QCinema International Film Festival celebrates its 10th year of delivering great films by local and young Filipino talents with the theme “In10City,” which commemorates the rising intensity of the experience that the film festival provides.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte proudly recalls some of QCinema’s accomplishments at an event held by The Blue Leaf at Gallery MiraNila in Quezon City. QCinema has produced or co-produced 105 full-length, documentary, and short films. A number of these films have received awards from both local and international organizations.
“I believe if we give opportunities to our talented filmmakers, give them support, and build an environment where they can thrive, they can bring glory to our city and to our country,” said Mayor Belmonte. “It started with a dream. I dream of Quezon City as the film capital of the Philippines.”
QCinema began as a dream and is now the country’s longest running international film festival, fully organized and supported by the local government. The film festival’s tenth anniversary highlights the numerous opportunities it has provided to creative and talented young filmmakers, as well as cinema artists such as actors, writers, cinematographers, production designers, and other film workers.
The main competition of QCinema was revealed to be back for its 10th edition, with the Asian Next Wave, a competition section for up-and-coming Asian filmmakers with fewer than three features.
In addition to the world premieres of #QCShorts films, Mr. Ed Lejano, QCinema Festival Director, announced that the audience can expect Southeast Asian premieres of debut films from exciting directors from around the world.
He also confirmed that QCinema’s prestige lineup of cinematic gems sourced from globally renowned film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, and Venice will grace the festival’s Screen International section once again.
“With all these new festival updates, these certainly bring us closer to our shared dream for maintaining QCinema’s stature as the country’s leading festival for a truly intense experience for our 10th edition”’ Lejano says.
Tirso Cruz III, Chairman and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, who attended the event, expressed his support for QCinema. He stated that the government agency will award competing Filipino filmmakers 100,000 pesos for short films and 1 million pesos for feature films for next year’s edition of QCinema.
Mr. Ed Lejano also teased the audience with exciting things to expect at this year’s festival, which will be held from November 17 to 26, 2022.
