Over 40 films featured in QCinema 2018’s stellar lineup

On its sixth edition, the QCinema International Film Festival brings to the Philippines a stellar lineup of award-winning features.

The festival kicks off with Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters”, which took the prestigious Palme d’Or award at the 71st Cannes Film Festival.

Over 40 more films will be screened in the festival’s different sections, namely: Circle Competition; Asian Next Wave; Rainbow Competition; DocQC; Screen International; Digitally Remastered; French Classics; Special Screening; and children’s feature films.

QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte revealed during the press launch that the budget for the festival was increased by 3 million pesos, allowing the QC Film Development Council to purchase more and better films.

Belmonte said that she believes in investing in QCinema to bring films that the audience in the  Philippines might otherwise not be able to see.

“Mas bongga pa next year,” was Belmonte’s promise.

Circle Competition

Samantha Lee’s “Billie and Emma” leads the lineup, a follow up to her directorial debut “Baka Bukas.”

In a return to form, Lee shares another queer story, this time giving the spotlight to actors who are queer in real life. The film is set in the mid-1990s and chronicles the life of Billie, who falls pregnant and subsequently falls in love with Emma.

A gift to a basketball-crazy nation is Timmy Han’s “Dog Days: Pinoy Hoop Dreams”, which a biracial kid aspiring to be a pro baller someday.

Dan Villegas dreams up an epilogue to post-marital bliss, telling the press at the launch, “‘Di ba sa kasal, ang pangako mo lang ay ‘til death do us part? Paano kung napunta ka sa purgatoryo tapos nakita mo ‘yong iba mong minahal?”

“Masla A Papanok” is a personal film for Gutierrez Mangansakan, who is presenting a period film set in his father’s hometown of Mindanao.

Completing the lineup is Dwein Baltazar’s “Oda sa Wala”, which has a pretty straightforward plot of a woman who befriends a corpse.

RainbowQC and DocQC

Adding color to the lineup are LGBT films from across the globe.

Among the featured films are Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon’s “Tinta Bruta”, John Tengrove’s “The Wound”, Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses”, Christophe Honore’s “Sorry Angel”, Yann Gonzales’ “Knife + Heart”, and Yen Tan’s “1985.”

Two films are featured in DocQC, a non-competition section of the festival.

Wena Sanchez is behind the lens of “All Grown Up”, a film that documents the life of her brother and how his being on the autism spectrum has affected the people in his life.

Hiyas Baldemor Bagabaldo, meanwhile, captures the devotion of sculptors from Paete in “Pag-ukit sa Paniniwala.”

Completing the lineup are the following films:

Asian Next Wave

• “A Land Imagined” (Yeo Siew Hua, Singapore)
• “Long Day's Journey into Night” (Bi Gan, China)
• “Malila: The Farewell Flower” (Anoocha Boonyawatana, Thailand)
• “The Great Buddha+” (Huang Hsin-yao, Taiwan)
• “The Third Wife” (Ashleigh Mayfair, Vietnam)
• “The Seen and the Unseen” (Kamila Andini, Indonesia)

Screen International

• “Burning” (Lee Chang-dong, Korea)
• “Faces Places” (Agnes Varda and JR, Frances)
• “Climax” (Gaspar Noe, France)
• “Cold War” (Pawel Pawlikowski, Poland)
• “Manta Ray” (Phuttiphong Aroonpheng, Thailand)

Digitally Remastered

• “All That Jazz” (Bob Fosse)
• “Footlose” (Herbert Ross)
• “Saturday Night Fever” (John Badham)

French Classics

• “Diabolique” (Henri-Georges Clouzot)
• “And God Created Woman” (Roger Vadim)
• “Five and the Skin” (Pierre Rissients)

Special Screening

• “Elephant Lying Still” (Hu Bo, China)
• “Ala Changso” (Sonthar Gyal, Tibet)
• “Tomcat” (Klaus Handl, Austria)
• “La Priere” (Cedric Khan, France)
• “Come On, Irene” (Keisuka Yoshida, Japan)

Children’s Films (Danish)

• “Antboy” (Ask Hasselbach)
• “Karla’s World” (Renee Simonsen)
• “The Great Bear” (Esben Toft Jacobsen)

Closing the film is “Piercer”, a thrilling film starring Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska that’s perfect for Halloween.

The entrance fee for children’s feature films have been waived, while the regular screenings are still priced at an affordable P150 per ticket.

QCinema will run from October 21 to 30 at Gateway Mall; Robinsons Galleria; SM City North EDSA; SM Megamall; SM Manila; SM Mall of Asia; and Ayala Malls Cinema in Trinoma and UP Town Center. — GMA News