Screen QC Industry Forum gathers local and international film leaders for four days of dialogue, and collaboration
SINEGANG.ph published this press release by Quezon City Screen Commission. No staff writer participated in writing this article.
The Quezon City Screen Commission (Screen QC) is set to bring together filmmakers, creatives, educators, and industry leaders for the Screen QC Industry Forum (SQCIF), a four-day program running from Nov. 18 to Nov. 21 at Gateway Cineplex 10, Cinemas 6 and 7.
As part of Quezon City’s continuing efforts as a UNESCO Creative City of Film to nurture creative talent and promote cinema as a platform for cultural exchange and innovation, the forum will feature discussions and learning opportunities that encourage collaboration and address the evolving needs of the film industry.
Free and open to the public, SQCIF welcomes film practitioners, students, educators, and members of the creative community seeking insights from industry experts and fresh perspectives on Philippine cinema.
“The forum serves as a networking platform to promote collaborations and to help map common strategies for our industry players. It’s a great opportunity to gather them all together during QCinema as they are the backbone that makes for a thriving screen industry,” Screen QC Executive Director, Ed Lejano said.
Led by filmmaker and producer Quark Henares, the forum brings industry professionals together to reflect on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of Philippine cinema.
“Collaboration is what cinema is all about, and if I’m proud about anything in Philippine cinema, it’s how our filmmakers are so supportive of each other,” Henares said.
He hopes participants will leave SQCIF with fresh perspectives and ideas they can put into practice. “Ideally people take home all the conversations made and talks given, think about it for a bit, and come out the next week full of their own ideas to make the industry a better place.”
Lejano echoed this, emphasizing that the institutional pillars of the Philippine film industry, including the Film Academy of the Philippines, Film Development Council of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts through Cinema Rehiyon, Directors’ Guild of the Philippines, Inc., and Screen QC, have come together to form a collaborative platform that better addresses the pressing needs of the industry.
Conversations shaping cinema
Covering topics from filmmaking and production to policy, technology, and industry development, the forum aims to bring diverse voices together to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the film industry. Through panel discussions, master classes, workshops, and roundtable sessions, participants can explore new perspectives and share professional experiences.
The four-day forum kicks off on Nov. 18 with discussions on film programming, filmmaking, and alternative exhibition spaces through sessions like Meet the Festival Programmers, the QCinema Filmmakers Roundtable, and Microcinemas: Reimagining the Big Screen.
Nov. 19 will focus on industry insights, filmmaking, and pitching, featuring a master class by top film executive Kate Patterson from New York-based Kino Lorber, as well as a fireside chat with filmmakers Isabel Sandoval and Lav Diaz.
DGPI Pitch X-Pand is also happening on the same day where Filipino and Southeast Asian filmmakers get to connect with Asian producers and industry professionals.
Meanwhile, the Nov. 20 program will cover storytelling, and distribution, featuring a master class by Japanese cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa. There will also be sessions on screen adaptation, navigating a crowded market, and the role of film commissions. The day will also mark the opening of the National Guild Summit, presented by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP).
Wrapping up, the Nov. 21 schedule will have discussions on film criticism, regional cinema, Southeast Asian documentaries, actors' guild development, and the evolving role of AI in filmmaking. Alongside a Sony workshop and the second day of the National Guild Summit, the program will also feature a book launch from 2017 QCinema filmmaker, Khavn.
Happening alongside the SQCIF, the CinemaRehiyon Forum will also take place from Nov. 19 to 21 at The Millas Hostel in Quezon City, bringing another platform for discussions and exchanges centered on regional cinema.
Connecting cinema and QCinephiles
Together, these sessions reflect the breadth of the film ecosystem, connecting creative practice with distribution, criticism, and the elements influencing cinema's future.
As a UNESCO Creative City of Film, Quezon City continues to support initiatives that nurture creative talent, strengthen industry networks, and promote cinema as a platform for cultural exchange and innovation.
“I highly encourage all the festival goers to come, and we’re conveniently placing the forum in Gateway cinemas so it's a hop and skip away from the festival. The QCinema fan in me can't wait,” Henares exclaimed.
Happening alongside QCinema International Film Festival, the forum hopes to invite members of the film community and QCinephiles to also look at broader forces shaping cinema. By bringing together practitioners from different disciplines and backgrounds, the forum aims to foster a more connected, collaborative, and forward-looking film industry in Quezon City and beyond.
