10’s across the board for QCinema’s powerful tenth installment
10’s across the board for QCinema’s powerful tenth installment
QCinema’s tenth installment is coming this November 17-26 at select theaters.
It’s the most beautiful time of the year! And no, it’s not just Christmas we’re talking about, but it sure does feel like it came early this time! QCinema is coming back, more intense than ever, on its tenth anniversary with a lineup that is sure to make movie lovers happy to be alive this festive season. Looking back at last year’s hybrid edition, ‘Jump Start’, it sure is nice to see QCinema slowly going back to a full onsite setup again.
With a whopping selection of 58 movies divided into two competing and eight exhibition sections, ‘in10City’ is bound to be a blast! In fact, you might be a little overwhelmed by the amount of good cinema coming to the City of the Stars, so we figured a primer might help you plot your schedules and decide what, where, and when to watch in the film festival’s first decade!
Opening and Closing Films
The opening and closing films of this year’s QCinema International Film Festival are no other than Triangle of Sadness and To The North.
With TBA studios teasing the film as early as August and with its upcoming nationwide theatrical release on November 30, 2022, it’s no surprise that the movie opening this year’s QCinema film festival is Ruben Östlund’s Palme d'Or-winning black comedy, Triangle of Sadness. On the other hand, the closing film is Mihai Mincan’s To The North, which was part of the Horizons section at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. It is also worthy of mention that both films are top-billed by Filipino actors Dolly de Leon and Soliman Cruz, respectively.
Now it’s time for the exhibition sections. First up is QCinema’s specially-curated section which showcases the world’s renowned directors whose distinctive styles make their acclaimed works undeniably their own.
Asian Next Wave
The first competition section, Asian Next Wave, makes a return in ‘in10City’. Filipino-Japanese actress Stefanie Arianne stars in the Japanese movie, Plan 75.
Talk about comeback! QCinema’s main competition section returns in this year’s edition, and they are taking us to Cannes, Locarno, and Venice yet again with these award-winning titles from outstanding Asian filmmakers all competing for the Pylon Award.
12 WEEKS by Anna Isabelle Matutina (Philippines)
NETPAC Award Winner – 2022 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
After ending her toxic relationship with her boyfriend Ben, 40-year-old Alice discovers she is pregnant. With her age and current relationship status, her first instinct is to have the pregnancy terminated. As her body undergoes dramatic changes, Alice struggles and needs to decide what to do.
ARNOLD IS A MODEL STUDENT by Sorayos Prapapan (Thailand)
Filmmakers of the Present Competition Selection – Locarno Film Festival 2022
Arnold is a clever student who has won many academic awards. One day, he meets Bee who has an underground business of helping students to cheat their exams. Bee asks Arnold to join his cheating ring and offers him a lot of money. While Arnold is considering working with Bee, at his school, many students are not happy with the school’s disrespect of their freedom and they organize a big protest.
AJOOMMA by Shuming He (Singapore)
Best Original Screenplay Nominee – Golden Horse Awards 2022
A middle-aged, Korean drama-obsessed widow from Singapore trying to find new purpose in life travels out of the country for the first time to Seoul, and promptly gets lost.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Makbul Mubarak (Indonesia)
FIPRESCI Prize Award Winner (Horizons Section) – Venice International Film Festival 2022
A young man is working as a housekeeper in an empty mansion. When its owner returns to start his mayoral election campaign, the young man bonds with him and defends him when his campaign is vandalized, setting off a chain of violence.
ELEHIYA by Loy Arcenas (Philippines)
‘Elehiya’ follows the story of Dr. Celine de Miranda, who attempts to escape the bitter memories of her late husband's infidelities. It will have its world premiere on the festival.
RETURN TO SEOUL by Davy Chou (France)
Golden Athena Winner – Athens International Film Festival 2022
Twenty-five-year-old French woman returns to Korea - the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple - for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn.
PLAN 75 by Chie Hayakawa (Japan)
Caméra d'Or Special Mention Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2022
In Japan, government program Plan 75 encourages senior citizens to be voluntarily euthanized to remedy a super-aged society. An elderly woman whose means of survival are vanishing, a pragmatic Plan 75 salesman, and a young Filipino laborer face choices of life and death.
QCShorts
The other competition section is composed of six short film production grantees showcasing the talent of Filipino directors. Winners will be announced on November 23.
ANG PAGLILIGTAS SA DALAGANG BUKID by Jaime Morados
BOLD EAGLE by Whammy Alcazaren
LUZONENSIS OSTEOPOROSIS by Glenn Barit
MGA TIGRE NG INFANTA by Rocky De Guzman Morilla
NGATTA NADDAKI Y NUANG? by Austin Tan
SA ILOG NA HINDI NAGTATAPOS by JT Trinidad
Screen International
A still from Holy Spider by Ali Abbasi. The ‘Screen International’ section will have you on a tour around the world.
Now it’s time for the exhibition sections. First up is QCinema’s specially-curated section which showcases the world’s renowned directors whose distinctive styles make their acclaimed works undeniably their own.
CLOSE by Lukas Dhont (Belgium)
Grand Prix Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2022
CORSAGE by Marie Kreutzer (Austria)
Un Certain Regard Selection – Cannes Film Festival 2022
CRIMES OF THE FUTURE by David Cronenberg (Canada)
Palme d'Or Selection – Cannes Film Festival 2022
EO by Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland)
Jury Prize Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2022
HOLY SPIDER by Ali Abbasi (Denmark)
Palme d'Or Selection – Cannes Film Festival 2022
I HAVE ELECTRIC DREAMS by Valentina Maurel (Costa Rica)
Best Director Winner – Locarno Film Festival 2022
WALK UP by Hang Sang-soo (South Korea)
Golden Seashell Nominee – San Sebastián International Film Festival 2022
New Horizons
Up next is the New Horizons section which heralds new directors and their acclaimed new works.
NEXT SOHEE by July Jung (South Korea)
Grand Prize Nominee – Tokyo FILMex International Film Festival 2022
PIAFFE by Anne Oren (Germany)
Best International Feature Winner – Calgary International Film Festival 2022
SAINT OMER by Alice Diop (France)
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize Winner – Venice International Film Festival 2022
THE ORDINARIES by Sophie Linnenbaum (Germany)
Golden Eye Nominee – Zurich Film Festival 2022
UTAMA by Alejandro Loayza Grisi (Bolivia)
Grand Jury Prize Winner (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) – 2022 Sundance Film Festival
RainbowQC
A still from You Can Live Forever by Mark Slutsky and Sarah Watts. LGBTQIA+ representation and more with the ‘RainbowQC’ section.
The third exhibition section is one of the festival’s most distinctive sections on this side of Southeast Asia, offering a range of distinctive portrayals of the LGBT experience in varying periods and settings.
ANGRY SON by Kasho Iizuka (Japan)
Grand Prize Nominee – Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022
BILLIE AND EMMA (Philippines)
Gender Sensitivity Award Winner – QCinema International Film Festival 2018
JOYLAND by Saim Sadiq (Pakistan)
Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Queer Palm Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2022
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE by Céline Sciamma (France)
Best Screenplay and Queer Palm Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2019
RAINBOWQC SHORTS (Philippines)
(i get so sad sometimes by Trishtan Perez; Isang Daa't Isang Mariposa by Norvin delos Santos; Alingasngas ng mga Kuliglig by Vahn Leinard Pascual; Dikit by Gabriela Serrano; and How to Die Young in Manila by Petersen Vargas)
STRANGER BY THE LAKE by Alain Guiraudie (France)
Un Certain Regard Best Director and Queer Palm Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2013
THE DIVIDE by Catherine Corsini (France)
Queer Palm Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2021
YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER by Mark Slutsky and Sarah Watts (Canada)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Nominee – Directors Guild of Canada Awards 2022
Special Screenings
Next on the list is another remarkable showcase for their Philippine premieres.
LOVE LIFE by Kōji Fukada (Japan)
Golden Lion Winner – Venice International Film Festival 2022
THE DAMNED DON'T CRY by Fyzal Boulifa (France)
Queer Lion Nominee – Venice International Film Festival 2022
THE SALES GIRL by Janchivdorj Sengedorj (Mongolia)
Top Prize Winner – New York Asian Film Festival 2022
KAPAG WALA NANG MGA ALON by Lav Diaz (Philippines)
Golden Giraldillo Nominee – Seville European Film Festival 2022
Midnight Series
Three movies make up the ‘Midnight Series’ section. Filipino actress Chai Fonacier stars in the Irish movie, Nocebo.
Are you up for some last full show thrills? Get ready as the Midnight Series section features three spine-tingling titles not for the faint of heart.
HUESERA by Michelle Garza Cervera (Mexico)
Best New Narrative Director Winner – Tribeca Film Festival 2022
MONA LISA AND THE BLOOD MOON by Ana Lily Amirpour (USA)
Golden Lion Nominee – Venice International Film Festival 2021
NOCEBO by Lorcan Finnegan (Ireland)
Best Motion Picture Nominee – Catalonian International Film Festival 2022
Digitally Restored Classics
QCinema’s 10th edition features newly restored versions of unforgettable films by two celebrated directors.
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE by Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
Best Foreign Film Winner – César Awards 2001
ITIM by Mike de Leon (Philippines)
Best Film of the Decade Winner – Gawad Urian Awards 1981
Advance Screenings
A still from Bones and All by Luca Guadagnino. This new section of QCinema consists of four movies that will allow festivalgoers an early pass to upcoming movies.
This year, QCinema offers something new to its audience that offers a first look at the exciting attractions coming soon in theaters.
ARGENTINA, 1985 by Santiago Mitre (Argentina)
FIPRESCI Prize Award Winner (Main Competition) – Venice International Film Festival 2022
BONES AND ALL by Luca Guadagnino (USA)
Silver Lion for Best Direction Winner – Venice International Film Festival 2022
NANNY by Nikyatu Jusu (USA)
Grand Jury Prize Winner – 2022 Sundance Film Festival
SHE SAID by Maria Schrader (USA)
David Carr Award for Truth in Non-Fiction Filmmaking Winner – Montclair Film Festival 2022
Asian Shorts
Last but not least is the Asian Shorts program that also makes a return in ‘in10City’. It is a curated program of must-see shorts in their regional premieres.
DANCING COLORS by M. Reza Fahriyansyah (Indonesia)
Leopards of Tomorrow (International Competition) – Locarno Film Festival 2022
FOUR NIGHTS by Deepak Rauniyar (Nepal)
Golden Bear for Best Short Film Nominee – Berlin International Film Festival 2022
LILI ALONE by Zou Jing (Hong Kong)
Canal+ Award Nominee – Cannes Film Festival 2021
PAPAYA by Timmy Harn (Philippines)
THE HEADHUNTER'S DAUGHTER by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (Philippines)
Short Film Grand Jury Prize Winner – 2022 Sundance Film Festival
THE WATER MURMURS by Story Chen (China)
Palme d'Or - Best Short Film Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2022
Screening Schedules
Picture taken from the QCinema Facebook page. Theatrical screenings for all films will be held at Gateway, Trinoma, Powerplant, Cinema 76, and SM North EDSA.
And there you have it! The complete lineup of ‘in10City’, the tenth installment of the QCinema International Film Festival! Below are the screening schedules for the films as well as where to watch them!
Picture taken from the QCinema Facebook page. Screening schedules for Gateway Cineplex.
Picture taken from the QCinema Facebook page. Screening schedules for Power Plant Cinema and Trinoma Cinema.
Picture taken from the QCinema Facebook page. Screening schedules for SM North EDSA Cinema and Cinema 76.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch the films?
This year, QCinema will have onsite screenings from November 17-26 at Gateway Cineplex, November 21-25 at Power Plant Cinema and Trinoma Cinema, advance screenings from November 18-19 at SM North EDSA Cinema, and November 23-25 at Cinema 76.
How much does a ticket cost?
All QCinema tickets are uniformly priced at 300 pesos.
Will there be online screenings?
‘in10City’ will have a hybrid setup wherein online screenings will be exclusive for QCShorts 2022, QCShorts 2021, and RainbowQC Shorts, which will also be in partnership with VivaMax and available on November 22-26. Online tickets cost 299 pesos.
What happened to ‘Kisapmata’?
It was announced weeks prior to the press conference that Kisapmata would be included as part of the ‘Digitally Restored Classics’ section of the film festival. However, Mike de Leon announced days before the press conference via his Casa Grande Vintage Filipino Cinema Facebook page that the film was pulled from screening.
Regarding its omission of Kisapmata from the Digitally Restored Classics, Festival Director Ed Lejano and QCFF President Manet Dayrit stated in a Q&A that the best person to ask regarding its removal is Mike De Leon himself.
Details about in10City, QCinema's 10th anniversary presentation will be available at qcinema.ph, and updates are posted on its social media accounts - www.facebook.com/QCinemaPH, twitter.com/QCinemaPH, and www.instagram.com/qcinemaph.
SINEGANG is a media partner of this year’s QCinema International Film Festival.
