From a city-led film showcase to a regional powerhouse for collaboration, QCinema is stepping into a new era—one where movies are not only screened but also conceived, funded, and shared across borders.
At the QCinema Industry 2025 media conference held on Oct. 27, executive director Liza Diño spoke about how the festival’s role has evolved from financing individual films to cultivating a regional ecosystem.
“When we built QCinema Industry, our goal was simple, to create an ecosystem that supports filmmakers beyond the screen,” she said. “We wanted a space where stories could grow from idea to development to collaboration to impact.”
She added that this new direction goes hand in hand with making QCinema a more dynamic learning space for creators.
“Our goal is to have a sustainable platform where we don’t just watch films,” Diño said. “We also understand how films are made and how we can work together on continuing for our films to be made locally and internationally.”
This shift gave rise to the QCinema Project Market, a space where filmmakers from the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia can pitch their stories directly to investors, distributors, and festival programmers.
“When people come to QCinema, they can meet the same partners they would meet in Cannes,” she said. “That’s the vision…to make Quezon City the hub for Southeast Asian cinema.”
The festival’s growing industry arm also introduces new platforms designed to nurture collaboration, equality, and innovation.
Among them is HER CITY, a women-led initiative co-presented with the French Embassy and France’s CNC, which will gather Southeast Asian and French women leaders in film—from cinematographers to CEOs—to discuss gender parity and leadership.
Another key program is the Asian Next Wave Film Forum, led by Manet Dayrit, which aims to spotlight the craftsmanship behind the screen through talks with professional guilds and creative organizations.
Documentary filmmaking takes the stage as well through Kara Alikpala’s Dokyu Days, a daylong forum exploring the power of nonfiction storytelling to drive social change. The lineup includes Atom Araullo, Howie Severino, and Baby Ruth Villarama, along with international guests from Australia and South Korea.
To complete the lineup, the newly launched QCinema Film Market will connect Quezon City–based production and post-production companies with regional partners, positioning the city as a hub for world-class film services in Southeast Asia.
For Festival director Ed Lejano, the expansion marks a natural step in QCinema’s journey.
“We remain committed to the same vision that started it all—to champion diverse voices and tell stories that matter,” he said. “These initiatives aren’t isolated events. They’re threads in a much larger tapestry that connects art and industry.”
QCinema Industry 2025 unfolds from Nov. 17 to 23, gathering more than a hundred industry professionals from Southeast Asia for a week of panels, project pitches, and collaborative exchanges.
