11 Years and Beyond: An Elevated QCinema
11 Years and Beyond: An Elevated QCinema
QCinema’s eleventh installment is coming this November 17-26 at select theaters.
Heads up avid Letterboxd users—rather, cineastes! An elevated QCinema is coming straight to theaters near you! With a whopping number of 65 films (and counting), they have truly solidified their status as a must-attend international festival in Asia.
Divided into three competition and six exhibition sections, ‘Elevated’ is just the perfect treat for local and foreign festival-goers alike! To make sure you’re all set for the highly anticipated festival, we’ve gathered all the information you’ll need to know to make sure you’re smooth sailing for this year’s QCinema!
Opening and Closing Films
The opening and closing films of this year’s QCinema International Film Festival are no other than Poor Things and The Breaking Ice.
The movie opening this year’s QCinema film festival is the massive film fresh from its Golden Lion win, Yorgos Lanthimos’ black comedy, Poor Things. On the other hand, the closing film is Anthony Chen’s The Breaking Ice, which was part of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Asian Next Wave
The first competition section, Asian Next Wave, comes back with a blast in ‘Elevated’. Actress Gabby Padilla stars in the only Filipino movie in the section, Gitling.
QCinema’s main competition section returns in this year’s edition, and they are taking us to Cannes, Venice, and Udine with these award-winning directorial debuts from Asian filmmakers all vying for the Pylon Award.
ABANG ADIK by Jin Ong (Malaysia)
White Mulberry Award Winner – Udine Far East Film Festival 2023
Abang and Adi are undocumented orphans in Malaysia. While the older brother, a deaf mute, has resigned himself to a life of poverty, his younger sibling burns with indignation. A brutal accident upsets their relationship's fragile balance.
GITLING by Jopy Arnaldo (Philippines)
Best Screenplay Winner – 2023 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
While creating the subtitles of a film, a young Filipina translator and a middle-aged Japanese director test the limits of language and understanding.
INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL by Thien An Pham (Vietnam)
Caméra d'Or Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2023
A man returns to his hometown, where he's haunted by past memories and desires.
LAST SHADOW AT FIRST LIGHT by Nicole Midori Woodford (Singapore)
New Directors Award Nominee – San Sebastián International Film Festival 2023
Ami, haunted by recurring apparitions, embarks on a journey from Singapore to Japan in search of her missing mother. Amidst the transforming landscapes, Ami's dreams, hauntings and lost mother unveil their true form.
LOVE IS A GUN by Lee Hong-chi (Taiwan)
Luigi De Laurentiis Award Winner – Venice Film Festival 2023
Since his release from prison, Sweet Potato has been content to run a little business with a meager income by the sea, disregarding the advice of others to the contrary.
MIMANG by Kim Tae-yang (South Korea)
NETPAC Award Honourable Mention – Toronto International Film Festival 2023
A man and a woman meet by chance and stroll through Seoul's changing streets.
SOLIDS BY THE SEASHORE by Patiparn Boontarig (Thailand)
NETPAC Award Winner – Busan International Film Festival 2023
An intimate relationship between a young woman from a local conservative Muslim family and a rebellious female artist from the city.
TIGER STRIPES by Amanda Nell Eu (Malaysia)
Critics’ Week Grand Prize Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2023
An 11-year-old girl who is carefree until she starts to experience horrifying physical changes to her body.
QCShorts
The other competition section is composed of six short film production grantees highlighting the talent of Filipino directors.
A CATHOLIC SCHOOL GIRL by Myra Angeline Soriaso
ABUTAN MAN TAYO NG HOUSELIGHTS by Apa Agbayani
ANIMAL LOVERS by Aedrian Araojo
MICROPLASTICS by Lino Balmes
TAMGOHOY by Roxlee
TUMATAWA, UMIIYAK by Che Tagyamon
QCSEA Shorts
Last in the competition sections is the fresh QCSEA, which includes 10 short films from Southeast Asia.
BASRI AND SALMA IN A NEVER-ENDING COMEDY by Khozy Rizal (Indonesia)
BUOYANT by Toan Thanh Doan and Hoang-Phuc Nguyen-Le (Vietnam)
CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO DIE by Sam Manacsa (Philippines)
DOMINION by Bea Mariano (Philippines)
HITO by Stephen Lopez (Philippines)
I LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND REPEAT MYSELF by Giselle Lin (Singapore)
KUNG NGA-A CONSCIOUS ANG MGA ALIEN SANG ILA SKINCARE (THE THING ABOUT ALIENS AND THEIR SKIN CARE) by Seth Andrew Blanca and Niño Maldecir (Philippines)
MOP by Joon Goh (Malaysia)
THE ALTAR by Moe Myat May Zarchi (Myanmar)
WHEN YOU LEFT ME ON THAT BOULEVARD by Kayla Abuda Galang (Philippines)
Screen International
A still from All Of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh. The ‘Screen International’ section will showcase different filmic spectacles around the globe.
Here are the exhibition sections. First on the list is QCinema's handpicked set, highlighting globally celebrated directors and their acclaimed creations.
AFIRE by Christian Petzold (Germany)
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize Winner – Berlin International Film Festival 2023
ALL OF US STRANGERS by Andrew Haigh (UK)
Gold Q-Hugo Award Nominee – Chicago International Film Festival 2023
CRITICAL ZONE by Ali Ahmadzadeh (Iran)
Best International Film Winner – Locarno International Film Festival 2023
DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD by Radu Jude (Romania)
Special Jury Prize Winner – Locarno International Film Festival 2023
EVIL DOES NOT EXIST by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan)
Silver Lion Award Winner – Venice Film Festival 2023
FALLEN LEAVES by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland)
Jury Prize Award Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2023
PERFECT DAYS by Wim Wenders (Germany)
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Award Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2023
THE TASTE OF THINGS by Trần Anh Hùng (France)
Best Director Winner – Cannes Film Festival 2023
SWEET DREAMS by Wei Shujun (China)
Silver Hugo Award Winner – Chicago International Film Festival 2023
New Horizons
The New Horizons section is also back to showcase powerful directorial debuts.
CITY OF WIND by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (Mongolia)
Best Director Winner – Pingyao International Film Festival 2023
FOREMOST BY NIGHT by Victor Iriarte (Spain)
Gold Hugo Award Nominee – Chicago International Film Festival 2023
SCRAPPER by Charlotte Regan (UK)
Grand Jury Prize Award Winner – Sundance Film Festival 2023
THROUGH THE NIGHT by Delphine Girard (Belgium)
Gold Hugo Award Nominee – Chicago International Film Festival 2023
WOMEN FROM ROTE ISLAND by Jeremias Nyangoen (Indonesia)
Best Film Nominee – Festival Film Indonesia 2023
Restored Classics
QCinema’s 11th edition features newly restored versions of old but gold movies from three celebrated directors.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Stanley Kubrick (USA)
Pasinetti Award Winner – Venice Film Festival 1972
CHUNGKING EXPRESS by Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
Best Picture Winner – Hong Kong Film Awards 1995
ENTER THE DRAGON by Robert Clouse (Hong Kong)
FALLEN ANGELS by Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
Best Picture Nominee – Hong Kong Film Awards 1996
RainbowQC
A still from Passages by Ira Sachs. LGBTQIA+ representation and more with the ‘RainbowQC’ section.
The fourth exhibition section is one of the festival’s most distinctive sections on this side of Southeast Asia, offering an array of LGBT representation.
MUTT by Vuk Langulov-Klotz (USA)
Special Mention of the Generation 14plus International Jury Award Winner – Berlin International Film Festival 2023
PASSAGES by Ira Sachs (France)
Best Feature Film Nominee – Berlin International Film Festival 2023
PETER VON KANT by François Ozon (France)
Best Feature Film Nominee – Berlin International Film Festival 2023
WOMEN OF… by Michał Englert and Małgorzata Szumowska (Poland)
Golden Lion Award Nominee – Venice Film Festival 2023
Special Screenings
Below are highly anticipated movies that are also bound to premiere at this year’s QCinema.
ESSENTIAL TRUTHS OF THE LAKE by Lav Diaz (Philippines)
Golden Leopard Award Nominee – Locarno International Film Festival 2023
IRREVERSIBLE: STRAIGHT CUT by Gaspar Noé (France)
Palme d'Or Award Nominee – Cannes Film Festival 2002
KARAOKE by Moshe Rosenthal (Israel)
Best International Narrative Feature Nominee – Tribeca Film Festival 2022
ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS by Wei Shujun (China)
Un Certain Regard Award Nominee – Cannes Film Festival 2023
RAGING GRACE by Paris Zarcilla (UK)
Grand Jury Award Winner – SXSW Film Fesival 2023
SALTBURN by Emerald Fennell (UK) Filmmaker of the Year Winner – Mill Valley Film Festival 2023
STRANGE WAY OF LIFE AND THE HUMAN VOICE by Pedro Almodóvar (Spain)
Queer Palm Award Nominee – Cannes Film Festival 2023
Before Midnight
Four movies make up the ‘Before Midnight’ section. Actor George MacKay stars in Femme.
Making a comeback is the Before Midnight section.
FEMME by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping (UK)
Best Feature Film Nominee – Berlin International Film Festival 2023
HUNGRY GHOST DINER by We Jun Cho (Malaysia)
Rotterdam Lab Award Winner – Locarno International Film Festival 2021
RED ROOMS by Pascal Plante (Canada)
Cheval Noir Award Winner – Fantasia Film Festival 2023
RIVER by Junta Yamaguchi (Japan)
New Visions Award Nominee – Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival 2023
QCDox
A still from National Anarchist: Lino Brocka.
Last but not least is QCinema’s documentary section which is back to offer three thought-provoking real-life stories from the country.
DIVINE FACTORY by Joseph Mangat
NOWHERE NEAR by Miko Revereza
NATIONAL ANARCHIST: LINO BROCKA by Khavn
Screening Schedules
The complete lineup of ‘Elevated’, the eleventh installment of the QCinema International Film Festival, was announced during the Press Conference held on October 24, 2023. As of now, the screening schedules for the festival are not out yet, but this article will be updated as soon as they are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch the films?
This year, QCinema will have onsite screenings from November 17-26 at Gateway Mall, Robinsons Magnolia, UP Town Center, Shangri-la Plaza, and Power Plant Mall.
How much does a ticket cost?
All QCinema tickets will once again be uniformly priced at 300 pesos. Discounted price is 250 pesos for students and QCitizens.
What other programs can we expect from QCinema?
The QCinema Project Market (QPM) will connect promising projects from the Philippines and the rest of Asia with producers to help give these films funding, while the QCinema Young Film Critics Lab will gather a group of young Filipinos interested in creating content around film and offer them access to industry professionals to help foster their burgeoning careers. To be held also in conjunction with QCinema is the International Film Industry Conference, which is co-organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines. The elevated theme also continues with its collaboration with renowned Filipino artist Dex Fernandez, known for his iconic creation 'Garapata.’
Details about Elevated, QCinema's 11th 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.
