QCinema International Film Festival 2017 Circle Competition Official Entries

A documentarist’s son goes missing when she films a story on the disappearances of the firstborns in a remote island. Her search reveals the presence of a cult and an abductor who looks like her, whom her son claims to be his real mother.

Starring: Desiree Del Valle, Carl Palaganas
 

Written and Directed By: Pam Miras

A closer look on the violent war on drugs waged in present day Manila. Toto, a teenage orphan, is recruited by a notorious death squad.  Irma, the group’s 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.

Starring: Eula Valdes, Rocky Salumbides, Timothy Castillo

Written and Directed by Mikhail Red

Wanting to fix their marriage in any way, Aries and Chai signs up for a couples retreat program that gives them three days and two nights to resolve their issues.

Starring: Maxine Eigenmann, Rafael Alonso, Jay Castillo, Frida Fridur

Written By: Jim Flores

Directed By: Jobin Ballesteros

Set in Pangasinan, the film follows the story of rebel leader Pedro Calosa and the Tayug Colorum Uprising of 1931. The events are retold from three sources: a silent film on Calosa's return to his hometown in 1927; the story of writer F. Sionil Jose following the aging supremo as he searches for sacred cave in 1966; and a filmmaker who revisits the sites of the uprising for a film on the subject.

Starring:Perry Dizon, Soliman Cruz, Cedrick Juan, and Fe Ging Ging Hyde

Written and Directed By: Christopher Gozum

Set in Balangiga in 1901, the film follows the life of the 8-year-old Kulas who flees town with his grandfather and their carabao to escape General Smith's "Kill and Burn" order. Through a twist of fate, Kulas finds a toddler amid a sea of corpses. Together, the two boys struggle to survive the American occupation.

Starring:  Eight-year old Justine Samson, two-year old Warren Tuaño, and 66-year old Pio del Rio. With Lourd de Veyra, Jun Sabayton, Roxlee, Daniel Palisa, and Althea Vega

Written By: Jerry Gracio

Directed By: Khavn Dela Cruz

 

Sarah Mae, a 12-year-old school girl, is the grand daughter of the last remaining chanter of the Panay Bukidnon tribe. But instead of learning their culture, she is obsessed 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.

Starring: Jally Nae Gilbaliga and Romulo Caballero

Written By: Andrian Legaspi, John Bedia, James Mayo

Directed By: James Robin Mayo

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.


Starring: Jun Sabayton, Wowie de Guzman, Vandolph Quizon, Kate Alejandrino, Charles Salazar, Max Celada, Sheenly Gener, and Ces Quesada

Written and Directed By: Emerson Reyes

After a heartbroken scriptwriter fails to get back with an old flame through his “romantic-hugot script,” he finds himself living in the scenes he wrote. He’s forced to follow everything verbatim—or else face being stuck in an endless loop of scenes repeating over, and over again.

Starring:  Valeen Montenegro and Jerald Napoles, with Dennis Padilla, Cherry Malvar

Written and Driected By: Dominic Lim

QCinema International Film Festival 2017 runs from Oct 19 -28 207 at Trinoma, Gateway, Robinsons Galleria and Cinematheque Center Manila