For its inaugural year with a focus on the Southeast Asian region, the QCinema Project Market (QPM), the official industry program of the QCinema Film Festival, has announced its final selection of feature film projects. Twenty (20) projects will be vying for over $400,000 in grants and prizes.
Ed Lejano, Qcinema Festival Director said, “We’re ramping up our QCinema Experience as we launch our inaugural project market this year with loads of production grants in store. Our local grants were temporarily affected by the pandemic and it’s definitely back – with P 3 Million for 3 Filipino features and $35,000 for 3 Southeast Asian features. And with our numerous international partners, a lot more funding goodies will be up for grabs. With our new QCinema Project Market, these valuable financial packages can only boost the regional film industries to new heights.”
Last October 10 during the last night of Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Content and Film Market, Qcinema hosted the QPM Cinema Night to officially launch the program and celebrate with festival and market delegates. The announcement of the selected projects was made by the Quezon City Film Development Commission (QCFDC) Executive Director and QPM Managing Director Liza Diño, together with Mister Lejano and QCinema Film Foundation President Manet Dayrit.
“We are so proud to have received so many project submissions from both established and upcoming names from the region. For our first year, we really hope to bring the Philippines and Southeast Asia together to connect and find partners in each other so we can bring these amazing and authentic stories to life. We’re also honored to bring investors, companies, film funders, and decision-makers from all over the region and the world to make this QPM a success for all the projects,” said Diño.
The Filipino and Southeast Asian projects were selected by a Selection Committee composed of Matthieu Darras of Tatino Films, Jongsuk Thomas Nam of Bucheon International Film Festival NAFF Project Market, multi-awarded Filipino director Paolo Villaluna, and Miss Dayrit.
“Selecting only 20 projects from the 65 that we received was a challenging yet inspiring process for the Committee. We were impressed by the immense talent and creative potential of the filmmakers in this region, and we hope that the QPM can help elevate these projects to fully realized films that we can soon enjoy on the big screen,” said Dayrit.
The QPM will be hosted during the QCinema International Film Festival’s 11th year on November 18-20, 2023 and aims to set the stage for Southeast Asian partnerships and collaborations to produce more regional films and content. As the Festival’s official industry arm, QPM also boasts of bringing international decision-makers together to connect with the who’s who of Southeast Asian cinema.
Streamers like Amazon, post production houses like Singapore-based Mocha Chai Laboratories, and Space Lion Studios, as well as film funds like Purin Pictures in Thailand, have all come on board as decision makers at QPM. Mocha Chai Laboratories and Space Lion Studios will be giving out post production prizes, as well as CMB Film Services, the premiere film equipment company in the Philippines, who will serve as a decision maker and will give out a prize for camera and equipment rental for its selected project. Tatino Film’s Pop Up Residency in Europe will also be giving out a residency award.
QPM and QCinema are also in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines for the provision of this year’s Co-Production Grants.
LIST OF SELECTED PROJECTS
1. The Burning Giants (Thailand)
- Director: Phuttiphong Aroonpheng
- Producer: Mai Meksawan
2. The Sea is calm tonight (Vietnam)
- Director: Lê Bảo
- Producer: Weijei Lai
3. The Fox King (Malaysia)
- Director: Woo Ming Jin
- Producer: Edmund Yeo
4. Trinity (Singapore)
- Director: Boo Junfeng
- Producer: Raymond Phathanavirangoon
5. The Beer Girl in Yangon (Myanmar)
- Director: Sein Lyan Tun
- Producer: John Badalu Matulatan
6. Don’t Cry Butterfly (Vietnam)
- Director: Duong Dieu Linh
- Producer: Tan Si En
7. Tale of The Land (Indonesia)
- Director: Loeloe Hendra
- Producer: Yulia Evina Bhara
8. The Drought (Singapore)
- Director: Nelson Yeo
- Producer: Tan Si En and Sophia Sim
9. Hold My Gaze (Philippines)
- Director: Carlo Catu
- Producer: Bradley Liew & April Batican
10. Underworld (Philippines)
- Director: Isabel Sandoval
- Producer: Alemberg Ang
11. Violet Flower (Philippines)
- Director: Jerome Zamora
- Producer: Wilfedo Manalang
12. Lost Memories in Transit (Philippines)
- Director: Austin Tan
- Producer: Stelle Laguda
13. The Boy and The Fight of Spiders (Philippines)
- Director: Jarell Serencio
- Producer: Alex Poblete
14. Filipiñana(Philippines)
- Director: Rafael Manuel
- Producer: Jeremy Chua & Bradley Liew
15. Cangrejos (Philippines)
- Director: Zurich Chan
- Producer: Gale Osorio,
16. Girl On The Turtle’s Back (Philippines)
- Director: Paul Sta. Ana
- Producer: Alemberg Ang, Monica Montejo, and Iana Celest Bernardez
17. The Remotes (Philippines)
- Director: John Torres
- Producer: John Torres
18. Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw (Philippines)
- Director: Mervin Malonzo
- Producer: Emmanuel Angeles
19. RIA (Philippines)
- Director: Arvin Belarmino
- Producer: Kristine De Leon
20. “A” Chasing “B” (Philippines)
- Director: Dan Villegas
- Producer: Antoinette Jadaone