THE QCINEMA International Film Festival returns for a 13thyear with new sections and expanded programs.
With the theme “Film City,” the festival will run from Nov. 14 to 23 and will feature over 80 films across 14 sections which will be shown in Quezon City theaters.
QCinema will kick off this year with the filmCoutureby Alice Winocour. Starring Angelina Jolie, it follows an American filmmaker arriving in Paris for Fashion Week.
Many of the selections across the nine full-length programs and five shorts programs will reflect on the art of filmmaking itself. These include films about cinema, stories about storytellers, and the power of moving images to reshape how we see the world.
“Dito saQC,ang gusto namin ay ilapit ang dekalidad na pelikula bilang isangart formsa taumbayan(Here in Quezon City, we want to bring the art of quality filmmaking closer to the people),” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said at a press conference on Oct. 21.
Tickets this year are uniformly priced at P250. While previous years had one or two venues in other cities, this year all the screenings will be in Quezon City: at the cinemas of Gateway, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood, TriNoma, Fishermall, and Cloverleaf malls.
Ms. Belmonte explained that QCinema aims to democratize access with its year-round screenings of films from previous editions of the festival, held at public schools, universities, and barangays in the city.
“Cinema heightens our senses, holds up a mirror that reflects our humanity, and, most of all, reinforces our sense of compassion for people whose lives at first glance may seem different from our own,” she said.
ASIAN NEXT WAVE
QCinema’s main competition section, Asian Next Wave, will be showcasing nine directorial debuts by Asian filmmakers.
In the lineup are four entries making their Southeast Asian premiere:Family Mattersby Taiwanese filmmaker Pan Ke-yin, which was the Best Feature Film winner at the New York Asian Film Festival;Lost Landby Japanese filmmaker Akio Fujimoto, from the Venice Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival;The World of Loveby South Korean filmmaker Yoon Ga-Eun, which received multiple awards at the Pingyao International Film Festival; andKy Nam Innby Vietnamese filmmaker Leon Le.
Other award-winning films in competition areA Useful Ghostby Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, which is Thailand’s entry for Best International Feature at the next Oscars;Luzby Hong Kong filmmaker Flora Lau, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema at the Sundance Film Festival; andRenoirby Japanese filmmaker Chie Hayakawa, a Palme d’Or nominee at Cannes.
Two Filipino films are competing in this section: Janus Victoria’sDiamonds in the Sand, which won Best Debut Film at the Udine Far East Film Festival; and Nigel Santos’Open Endings, which won Best Ensemble Performance at the recently concluded Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
QCinema’s closing film will be the winner of the Asian Next Wave Best Film award.
RAINBOWQC, NEW HORIZONS
QCinema festival director Ed Lejano said that the various competition sections “look into the medium of film in the context of global realities.”
“We have a couple of films that deal with the situation in Gaza, with urgent issues faced by the trans community, with climate change as well. These are found in the various programs,” Mr. Lejano toldBusinessWorld.
RainbowQC celebrates LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, plus) films, showcasing diverse stories of identity, love, and community with voices from queer cinema worldwide.
Of its eight films, four are from Asia:3670by Park Joon-Ho (South Korea);Bel Amiby Geng Jun (Taiwan, France);Skin of Youthby Ash Mayfair (Vietnam, Singapore, Japan); andSummer’s Cameraby Divine Sung (South Korea). The other four titles areMysterious Gaze of the Flamingoesby Diego Céspedes from Chile;On the Roadby David Pablos from Mexico;Strange Riverby Jaume Claret Muxart from Spain; andThe Little Sisterby Hafsia Herzi from France.
New Horizons presents groundbreaking debut features from new directors:Amoebaby Siyou Tan,Blue Heronby Sophy Romvari,Brand New Landscapeby Danzuka Yuiga,Chronology of Waterby Kristen Stewart,DJ Ahmetby Georgi Unkovski,Lucky Luby Lloyd Lee Choi,Manasby Marianna Brennand,On Your Lapby Reza Rahadian, andThe President’s Cakeby Hasan Hadi.
SHORT FILMS
Another major program is QCShorts International, which has been expanded this year to have 26 films from 19 different countries, curated by theme across five sections.
“It was a response to the staggering number of really good short films. There are also a lot of local films that premiered internationally which we wanted to welcome home, so it just kept growing,” QCinema’s short film program head Jason Tan Liwag toldBusinessWorldat the press conference.
There are six short films that received the QCShorts 2025 grant earlier this year and making their world premiere at the festival:Hoy, Hoy, Ingat!by Norvin de los Santos,Ours Was A Timeless Night Burningby Lauviah Caliboso,RUNO!by Racquel “Lysa” Catolico and Jazmine Gin Pateña,Si Kara: Ang Babaye Nga Nag Daba-Dababy Dale,Surface Tensionby The Serrano Sisters, andYeloby Gab Rosique.
Films by Filipino filmmakers that premiered abroad and will have their homecoming are:Agapitoby Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero, which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival;Baby Fatby Margarita Mina, which was a National Board of Review grantee in the US;Honey, My Love, So Sweetby JT Trinidad, from the Locarno Film Festival; andVox Humanaby Don Josephus Eblahan, from the Toronto International Film Festival.
The other 11 films in the shorts competition are from across Southeast Asia: four from Indonesia, two from Singapore, and one each from Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
EXHIBITION SECTIONS
Cinephiles also look forward to QCinema’s non-competition sectionswhich give them a chance to catch titles that rarely see a theatrical release in the country.
One of these sections is Screen International, which will showcase the films of eight world-renowned directors.Two of these are entries for Best International Feature for their respective countries in the upcoming Oscars:Siratby Oliver Laxe from Spain, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes; andThe Things You Killby Turkish filmmaker Alireza Kahatami from Canada, which won a directing award at Sundance.
The section has many films fresh from various international film festivals:Hamnetby Chloé Zhao (Toronto International Film Festival);Little Amélieby Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han (Annecy International Animated Film Festival); andOnce Upon a Time in Gazaby Tarzan and Arab Nasser (Cannes Film Festival).
Completing the lineup are Iran’sDivine Comedyby Ali Asgari, the UK’sHistory of Soundby Oliver Hermanus, and the US’The Mastermindby Kelly Reichardt.
The festival’s new Dokyu Days section brings together a lineup of documentaries from around the world.
To be shown areBelow the Cloudsby Gianfranco Rosi, Singapore and the Philippines’10s Across the Bordersby Sze-Wei Chan,The Road to Sydneyby Benito Bautista,Treasure Hunterby Giacomo Gex, andThe Voice of Hind Rajabby Kaouther Ben Hania.
Meanwhile, the QCShorts International (Exhibition) is a non-competition section thatfeatures shorts from around the world. “Many of these either come from war-torn countries or have high screening fees — and we want to shoulder the cost so that more people here can see them,” said Mr. Liwag.
These include Japan’sA Very Straight Neckby Neo Sora, Palestine’sAn Orange from Jaffaby Mohammed Almughanni, France’sGod is Shyby Jocelyn Charles, Iran’sRazh-delby Maryam Tafakory, and the US’We Were the Sceneryby Christopher Radcliff.
QC SELECTS AND MORE
Films to be shown in QC Selects are the first two episodes of Erik Matti’s comedy seriesCall My Manager,acclaimed Thai filmmaker Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s new filmHuman Resource,Arjanmar Rebeta and Jeffrey Jeturian’s historical filmLakambini: Gregoria de Jesus,Japanese filmmaker Hikari’s heartwarming filmRental Family,Pedring Lopez’s crime thrillerShadow Transit,and French filmmaker Thierry Klifa’s queer filmThe Richest Woman in the World.
On the overall lineup, Mr. Lejano toldBusinessWorldthat a great number are co-productions, which is a “growing trend in the last few years” that Filipino producers should consider.
“Many films are born from co-productions that you can avail of because you get bigger funding thanks to the international partners. It won’t be as market-driven, but it will run true to the vision of the filmmakers,” he said.
Another must-watch section that welcomes films with fantastical, action-packed, or erotic themes is Before Midnight. To be shown in the section are:The Garden of Earthly Delightsby Morgan Knibbe,Rabbit Trapby Bryn Chainey, andUgly Stepsisterby Emilie Blichfeldt.
The Rediscovery section, referring to restored classics, will screen three films this year:Almost Famousby Cameron Crowe,Linda Linda Lindaby Nobuhiro Yamashita, andShowgirlsby Paul Verhoeven.
This year will also have a section to spotlight acclaimed German actress Sandra Hüller, co-presented with the Goethe-Institut Manila. Films to be shown areRequiemby Hans-Christian Schmid,The Zone of Interestby Jonathan Glazer,Toni Erdmannby Maren Ade,Two to Oneby Natja Brunckhorst, andAnatomy of a Fallby Justine Triet.
Screenings will be held at the cinemas of Gateway, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood, TriNoma, Fishermall, and Cloverleaf. Tickets are uniformly priced at P250. For more information about QCinema, visit the website atqcinema.phor follow its social media accounts —www.facebook.com/QCinemaPH,twitter.com/QCinemaPH,andwww.instagram.com/qcinemaph. —Brontë H. Lacsamana
