We have four competition sections this year. we'll focus on the Circle Competition and QC Shorts while providing trailers for the Asian New Wave and Rainbow QC entries, together with the noncompeting films (Digitally Remastered, Screen International, Before Midnight) and other special screenings. Click the links for the Screening Schedule / Festival Pass Info and follow QCinema for more details.
CIRCLE COMPETITION
ANIA 'TI NAGANMO? (What Is Your Name?)
A 6-year old girl gets lost in a cemetary in her mother's hometown. Despite the languange barrier, a local stranger help her find her way back home.
Written and directed by Ice Idanan
BABYLON
Ywo young girls travel through time to assassinate a barangay dictator to revise history.
Directed by Keith Deligero and written by Gale Osorio
CIRCLE COMPETITION
BALANGIGA: Howling Wilderness
1901, Balangiga. Eight-year-old Kulas flees town with his grandfather and their carabao to escape General Smith's Kill & Burn order. He finds a toddler amid a sea of corpses and together, the two boys struggle to survive the American occupation.
This is not a film by Khavn. Screenplay by Jerry Gracio and Khavn. Story by Achinette Villamor and Khavn. Starring Pio del Rio, Warren Tuaño, Justine Samson, and Daniel Palisa.
This is not a film by Khavn. Screenplay by Jerry Gracio and Khavn. Story by Achinette Villamor and Khavn. Starring Pio del Rio, Warren Tuaño, Justine Samson, and Daniel Palisa.
DAPOL TAN PAYAWAR NA TAYUG 1931 (The Ashes and Ghosts of Tayug 1931)
A filmmaker revisits the town of Tayug, Pangasinan in preparation for a new feature film she is making about the folk hero Pedro Calosa and the Tayug Uprising of 1931. As she revisits the actual sites in Tayug where the infamous uprising had taken place, she imagines scenes in her new film about the subject. As she goes deeper in her research at Tayug, she uncovers the memories of the townspeople about Pedro Calosa and the Tayug Uprising of 1931.
Directed by Christopher Gozum. Screenplay by Christopher Gozum. Starring Fe Ging Ging Hyde, Cedrick Juan, Perry Dizon, and Soliman Cruz.
A filmmaker revisits the town of Tayug, Pangasinan in preparation for a new feature film she is making about the folk hero Pedro Calosa and the Tayug Uprising of 1931. As she revisits the actual sites in Tayug where the infamous uprising had taken place, she imagines scenes in her new film about the subject. As she goes deeper in her research at Tayug, she uncovers the memories of the townspeople about Pedro Calosa and the Tayug Uprising of 1931.
Directed by Christopher Gozum. Screenplay by Christopher Gozum. Starring Fe Ging Ging Hyde, Cedrick Juan, Perry Dizon, and Soliman Cruz.
DORMITORYO (Mga Walang Katapusang Kwarto)
Charles, an engineering student with an eye for beauty, just returned from school to a dormitory owned by Aling Linda, a strict, lonesome widow. Other occupants of the dorm include Max–now on his 7th year in college, Sheen–his reluctant partner, Steven–a social entrepreneur, Ramon–his cop lover, Alex–a call center agent, and Jenny–his attentive girlfriend. They all spend the evening tucked away in solitary rooms, talking about collective experiences, sharing a similar fate. And rent is due.
Directed by Emerson Reyes. Screenplay by Emerson Reyes. Starring Ces Quesada, Charles Salazar, Vandolph Quizon, Kate Alejandrino, Jun Sabayton, Wowie De Guzman, Max Celada, and Sheenly Gener.
Charles, an engineering student with an eye for beauty, just returned from school to a dormitory owned by Aling Linda, a strict, lonesome widow. Other occupants of the dorm include Max–now on his 7th year in college, Sheen–his reluctant partner, Steven–a social entrepreneur, Ramon–his cop lover, Alex–a call center agent, and Jenny–his attentive girlfriend. They all spend the evening tucked away in solitary rooms, talking about collective experiences, sharing a similar fate. And rent is due.
Directed by Emerson Reyes. Screenplay by Emerson Reyes. Starring Ces Quesada, Charles Salazar, Vandolph Quizon, Kate Alejandrino, Jun Sabayton, Wowie De Guzman, Max Celada, and Sheenly Gener.
KULAY LILA ANG GABI NA BINUDBURAN PA NG MGA BITUIN
Aries and Chai sign up for a couple’s retreat program where they are given free rein to fix their marriage in whatever way possible or impossible.
Directed by Jobin Ballesteros. Screenplay by Jimmy Flores. Starring Max Eigenman and Jay Castillo.
Aries and Chai sign up for a couple’s retreat program where they are given free rein to fix their marriage in whatever way possible or impossible.
Directed by Jobin Ballesteros. Screenplay by Jimmy Flores. Starring Max Eigenman and Jay Castillo.
MEDUSAE
A documentarist's son goes missing when she films a story on the disappearances of the firstborns in a remote island.
Directed by Pam Miras. Starring Desiree Del Valle and Carl Palaganas.
A documentarist's son goes missing when she films a story on the disappearances of the firstborns in a remote island.
Directed by Pam Miras. Starring Desiree Del Valle and Carl Palaganas.
NEOMANILA
Toto, a teenage orphan, is recruited by a notorious death squad. Irma, the groups leader, soon becomes a maternal figure to the young boy. As the two form a familial bond, their loyalties will be put to the test when one of their targets turns out to be a familiar face.
Directed by Mikhail Red. Screenplay by Mikhail Red, Zig Dulay, and Rae Red. Starring Tim Castillo, Eula Valdez, Rocky Salumbides, Jess Mendoza, Ross Pesigan, Angeline Andoy, Angeli Bayani, Ron Villas, and Raul Morit.
Directed by Mikhail Red. Screenplay by Mikhail Red, Zig Dulay, and Rae Red. Starring Tim Castillo, Eula Valdez, Rocky Salumbides, Jess Mendoza, Ross Pesigan, Angeline Andoy, Angeli Bayani, Ron Villas, and Raul Morit.
THE CHANTERS
The Chanters is a comedy-drama film about Sarah Mae, a 12 year old school girl, the grand-daughter of the last chanter of the Panay Bukidnon tribe. She obsesses with pop culture and readies herself for the visit of a sensational TV star to her school. As she perfects her dance, her grandfather, Lolo Ramon suffers the onset of dementia. As her Lolo starts losing his precious memories, Sarah Mae is tasked to help him complete the last of the remaining 12 epics, their tribe’s vanishing tradition.
Directed by James Robin Mayo. Screenplay by Andrian Legaspi and John Bedia. Starring Jally Nae Gabaliga, Romulo Caballero, Zuellen Faye Cerbo, Jean Aubrey Garin, and Kara Francine Bela-Ong
The Chanters is a comedy-drama film about Sarah Mae, a 12 year old school girl, the grand-daughter of the last chanter of the Panay Bukidnon tribe. She obsesses with pop culture and readies herself for the visit of a sensational TV star to her school. As she perfects her dance, her grandfather, Lolo Ramon suffers the onset of dementia. As her Lolo starts losing his precious memories, Sarah Mae is tasked to help him complete the last of the remaining 12 epics, their tribe’s vanishing tradition.
Directed by James Robin Mayo. Screenplay by Andrian Legaspi and John Bedia. Starring Jally Nae Gabaliga, Romulo Caballero, Zuellen Faye Cerbo, Jean Aubrey Garin, and Kara Francine Bela-Ong
THE WRITE MOMENT
A heartbroken writer tries to get back with an ex through his romantic comedy hugot script but fails and instead finds himself magically living-out the scenes he has written. He’s forced to follow everything verbatim—or else face being stuck in an existential loop of scenes that repeat over and over again.
Directed by Dominic Lim. Starring Jerald Napoles, Valeen Montenegro, Bob Jbeili, Dennis Padilla, Cherry Malvar, and Nor Domingo
QC SHORTS COMPETITION
Directed by Dominic Lim. Starring Jerald Napoles, Valeen Montenegro, Bob Jbeili, Dennis Padilla, Cherry Malvar, and Nor Domingo
QC SHORTS COMPETITION
A 6-year old girl gets lost in a cemetary in her mother's hometown. Despite the languange barrier, a local stranger help her find her way back home.
Written and directed by Ice Idanan
Ywo young girls travel through time to assassinate a barangay dictator to revise history.
Directed by Keith Deligero and written by Gale Osorio
A spiritual exorcism drives a woman to relive the disappearance of a young activist that took place years ago. But when prodded about the details of the tragedy, she sinks into herself and recreates a story that coalesces memory, delirium, and forgetting.
Written and directed by Kiri Dalena
Two blind musicians, Cindy and David, who strive to provide for themselves as they work as singers at public transit stations. However, they were forced to perform separately. Apart, they grow anxious for each other and realize that their partnership goes beyond musical. The two end up in a search, hoping to find each other despite the absence of sight.
Written and directed by Phyllis Grande
The sensual film follows a writer who was approached by a strange man who claims to be a character in her novel. The man tries to make sense of his situation as they walk along an empty street, but lurking underneath the words are their most violent bodily desires.
Directed by Mike Esteves. Written by Mike Esteves and Jael Mendoza
Love Bites tells the story of a grieving old man meets a spirited old woman in a search. Together they learn that two halves make one whole.
Directed by Carl Joseph Papa. Written by Carl Joseph Papa and Aica Riz Ganhinhin
Kiko, constantly being hired by Lily to upload videos on Deep Web for a pay-per-view website, was given a task to upload a mysterious video which origins they do not know of, but would be a sure hit once it is up. Ever since he viewed the video, he's been receiving ghost calls and constantly feels like someone is watching him.
Written and directed by Epoy Deyto
Astri is a 16 year old transwoman in a relationship with 17 year old Tambulah. Although it’s an unusual sight at their community, nobody bothers them. They subsist on the coins people throw at them when they perform their traditional dance at the sea. Everything is perfect except that Sama Bajao traditions and a pact made long ago require Astri to marry a woman she hardly knows.
Directed by Xeph Suarez and written by Cenon Palomares
ASIAN NEXT WAVE COMPETITION
(for up-and-coming Asian filmmakers with less than three features)
DRAGONFLY EYES (China)
Directed by Bing Xu
IN BETWEEN SEASONS (South Korea)
Directed by Dong-Eun Lee
KFC (Vietnam)
Directed by Lê Bình Giang
MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS (Indonesia)
Directed by Mouly Surya
POP AYE (Singapore/Thailand)
Directed by Kristen Tan
SNOW WOMAN (Japan)
Directed by Kiki Sugino
RAINBOWQC COMPETITION
(showcase of LGBT narratives across the world)
BEACH RATS (USA)
Directed by Eliza Hittman
CLOSE-KNIT (Japan)
Directed by Naoko Ogigami
FATHERS (Thailand)
Directed by Palatpol Mingpornpichit
MGA GABING KASINGHABA NG HAIR KO (Philippines)
Directed by Gerardo Calagui
SIGNATURE MOVE (USA)
Directed by Jennifer Reeder
TOM OF FINLAND (Finland)
Directed by Dome Karukoski
OPENING AND CLOSING FILMS
QCinema 2017 opens up with the advance Philippine premiere of the world's first fully painted feature film and will close it with the digital comeback of a local classic.
LOVING VINCENT
Directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman
BATCH '81
Directed by Mike De Leon
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
(critically acclaimed movies from across the globe)
120 BEATS PER MINUTE (France)
Directed by Robin Campillo
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (UK/Ireland)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
LOVELESS (Russia)
Directed by Andrey Zvyaginstev
THE SQUARE (Sweden)
Directed by Ruben Östlund
DIGITALLY REMASTERED SERIES
ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (Spain/France)
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
THE GRADUATE (USA)
Directed by Mike Nichols
HIGH SCHOOL SCANDAL (Philippines)
Directed by Gil Portes
KARMA (Philippines)
Directed by Danny Zialcita
TATLONG TAONG WALANG DIYOS (Philippines)
Directed by Mario O'Hara
BEFORE MIDNIGHT
(unrated section composed of controversial titles meant to shock and stir cinephiles)
68 KILL (USA)
Directed by Trent Haaga
A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN (France/UK)
Directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
BANG GANG (France)
Directed by Eva Husson
REVENGE (France)
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Aside from the movies below that will have their special screenings, QCinema will feature a collection of films created by different regional directors at "Cinema Rehiyon". Lastly, there will be a rerun of the Circle Competition and QC Shorts entries from the previous year.
DIAMOND ISLAND
Directed by Davy Chou
FADING PARADISE
Directed by Aurel Ayson
OUT RUN
Directed by S. Leo Chiang and Johnny Symons
Are you ready? Well, plan ahead and click the links below.
The Movie Bud is back to bring you the latest updates within the entertainment industry! There won't be any movie reviews again, but the site will be more active and expect high praises for films that I want everyone to see. Also, memes. Thanks to all the people who inspired me to write again.
