The QCinema International Film Festival rolled out its most ambitious industry program to date, expanding its Southeast Asian footprint with a new market, stronger gender-equity initiatives, and a robust documentary platform.
At a media conference held at Noctos Music Bar in Quezon City, Festival Director Ed Lejano said, “QCinema has always been a space where stories meet purpose… Our goal is not just to showcase films, but to create connections that empower filmmakers and make Quezon City a home for Southeast Asian cinema.”
Organized by the Quezon City Film Commission (QCFC) under the Office of the City Mayor, and led by executive director and head of QCinema Industry Liza Diño, the platform is positioning itself as a regional hub for co-production, training, and creative policy. “We’re reimagining what an industry platform in Southeast Asia can be,” Diño said. “QCinema Industry connects talent, institutions and policy under one ecosystem — one that reflects our region’s strength, diversity and shared creative voice.”
QCinema Project Market (QPM). This year’s lineup reaches nearly every Southeast Asian country (except Brunei), with Philippine projects such as ‘Amateur,’ ‘Jollywood,’ and ‘What’s Left of Us,’ plus titles from Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Myanmar. “We’re building bridges between Filipino and Southeast Asian storytellers,” Diño added.
QCinema Film Market (QFM). A pilot market modeled after AFM and Busan’s market, QFM convenes 15 exhibitors from Quezon City’s production, post, and distribution sectors to meet global buyers and collaborators from the QPM network.
Creative Industries Day: HER CITY — Women Shaping Sustainable Film Cities. Co-presented by the French Embassy and CNC (France), highlights include “Gender Parity in Cinema: Lessons from France, Visions for Asia” and the first Southeast Asian Actresses Roundtable featuring Iza Calzado (PH), Claresta Taufan (ID), Qymira (MY) and peers from Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. The day culminates in the signing of the HER CITY Manifesto, a gender-inclusive roadmap to inform Quezon City’s UNESCO Creative City of Film policies.
Asian Next Wave Film Forum (3-day summit). Curated by Manet Dayrit with the theme “Beyond the Spotlight: Building Skills, Craft and Ecosystems for a Future-Ready Southeast Asian Cinema,” the forum offers masterclasses, case studies, and policy dialogues, presented with the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP). “It’s about developing skills, empowering craftspeople, and future-proofing our regional cinema,” said Dayrit.
QCinema Dokyu Days. In partnership with Daang Dokyu and the FAP, the nonfiction showcase features Atom Araullo, Jeff Canoy, Thara Brown, Monster Jimenez, and Marlon Rivera, plus an Impact Lab led by Hollie Fifer (Doc Society). “Documentary is the conscience of cinema,” said lead convenor Kara Alikpala. “We’re creating space for stories that not only inform but inspire change.”
Critics Lab. A continuing program nurturing emerging writers and critics in the region.
QCinema Industry also announced a landmark partnership with the revitalized Film Academy of the Philippines, now under the Office of the President and led by Director General Paolo Villaluna. “This partnership signifies a unified industry vision,” Villaluna said. “Together, we’re ensuring that Filipino and Southeast Asian filmmakers are equipped not only to tell their stories—but to sustain the industries behind them.”
QCinema Industry 2025 runs November 17–23 across Quezon City.
Alongside its industry push, QCinema revealed the complete lineup for its 13th edition (theme: “Film City”), spanning nine full-length sections and five shorts programs. The festival runs November 14–23, 2025 at Gateway, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood, Trinoma, Fishermall, and Cloverleaf (tickets ₱250).
Opening Film: “Couture” by Alice Winocour, starring Angelina Jolie.
Competitions: Asian Next Wave (e.g., “A Useful Ghost,” “Diamonds in the Sand,” “Lost Land,” “Open Endings”),
RainbowQC (queer narratives like “Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingoes,” “On the Road,” “Skin of Youth”),
New Horizons (debuts/sophomore works including “Amoeba,” “Chronology of Water,” “The President’s Cake”),
QCShorts International (21 titles; 6 QCinema grantees including “Hoy, Hoy, Ingat!,” “RUNO!”).
Exhibition Sections: Screen International (e.g., “Hamnet,” “Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” “Sirat”), Before Midnight (restorations/rediscoveries), Rediscovery (modern classics like “Almost Famous,” “Linda Linda Linda,” “Showgirls”), QC Selects (PH and regional standouts including “Call My Manager,” “Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus”).
New this year: Dokyu Days (documentary showcase) and Focus on: Sandra Hüller (featuring “Toni Erdmann,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest,” among others).
“Every film starts with a single vision, but it takes a community to bring it to life,” Lejano said. “QCinema continues to be that space where creativity thrives, diversity is celebrated and filmmakers are empowered to tell stories that matter.”
