QCinema Just Released Its Powerful 2019 Lineup And We Are Stoked
Only in its seventh year, QCinema International Film Festival has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated events for film buffs around the country. Known for its quality selection of films, both local and international, QCinema presents the audiences with some of the best up-and-coming filmmakers in Asia, and this year is no exception.
The 2019 edition of the festival will be held from October 13 to 22 for 10 days in the following theaters: Gateway Mall, Ayala Trinoma, Robinsons Galleria, UPFI Cine Adarna, Cinema 76 Anonas, and Cinema Centenario. This year, QCinema will have 10 sections with over 60 local and international films in its arsenal.
It’s been a good year for Asian films. In May, South Korea’s Parasite won the Palme d’Or, the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, succeeding Japan’s Shoplifters, which took home the coveted award in 2018. Asian filmmakers are getting the recognition they deserve, and QCinema is helping in making that happen.
Here’s a guide to all the sections and films to be screened in this year’s edition of QCinema:
Opening and Closing Films
This year’s opening film will be Untrue by Sigrid Bernardo (Philippines), while the closing film will be Wet Season by Anthony Chen (Singapore).
Asian Next Wave Competition
QCinema 2019 merged its iconic Circle Competition and Asian Next Wave section to create the Asian Next Wave Competition, which opens the competition to both Filipino and non-Filipino/Asian directors. Filipino filmmakers each received a P1,500,00 seed grant for their films.
Kaaway sa Sulod by Arnel Barbarona (Philippines)
Babae at Baril by Rae Red (Philippines)
The Cleaners by Glenn Barit (Philippines)
Nakorn-Sawan by Puangsoi Aksornsawang (Thailand)
Ave Maryam by Robby Ertanto (Indonesia)
Fly By Night by Zahir Omar (Malaysia)
The Long Walk by Mattie Do (Laos)
Suburban Birds by Sheng Qiu (China)
QCShorts
A diverse selection of six short films will be screened. All six Filipino filmmakers received a P200,000 seed grant for the short film competition.
Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss by Sonny Calvento (Philippines)
Here,
Isang Daa’t Isang Mariposa by Norvin De los Santos (Philippines)
Judy Free by Jean Cheryl Tagyamon (Philippines)
SPID by Alejo Barbaza & Mervine Aquino (Philippines)
Tokwifi by Carla Pulido Ocampo (Philippines)
DocQC
Three Filipino documentaries and three Asian documentaries will be shown, although only the three Filipino documentaries will be part of the documentary competition. The Filipino docu features received a post-production grant of P500,000 each.
A is for Agustin by Grace Pimentel Simbulan (Philippines)
For My Alien Friend by Jet Leyco (Philippines)
Spring by the Sea by Aleia Garcia (Philippines)
Kabul, City in the Wind by Aboozar Amini (Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, Netherlands)
Talking About Trees by Suhaib Gasmelbari (France, Sudan, Chad, Germany, Qatar)
The Future Cries Beneath Our Soil by Pham Thu Hand (Vietnam)
Centennial Classics
To commemorate a century of Philippine cinema, QCinema will screen digitally restored films from the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project.
Biyaya ng Lupa by Manuel Silos (Philippines, 1959)
Malvarosa by Gregorio Fernandez (Philippines, 1958)
Insiang by Lino Brocka (Philippines, 1976)
Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag by Lino Brocka (Philippines, 1975)
Noli Me Tangere by Gerardo de Leon (Philippines, 1961)
Tisoy by Ishmael Bernal (Philippines, 1977)
VIVA Classics
Hits from the ‘80s and ‘90s will be screened to recognize Viva Entertainment founder Vicente del Rosario Jr.’s contribution to the industry.
Bituing Walang Ningning by Emmanuel H. Borlaza (Philippines, 1985)
The Flor Contemplacion Story by Joel Lamangan (Philippines, 1995)
Working Girls by Ishmael Bernal (Philippines, 1984)
Screen International
This section includes a number of award-winning features from international film festival.
A Girl Missing by Koji Fukada (Japan)
Bacurau by Kieber Mendonca Filho and Juliano Dornelles (Brazil, France)
Beanpole by Kentemir Balagoc (Russia)
By the Grace of God by Francois Ozon (France, Belgium)
Frankie by Ira Sachs (France, Portugal)
God Exists, Her Name is Petrunija by Teona Strugar Mitevska (Macedonia, Belgium, France, Croatia, Slovenia)
High Life by Clair Denis (UK, France, Germany, Poland)
Nina Wu by Midi Z (Taiwan)
On a Magical Night by Christophe Honore (France, Belgium, Luxembourg)
Synonyms by Nadav Lapid (France, Israel, Germany)
The Whistlers by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania, France, Germany, Sweden)
New Horizons
New Horizons, one of QCinema’s new sections, will screen debut films and second features.
Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen (Australia)
Chola by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan (India)
Homeward by Nariman Aliev (Ukraine)
System Crasher by Nora Fingscheidt (Germany)
The Bare Necessity by Erwan Le Duc (France)
The Red Phallus by Tashi Gyeltshen (Bhutan, Germany, Nepal)
Special Screenings
This section will feature emerging films from around the world.
Dogs Don’t Wear Pants by JP Valkeapaa (Finland, Latvia)
Flickerfest Short Films (Australia)
Krabi, 2562 by Ben Rivers and Anocha Suwichakornpong (UK, Thailand)
Lingua Franca by Isabel Sandovel (USA, Philippines)
No Data Plan by Miko Revereza (USA)
The Cave by Tom Waller (Thailand, Ireland)
Vitalina Varela by Pedro Costa (Portugal)
Top End Wedding by Wayne Blair (Australia)
Rainbow QC
The LGBTQ narrative will be the focus of Rainbow QC, in line with the Film Development Council in the Philippines’ advocacy to promote equality and representation in the media.
And Then We Danced by Levan Akin (Sweden, Georgia, France)
Brief Story From the Green Planet by Santiago Loza (Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Spain)
Jose by Li Cheng (Guatemala, USA)
Port Authority by Danielle Lessovitz (USA, France)
Song Lang by Leon Le (Vietnam)
Where We Belong by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee (Thailand)
