Quezon City, Philippines—The QCinema International Film Festival (QCIFF) proudly announces the second year of the QCinema Project Market (QPM), scheduled to take place from November 14 to 16, 2024. Alongside the much-anticipated Asian Next Wave Film Forum and Creative Industries Day, these events offer filmmakers, directors, producers, and industry leaders unparalleled opportunities for collaboration, learning, and networking.
QPM serves as an industry platform connecting Southeast Asian filmmakers with funding partners, producers, and international collaborators. The market facilitates one-on-one meetings, project presentations, and exclusive networking events for feature film projects in development.
The event aims to champion Filipino and Southeast Asian voices, bridging local talent with global opportunities through co-production grants and post-production awards. With its carefully curated lineup of projects, QPM offers critical support to ensure these works are brought to life and seen on the global stage.
“QCinema Project Market is committed to continuing to bridge collaborations with the Philippines and Southeast Asia, offering a space for co-productions that elevate our region’s stories to the world. There’s a growing number of investors in the Philippines recognizing the potential of films for the international market, and QPM aims to capitalize on this exciting opportunity. By connecting filmmakers with these investors and partners from Southeast Asia, we are driving the region’s rise as a key player in global cinema and ensuring that our stories are given the platform they deserve.” said Liza Diño, Executive Director of the Quezon City Film Commission (QCFC) and the Managing Director of QCinema Project Market.
Awards
The QPM awards are divided into ten categories, providing financial support and essential post-production services.
Three Filipino projects will receive the QPM-PH Co-Production Grant, with each project awarded PHP 2,000,000. Meanwhile, the QPM-SEA Production Prize will grant PHP 1,000,000 to one outstanding Southeast Asian project and PHP 750,000 each to two others.
Post-production services also play a significant role in the prizes. The Mocha Chai Award offers post-production support worth USD 50,000, while the Kongchak Studio Award provides USD 10,000 in sound post-production services at their studios in Cambodia. Color correction services are made available through the Central Digital Lab Award which grants two projects USD 10,000, and the Barebones Award, offering four color-correction grants of USD 14,000—two each for Filipino and Southeast Asian projects. The T6xBB Award also provides USD 14,000 worth of post-production services for one Filipino and one Southeast Asian project.
Additionally, the CMB Discovery Award offers equipment rental support of PHP 1,000,000 for one project and PHP 500,000 for another. Lastly, one project receives the Nathan Studios Development Prize of PHP 250,000, while the TAICCA Award gives a cash prize of USD 5,000.
The winners of the QPM awards will be announced on November 16, 2024.
Southeast Asian Projects
Seven Southeast Asian projects are featured at QPM 2024, showcasing diverse narratives from the region.
The Beer Girl in Yangon (Myanmar, Indonesia), directed by Sein Lyan Tun, follows Lily, a 17-year-old navigating work, love, and hallucinations after her father’s arrest for political activism. Picturehouse (Vietnam) by Minh-Nghiem Nguyen-Vo tells the story of a young boy who finds solace in a movie house during the turmoil of 1960s Vietnam. Future Laobans (Myanmar) by Maung Sun explores the dangerous journey of three teenagers in a jade-mining town as they pursue dreams of fortune. To Leave, To Stay (Cambodia) by Danech San revolves around Mera, who vanishes after traveling with a friend to meet a soldier, prompting a frantic search.
Other People’s Dreams (Singapore), directed by Daniel Hui, follows two souls surviving in the shadows of Singapore by blending into the rhythms of the dreaming city. The Passport (Malaysia) by Ananth Subramaniam portrays a punk rocker’s struggle with cultural expectations within his family and community. I’ll Smile in September (Singapore, India) by Aakash Chhabra captures a brass band player’s journey through heartbreak, tooth loss, and self-discovery in Old Delhi.
Philippine Projects
13 projects from both established and upcoming Filipino filmmakers are part of QPM 2024. This year’s selection of Filipino films demonstrates the country’s vibrant storytelling tradition across genres, ranging from period dramas to psychological thrillers and speculative fiction.
Anak Alon (Daughters of the Sea), directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar, weaves the interconnected lives of a tour guide, a pet shop owner, and a fish vendor. Molder by Kenneth Dagatan follows a Filipino immigrant in Italy racing to lift a curse threatening his wife’s life. My Neighbor the Gangster, directed by Mario Cornejo, tells the story of a young boy whose life changes when a gangster moves next door.
Bato Bato Sa Langit Ang Tamaan Magagalit (Heaven Help Us) by Eve Baswel takes place 12 hours before the collapse of the Manila Film Center in 1981, focusing on the construction workers racing against time. Baradero (A Ship of Fools) by Keith Deligero is a psychological period drama connecting two troubled men through a ship bearing witness to the trauma of history. Golden, directed by JP Habac, follows homeless gay seniors reviving their drag queen performances to fund a dream home.
Lihim Na Luha (Secret Cries) by Eileen Cabiling explores a father’s dark secret and his fear for his daughter’s future on her 13th birthday. Inahing Baka (Mother Maybe) by Sonny Calvento revolves around a son reuniting with his mother through a high-stakes Japanese game show with sinister undertones. Please Bear With Me by Gabriela Serrano examines a single mother’s life in an alternate Philippines where dreams are a commodity.
Angel De Dios by Joel Ruiz follows a bank robber on the run who forms an unexpected bond with a baby. Hum by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan centers on two runaway land defenders turned rodeo stars haunted by their past. Ewa (Eve) by Keith Sicat portrays a scientist stranded on an alien planet struggling to reconnect with her child. The Returning by Atsuko Hirayanagi tells the story of a homeless Japanese man joining an environmental charity in the Philippines, only to uncover a sinister cult.
As QPM 2024 approaches, directors and producers will participate in one-on-one meetings, project presentations, and networking events to further develop their projects and connect with industry partners.
Special Activities and Events
On November 15, 2024, QCFC will hold the Creative Industries Day, an immersive event designed to foster collaboration across sectors in the creative economy. The day’s program includes workshops, networking mixers, and roundtable discussions on film industry policies, international collaborations, and funding mechanisms, emphasizing local and international partnerships to foster the growth of Quezon City’s local film industry.
QCFC will host the Asian Next Wave Film Forum on November 16, 2024. This forum delves into the evolving landscape of Asian cinema, with panels and masterclasses focused on blending art-house and genre filmmaking, international co-productions, and the role of film festivals in elevating Asian stories.
Panelists include industry leaders from major festivals like Venice, Toronto, and Busan, as well as celebrated filmmakers and producers from across Southeast Asia. Attendees will gain insights into how the convergence of art and genre cinema is reshaping the region’s storytelling landscape.
Key sessions include Defining Asian Genre, which offers insights into cultural influences on Southeast Asian genre films, and Riding the Wave of Asian Financing, a series of case studies on financing strategies for filmmakers. Additional discussions feature The Next Wave of Asian Auteurs, with conversations on narrative innovation and masterclasses on marketing, sound design, and genre writing led by industry experts.
ABOUT QCFC
The Quezon City Film Commission (QCFC) is a local government agency committed to advancing the local film industry and promoting Quezon City as a thriving film production hub. In partnership with QCinema, QCFC supports projects that empower Filipino and Southeast Asian filmmakers, fostering a culture of innovation and creative excellence. Learn more about them here: www.qcfilmcommission.ph
