Ready your pens: QCinema opens applications for its third Critics Lab Open to regional participants nationwide

 

For its 13th year, the QCinema International Film Festival (QCIFF) is opening its doors for a third year in a row to six emerging critics from all over the Philippines to participate in the QCinema Critics Lab from November 13-17, 2025.

Founded and created by FIPRESCI member and four-time Golden Globe voter Jason Tan Liwag, the Critics Lab aims to actively support the development of film criticism in the Philippines, promote coverage of non-English language features and shorts, and assist talented critics from a variety of backgrounds in shaping their careers as independent cultural workers with uncompromising voices.

Emerging and early-career critics will participate in a tailored and intensive workshop leading up to and during QCinema, where established members of the industry will mentor them on the creative and editorial process. The workshop will extend through the first three days of the festival, where participants will attend film screenings and join closed door conversations with critics, curators, filmmakers, festival programmers, scholars, and other film professionals locally and internationally. Throughout the duration of the lab, all six selected participants will be provided shared accommodations near the main festival venue, a limited per diem, and full press accreditation, allowing them access to all film screenings and events throughout the duration of the festival for free. This year, participants will receive the opportunity to cover the festival for a variety of outlets that will be named at a later date.

Past mentors and speakers include Isabel Custodio, Phuong Le, Liz Shackleton, Wikanda Promkhuntong, Dodo Dayao, Jay Rosas, Mel Lozano-Alcaraz, Carl Javier, Don Jaucian, Richard Bolisay, Mariah Reodica, Alyssandra Maxine, and Aaron E. Hunt. Alumni of the QCinema Critics Lab have gone on to write for publications such as Film Comment, MARG1N Magazine, Rolling Stone Philippines, CNN Philippines Life, Pelikula Journal, and YoungSTAR, among others. Applicants must be interested in film and film criticism, but prior experience or background in film is not required. To be eligible, they must be 1) at least 18 years old, 2) a Filipino citizen currently residing in the Philippines, and 3) able to participate in the lab from November 13-17. The festival extends this invitation to regional participants within the Philippines, whose travel to and from Quezon City will be covered on a case-to-case basis.

The deadline for submission is on September 19, 2025, 11:59 PM Philippine Standard Time. Interested individuals can submit their applications via https://tinyurl.com/QCinemaCriticsLab2025