QCinema 2017 gathers Asia’s emerging filmmakers

The Quezon City International Film Festival (QCinema) 2017 sets the continental stage as Asian directors bring in their distinctive pieces in one of its competitions.

“Asian Next Wave” is one of QCinema's competition sections for up-and-coming Asian filmmakers with less than three features. The line-up comprises six features, with some of the filmmakers in attendance.

The other competition sections include “Rainbow QC” which will present the full spectrum of LGBT features from around the world and “Circle Competition” and “QC Shorts” that will screen the eight QCinema-aided feature-length and short films, respectively.

6 Competition Entries

 

Among the movies to be screened is “Dragonfly Eyes,” the debut film of distinguished Chinese artist Xu Bing. The film uses actual surveillance-camera recordings to show the story of a woman who encounters a series of turnabouts upon leaving the Buddhist temple where she used to train as a nun. 

“Dragonfly Eyes" won the Critics Prize at the recently-concluded 70th Locarno Festival held in Switzerland. 

Dong-Eun Lee’s first film “In Between Seasons” crafts a true and intimate story of a mother-son relationship that will be tested with the revelation of a long-kept secret. This film is the adaptation of the South Korean director’s own graphic novel and stars popular Korean star, Bae Jong-ok.

Vietnamese director Le Binh Giang’s “KFC” uses amoral, violent, and bizarre elements in this debut feature which had its world premiere in this year’s Rotterdam film fest. 

 

Dubbed as a “body horror,” it trails behind a man who is seeking vengeance for the death of his girlfriend and uncovers evils beyond description.

 

For her third feature, Japanese actress and director Kiki Sugino’s “Snow Woman” creates a spell-binding story where a young woodsman marries a mysterious beauty he meets in the forest. 

Based on a classic novel, this moody, poetic adaptation premiered in last year’s Tokyo film festival.

Indonesia’s first entry to Cannes’ Directors Fortnight, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts,” by Mouly Surya was also screened in the recent Toronto film festival.

This Asian western charts the story of Marlina who is being haunted by the restless spirit of a man she killed to protect herself.

Rounding up the competition is a Singaporean-Thai road trip drama, “Pop Aye”. 

Kirsten Tan’s first feature, the winner of the special jury prize in the World Cinema Dramatic section of Sundance, shows the colorful journey of an architect who gets reunited with his  long-lost elephant and takes a nostalgic journey to the country. 

QCinema sections

Also part of QCinema’s competition sections are “Screen International” which features films that have made waves in their respective country of origin and beyond; a surprise QCinema “Trilogy”; and “Before Midnight,” an unrated section composed of mind-boggling genre or controversial titles

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There are also “Digitally Re-mastered Series” where classic titles come alive again on the big screen as well as “Special Screenings” section.

Block screenings are available for advance pre-selling for group bookings for film or school organization. Email festival@qcinema.ph for more details.

QCinema International Film Festival is from October 19-28, 2017 at select theaters in Quezon City and Makati.