International and local films that are must-sees, that thrill, raise awareness, or spur the imagination are to be screened in the 2019 version of the QCinema International Film Festival (QCinema)
Considered as a flag-carrying international film festival in the country, QCinema will feature cinematic treasures from Oct. 13 to 22 at the Gateway Mall, Ayala Trinoma, Robinsons Galleria, UPFI Cine Adarna, Cinema 76 Anonas, and Cinema Centenario.
Leading the roster are two much-awaited Asian titles. Sigrid Bernardo’s Untrue is QCinema’s opening film while Wet Season, by Singaporean director Anthony Chen, will officially close the festival.
Christine Reyes and Xian Lim top-bill the festival opener by Bernardo who is the director of the indie hit, Kita Kita. The Hooq-produced Wet Season is Chen’s follow-up to his critically-acclaimed film, Iloilo.
QCinema 2019 focuses on the strides Asian filmmakers have been making in world cinema, with Asian filmmakers bagging the Palm d’ Or award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for two consecutive years.
Furthermore, the theme recognizes the growing number of women filmmakers participating in competitions for documentaries and short films. To add, this year’s QCinema sections have female-centric themes.
As one of the leading festivals in Southeast Asia, QCinema is the launching pad for the world premieres, not only for the three Filipino features in the Asian Next Wave competition, but also for new local shorts & documentaries, who all received grants from QCinema, where filmmakers own the rights to their films.
QCinema recently relaunched its main competition, AsianNext Wave, to include three Filipino titles which each received a P1,500,000 seed grant: Arnel Barbarona’s Kaaway sa Sulod, Babae at Baril by Rae Red, and The Cleaners by Glenn Barit, which is his debut feature.
The QCShorts lineup features Judy Free by Jean Cheryl Tagyamon; Tokwifi by Carla Pulido Ocampo; Here, Here by Joanne Cesario; SPID by Alejo Barbaza and Mervine Aquino; Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss by Sonny Calvento; and Isang Daa’t Isang Mariposa by Norvin De los Santos. The six filmmakers each received P200,000 production grants in the shorts competition.
Three new Filipino documentary features, recipients of post-production grants of P500,000 each, will premiere in the section, DocQC. They are For My Alien Friend (by Jet Leyco), A is for Agustin (Grace Pimentel Simbulan) and Spring by the Sea (Aleia Garcia).
For more information and updates, visit qcinema.com.ph.