Films directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina ABS-CBN people Women television directors