QCinema Project Market: A Gateway for Southeast Asian Filmmakers
A platform for emerging talent
The QCinema Project Market (QPM) is back for its second edition, offering a unique opportunity for filmmakers from the Philippines and Southeast Asia to connect with international partners. This year, twenty projects have been selected from a pool of 63 submissions, showcasing the region’s rich storytelling potential. With approximately $300,000 in grants and prizes up for grabs, QPM is set to be a significant event in the film industry calendar.
Success stories from last year
Last year’s QPM saw several projects make remarkable progress. Rafael Manuel’s “Filipiniana” and Woo Ming Jin’s “Fox King” are now in post-production, while Duong Dieu Linh’s “Don’t Cry Butterfly” is premiering at the Venice Critics’ Week. These successes highlight the market’s role in propelling Southeast Asian cinema onto the global stage.
Spotlight on Southeast Asian projects
The beer girl in Yangon
Director: Sein Lyan Tun
Producer: Yulia Evina Bhara
Synopsis: A 17-year-old girl navigates love and hallucinations while working in a Yangon beer station after her father’s political arrest.
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Picturehouse
Director: Minh-Nghiem Nguyen-Vo
Producer: Johann Chapelan
Synopsis: Set in 1960s Vietnam, a family-run movie house becomes a sanctuary for a boy amid the chaos of war.
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Future Laobans
Director: Maung Sun
Producer: Emmanuel Angeles
Synopsis: Three teenagers in a jade mining town embark on a risky smuggling journey to China.
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To leave, to stay
Director: Danech San
Producer: Daniel Mattes
Synopsis: A girl goes missing after visiting a soldier she met online, prompting her friend to begin a search.
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Other people’s dreams
Director: Daniel Hui
Producers: Tan Si En, Joel Neo
Synopsis: Two runaways in Singapore survive by stealing unnoticed from the public.
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The passport
Director: Ananth Subramaniam
Producer: Choo Mun Bel
Synopsis: A punk rocker confronts cultural expectations in a working-class Indian family.
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I’ll smile in September
Director: Aakash Chhabra
Producer: Fran Borgia
Synopsis: A brass band player in Old Delhi tries to move on after losing his love and his front teeth.
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Filipino projects in the spotlight
Anak Alon (Daughters of the Sea)
Director: Martika Ramirez Escobar
Producer: Rajiv Idnani
Synopsis: Three lives intertwine, including a tour guide who unknowingly meets her father.
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Molder
Director: Kenneth Dagatan
Producers: Bradley Liew, Junxiang Huang
Synopsis: A Filipino immigrant in Italy faces a nightmare of physical decay after a curse.
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My neighbor the gangster
Director: Mario Cornejo
Producers: Monster Jimenez, Jon Romulo
Synopsis: A young boy’s life changes when a gangster moves next door with his mistress and child.
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Bato Bato Sa Langit Ang Tamaan Magagalit (Heaven Help Us)
Director: Eve Baswel
Producers: John Torres, Jules Katanyag
Synopsis: The lives of construction workers unfold 12 hours before the 1981 Manila Film Center collapse.
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Baradero (A Ship of Fools)
Director: Keith Deligero
Producer: Gale Osorio
Synopsis: Two men are connected by a ship that witnesses historical trauma on the brink of WWII.
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Golden
Director: JP Habac
Producers: Omar Sortijas, Catsi Catalan
Synopsis: Homeless gay seniors reunite to revive their drag queen performances for fundraising.
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Lihim Na Luha (Secret Cries)
Director: Eileen Cabiling
Producers: Darlene Malimas, Jericho Rosales
Synopsis: A filmmaker uncovers truths behind a controversial 1980s film project.
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Inahing Baka (Mother Maybe)
Director: Sonny Calvento
Producers: Arden Rod Condez, Sheron Dayoc
Synopsis: A son reunites with his mother in Tokyo, discovering her nightly transformation.
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Please bear with me
Director: Gabriela Serrano
Producers: Gale Osorio, Keith Deligero
Synopsis: In a dreamless Philippines, a mother relives her pop star past through paid “dream-time.”
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Angel De Dios
Director: Joel Ruiz
Producer: Madonna Tarrayo
Synopsis: A bank robber inadvertently ends up with a baby after a heist gone wrong.
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Hum
Director: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan
Producers: Alemberg Ang, Hannah Schierbeek
Synopsis: An earthquake affects two land defenders turned rodeo stars haunted by their past.
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Ewa (Eve)
Director: Keith Sicat
Producer: Sari Dalena
Synopsis: A scientist in an alien world struggles to reconnect with her distant child.
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The returning
Director: Atsuko Hirayanagi
Producers: Will Manalang, Eiko Mizuno Gray
Synopsis: A homeless Japanese man in Manila joins an environmental charity that’s actually a cult.
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Funding opportunities and event details
QPM offers various funding opportunities, including the QPM-PH Co-Production Grant, which awards PHP2 million ($35,390) each to three Filipino projects. Other prizes include post-production services and equipment rentals from industry partners.
The market will take place from November 14-16 during the 12th QCinema International Film Festival in the Philippines. The event will feature one-on-one meetings, project presentations, and networking events. Industry accreditation for professionals opens from September 11-30, with jury members to be revealed on October 9.
For cinema and TV series enthusiasts, this is an exciting time to explore new voices and stories from Southeast Asia. The QCinema Project Market is not just a platform for filmmakers; it’s a celebration of the region’s diverse and dynamic storytelling landscape.