If December signifies the Metro Manila Film Festival, November is associated with the Quezon City Film Festival or QCinema.
A distinct feature of QCinema is the screening of internationally acclaimed films — which the UP Film Center, CCP’s Manuel Conde Theater, Cinema 76 and Cine Pop would surely be receptive to.
The 10th QCinema, which runs from 17 to 26 November, will open with Ruben Östlund’s satirical black comedy Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme D’Or (the highest prize) in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
In the cast is Filipino actor Dolly de Leon in a breakout role that has critics raving and forecasting a nomination slot in the 95th Academy Awards in March 2023.
The closing film, on the other hand, is a Venice Film Festival entry, Mihai Mincan’s To the North, starring another Filipino actor, Soliman Cruz.
QCinema will screen 58 films, including six shorts (production grantees), with eight sections of
full-length films and three shorts programs.
Asian Next Wave, the main competition section of emerging filmmakers from Southeast Asia and East Asia is back.
Among the co-production projects with the Film Development Council of the Philippines are Shuming He’s Singaporean Oscar entry Ajoomma; Chie Hayakawa’s Japanese Oscar entry Plan 75, which is also a Cannes Golden Special Mention Winner; Sorayos Prapapan’s Thai film Arnold is a Model Student which had its world premiere at Locarno; and Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak’s debut, Autobiography, which won the 2022 International Film Critics Awards (FIPRESCI Prize) in Venice.
Likewise supported by the FDCP are two Filipino films in competition — Anna Isabelle Matutina’s 12 Weeks and Loy Arcenas’ Elehiya, the latter of which contains the last on-screen performance of Cherie Gil.
Another exciting showcase is the Philippine premiere of a European film with a Filipino actor in a major role.
Ireland’s Nocebo is about fashion designer (Eva Green), who’s suffering from a mysterious illness. A Filipino caregiver (Chai Fonacier) offers traditional folk healing.
Meanwhile, Pakistani director Saim Sadiq’s Joyland won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and the Queer Palm in the 2022 Cannes. It is Pakistan’s first film to premiere in Cannes and its entry to the Best International Feature in the 95th Oscars.
Japanese filmmaker Kasho Iizuka’s Angry Son was awarded the Grand Prix Award at the Osaka Asian Film Festival.
In-person screenings are at Gateway, TriNoma, Powerplant, Cinema 76 and SM North EDSA.
Online screenings, exclusive for QCShorts 2022, QCShorts 2021, and RainbowQC Shorts, are in partnership with VivaMax from 22 to 26 November.