WE'RE IN THE THICK of the bustle of QCinema affairs, a near-Yuletide tradition among Filipino film lovers. The large crowds, the packed concessionaires, the bumper-to-bumper traffic, it's all part of it. If your cortisol levels aren't taking a hit for fear of missing festival screenings, I've been told, you aren't really doing it.
This year marks thirteen years for the festival, but also the first year they're doing it having to live up to the distinction of a UNESCO Creative City of Film (well-deserved). It's been great seeing QCinema steadily realize its vision of putting Filipino filmmaking (and filmgoing) in the world map. And that continues with this year's edition, titled, simply, "QC Film City," an almost-two-week program that showcases interesting Filipino and foreign films to local audiences.
This guide includes everything you need to know if you're planning to partake at QCinema 2025 this year, including the films (with synopses and trailers), a live one-page screening schedule dashboard, and ticketing info.
QCinema 2025: Films in competition
This year, QCinema keeps a stacked program for their competition sections, including Asian Next Wave, RainbowQC (which has its own pride film festival), New Horizons, and QCShorts International.
We've listed every film after the bump.
Asian Next Wave
The fest's flagship competition section, Asian Next Wave highlights great filmmaking from emerging voices and talents in the Philippines and across Asia.
Diamonds in the Sand
dir. Janus Victoria | Drama | ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฒ๐พ ๐ต๐ญ
Unwilling to meet the lonely fate of dying alone (or kodokushi), a Japanese man throws caution to the wind to follow a friend in Manila, Philippines.
Family Matters
dir. Ke-yin Pan | Drama | ๐น๐ผ
On the cusp of major life shifts, Spring searches for her origins before university, Autumn struggles to conceive through artificial insemination, Summer reaches for a distant father ahead of military service, and Winter, their father, fights to change his fate as family pressures intensify.
Ky Nam Inn
dir. Leon Le | Drama, Romance | ๐ป๐ณ
Set in 1985 post-war Vietnam, Khang moves to Saigon after securing a position to translate โThe Little Prince.โ Due to his family connections, Khangโs life under the new regime is secure. But everything changes when he meets Ky Nam, a reserved older widow who lives in Khangโs new community.
Lost Land
dir. Akio Fujimoto | Drama | ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฒ๐พ ๐ฉ๐ช
In the hope of reuniting with their scattered family, four-year-old Shafi and his nine-year-old sister Somira leave a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh on a perilous journey to reach Malaysia.
Luz
dir. Flora Lau | Drama | ๐ซ๐ท ๐ญ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ณ
In the neon-lit streets of Chongqing, Wei desperately searches for his estranged daughter Fa, while Hong Kong gallerist Ren grapples with her ailing stepmother Sabine in Paris. Their lives collide in a virtual reality world, where a mystical deer reveals hidden truths, sparking a journey of discovery and connection.
Open Endings
dir. Nigel Santos | Comedy, Drama, Romance | ๐ต๐ญ
Four queer women in their 30s who are exes-turned-best-friends navigate adulthood, love, friendship, chosen families, and everything in between.
Renoir
dir. Chie Hayakawa | Drama | ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ซ๐ท ๐ต๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฉ
In 1987 Tokyo, a quirky and sensitive 11-year-old girl copes with a terminally ill father and stressed-out working mother while encountering various adults dealing with their own struggles.
A Useful Ghost
dir. Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke | Comedy, Horror | ๐น๐ญ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ธ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ช
After dying from a respiratory disease, a motherโs spirit possesses a vacuum cleaner to protect her husband when he begins showing the same symptoms.
The World of Love
dir. Park Joon-ho | Drama, Romance | ๐ฐ๐ท
Jooin, a 17-year-old student confused by love, unleashes chaos with some words spoken in a moment of anger. Anonymous notes questioning her actions begin to arrive, altering her quiet life.
RainbowQC
RainbowQC is QCinemaโs LGBTQIA+ section, offering stories with queer characters and perspectives that highlight the diversity of experiences in an increasingly complex world.
As noted previously, plans seem to be underway for a standalone festival that happens during Pride season.
- 3670 (dir. Park Joon-ho | ๐ฐ๐ท )
- Bel Ami (dir. Jun Jeng | ๐ซ๐ท )
- Le Petite Derniรจre (dir. Hafsia Herzi | ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช )
- The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (dir. Diego Cรฉspedes | ๐จ๐ฑ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ช๐ธ ๐ง๐ช ๐ฉ๐ช )
- En El Camino (dir. David Pablos | ๐ฒ๐ฝ )
- Skin of Youth (dir. Ash Mayfair | ๐ป๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ธ ๐ฏ๐ต )
- Strange River (dir. Jaume Claret Muxart | ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ช๐ธ )
- Summer's Camera (dir. Sung Divine | ๐ฐ๐ท )
Read our coverage of last June's RainbowQC Pride Film Festival:
Armando Dela Cruz
New Horizons
New Horizons is a section for feature film directing debuts and second features, offering up a space for filmmakers that made a splash with their first couple of films by offering new visions of what cinema can be.
This year's entries include:
- Amoeba (dir. Siyou Tan | ๐ธ๐ฌ ๐ณ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฐ๐ท )
- Blue Heron (dir. Sophy Romvari | ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐บ ๐บ๐ธ )
- Brand New Landscape (dir. Yuiga Danzuka | ๐ฏ๐ต )
- The Chronology of Water (dir. Kristen Stewart | ๐บ๐ธ ๐ฑ๐ป ๐ซ๐ท )
- DJ Ahmet (dir. Georgi M. Unkovski | ๐ฒ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ธ ๐ญ๐ท )
- Lucky Lu (dir. Lloyd Lee Choi | ๐บ๐ธ ๐จ๐ฆ )
- Manas (dir. Marianna Brennand Fortes | ๐ง๐ท ๐ต๐น ๐ซ๐ท ๐ง๐ช )
- Pangku (dir. Reza Rahadian | ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ธ๐ฆ )
- The President's Cake (dir. Hasan Hadi | ๐บ๐ธ )
QCShorts International
QCShorts International is QCinemaโs short film competition program that features Southeast Asiaโs most exciting voices and storytellers working within the short film format.
There are four different programs, each with its own theme.
Program #1: This Vast Artifice
Named after Eve Driver's poem collection, these shorts showcase how the world is not a wish-granting factory.
- As If To Nothing (dir. Pek Jia Hao, Ang Jia Jun | ๐ธ๐ฌ )
- Honey, My Love, So Sweet (dir. JT Trinidad | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Please P(r)ay Attention (dir. Vasupol Suwanjuta | ๐น๐ญ )
- Surface Tension (dir. The Serrano Sisters | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Yelo (dir. Gab Rosique | ๐ต๐ญ )
Program #2: The Center Cannot Hold
A short film collection that gives a glimpse of what resistance looks like.
- A Metamorphosis (dir. Lin Htet Aung | ๐ฒ๐ฒ )
- Hoy, Hoy, Ingat! (dir. Norvin de los Santos | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Si Kara: Ang Babaye Nga Nag Daba-Daba (dir. Dale | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Vox Humana (dir. Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan | ๐ต๐ญ ๐บ๐ธ ๐ธ๐ฌ )
- When the Blues Goes Marching In (dir. Beny Kristia | ๐ฎ๐ฉ )
Program #3: This is Where I Leave You
Vanishing homes, forgotten bodies. A program of shorts where the dead keep talking.
- Agapito (dir. Alvin Belarmino, Kyla Danelle Romero | ๐ต๐ญ ๐ซ๐ท )
- Before the Sea Forgets (dir. Lรช Ngoc Duy | ๐ธ๐ฌ )
- Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites (dir. Chheangkea | ๐ฐ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ท ๐บ๐ธ )
- Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts (dir. Rein Maycheaelson | ๐ฎ๐ฉ )
- Visiting Heaven Gate (dir. Nghiรชm Quแปณnh Trang | ๐ป๐ณ ๐จ๐ฟ )
Program #4: We Were Once Small Things
- Baby Fat (dir. Margarita Mina | ๐ต๐ญ ๐บ๐ธ )
- In The Valley (dir. Lim Han Loong | ๐ฒ๐พ )
- Little Rebels Cinema Club (dir. Khozy Rizal | ๐ฎ๐ฉ )
- My Plastic Mother (dir. Amar Haikal | ๐ฎ๐ฉ )
- Ours Was A Timeless Night Burning (dir. Lauviah Caliboso | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Runo! (dir. Racquel โLysaโ Catolico, Jazmine Gin Pateรฑa | ๐ต๐ญ )
QCinema 2025: Films in exhibition
In addition to the in-competition films, QCinema will also program a handful of selections for exhibition. This includes festival faves like Screen International and Before Midnight.
Screen International
Award winning, critically acclaimed films from all over the world. Screen International gives QCinema attendees a chance to catch the most talked about films of the year among cinephile circles.
- Couture (dir. Alice Winocour | ๐บ๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท )
- Divine Comedy (dir. Ali Asgari | ๐ฎ๐ท ๐ฎ๐น ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐น๐ท )
- Father Mother Sister Brother (dir. Jim Jarmusch | ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ธ )
- Hamnet (dir. Chloe Zhao | ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ธ )
- The History of Sound (dir. Oliver Hermanus | ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ธ ๐ธ๐ช )
- Little Amรฉlie or The Character of Rain (dir. Maรฏlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, Jin Kuang | ๐ซ๐ท )
- The Mastermind (dir. Kelly Reichardt | ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ธ )
- Once Upon a Time in Gaza (dir. Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser | ๐ซ๐ท ๐ต๐น ๐ต๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ฌ๐ง )
- The Portuguese House (dir. Avelina Prat | ๐ช๐ธ ๐ต๐น )
- Sirฤt (dir. Olivier Laxe | ๐ช๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฒ๐ฆ )
- The Things You Kill (dir. Alireza Khatami | ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ซ๐ท ๐ต๐ฑ ๐น๐ท ๐ธ๐ฌ )
Before Midnight
Tales of the fantastic, of the supernatural, and everything else that rises as night falls on humanity.
- The Gardens of Earthly Delights (dir. Morgan Knibbe | ๐ณ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ญ ๐ง๐ช )
- Rabbit Trap (dir. Bryn Chainey | ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ธ )
- The Ugly Stepsister (dir. Emilie Kristine Blichfeldt | ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ด ๐ต๐ฑ ๐ธ๐ช )
QC Selects
A selection of exciting new films for cinema lovers of all stripes.
- Call My Manager (dir. Erik Matti | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Human Resource (dir. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit | ๐น๐ญ )
- The Kings of the World (dir. Laura Mora | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Lakambini, Gregoria De Jesus (dir. Arjanmar Rebeta, Jeffrey Jeturian | ๐จ๐ด ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฑ๐บ ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ณ๐ด )
- Rental Family (dir. Hikari | ๐บ๐ธ )
- The Richest Woman in the World (dir. Thierry Klifa | ๐ซ๐ท ๐ง๐ช )
- Shadow Transit (dir. Pedring Lopez | ๐ต๐ญ ๐ญ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฆ )
QCShorts Expo
QCShorts Expo is an an exhibition program featuring some of the best short films made outside of Southeast Asia by the worldโs most exciting auteurs and emerging filmmakers.
There are two programs, and like QCShorts International, each program is themed.
QCShorts Expo Program 1: Unthinkable Atrocities
Collected under a program titled Unthinkable Atrocities, these new works in the second edition of Shorts Expo come from emerging auteurs redefining how cinema confronts the indescribably horrificโfrom Lovecraftian horrors and folkloric curses to intense censorship and real-world genocide.
- A Very Straight Neck (dir. Joseph Dominic Cruz | ๐ฏ๐ต ๐จ๐ณ )
- An Orange from Jaffa (dir. Joseph Dominic Cruz | ๐ต๐ธ ๐ต๐ฑ )
- God Is Shy (dir. Joseph Dominic Cruz | ๐ซ๐ท )
- Nang Norn (dir. Joseph Dominic Cruz | ๐บ๐ธ ๐ฑ๐ฆ ๐น๐ญ )
- Razeh-del (dir. Joseph Dominic Cruz | ๐ฎ๐ท ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ฎ๐น )
- We Were the Scenery (dir. Joseph Dominic Cruz | ๐บ๐ธ ๐จ๐ฆ )
QCShorts Expo Program 1: Unthinkable Atrocities
All developed within the QCShorts grant, the Filipino shorts under Unhealthy Fixations tackle obsessions with parental failure, childhood trauma, the surveillance state, climate change, workplace equity, and bodily insecurities. From childhood dramas and body horror to post-apocalyptic romcoms and heist films, the shorts in this program map the never-ending lengths we will go through to attain the object of our desires.
- Refrain (dir. Joseph Dominic Cruz | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Alaga (dir. Nicole Rosacay | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Rampage! (O ang Parada) (dir. Kukay Bautista Zinampan | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Water Sports (dir. Whammy Alcazaren | ๐ต๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ท ๐ง๐ฉ )
- Kinausap ni Celso ang Diyos (dir. Gilb Baldoza | ๐ต๐ญ )
- Supermassive Heavenly Body (dir. Sam Villa-Real | ๐ต๐ญ )
Rediscovery
A selection of landmark films from cinemaโs vast and colorful history, digitally restored and handpicked by the artistic director of QCinema.
- Almost Famous (dir. Cameron Crowe | ๐บ๐ธ )
- Linda Linda Linda (dir. Nobuhiro Yamashita | ๐ฏ๐ต )
- Showgirls (dir. Paul Verhoeven | ๐บ๐ธ ๐ซ๐ท )
Dokyu Days
A selection of documentaries, highlighting true stories from all over the world.
- Tens Across the Borders (dir. Chan Sze-wei | ๐ต๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ฌ๐ง )
- 2000 Meters to Andriivka (dir. Mstyslav Chernov | ๐บ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ธ )
- Below the Clouds (dir. Gianfranco Rosi | ๐ฎ๐น )
- The Road to Sydney (dir. Benito Bautista | ๐ต๐ญ )
- The Treasure Hunter (dir. Giacomo Gex | ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ต๐ญ )
- The Voice of Hind Rajab (dir. Kaouther Ben Hania | ๐ซ๐ท ๐น๐ณ ๐บ๐ธ ๐ฌ๐ง ๐จ๐พ ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐น )
Focus On: Sandra Hรผller
A showcase focusing on Sandra Hรผller, spotlighting the extraordinary range of the acclaimed German actress.
- Anatomy of a Fall (dir. Justine Triet | ๐ซ๐ท )
- Requiem (dir. Hans-Christian Schmid |๐ฉ๐ช )
- Toni Ardmann (dir. Jonathan Glazer | ๐ฆ๐น ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ท๐ด )
- Two to One (dir. Maren Ade | ๐ฉ๐ช )
- The Zone of Interest (dir. Jonathan Glazer | ๐ต๐ฑ ๐ฌ๐ง ๐บ๐ธ )
QCinema 2025 screening schedules
QCinema 2025 happens from November 14 to 23, 2025. They've posted the screening schedule on their website, we've screen-grabbed that schedule and pasted it on here so you can view it at one glance.
If in case you can't view it on-the-go on your mobile phones and wanted a ready-to-view document, here's a downloadable PDF.
We also took it upon ourselves to make a nicer browsing experience for all of you plotting your festival itineraries. We built a full Notion database complete with all the details of the films for easier browsing.
Here's a preview of what it looks like:
Access the Notion dashboard by clicking the button below.
QCinema 2025 venues & ticket info
Like in previous years, QCinema 2025 is happening across different theaters in the city, with the most number of theaters screening the films in Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City. The participating theaters include:
- Gateway Cineplex 18, Cinema 11
- Gateway Cineplex 18, Cinema 12
- Gateway Cineplex 18, Cinema 16
- Gateway Cineplex 18, Cinema 18
- AyalaMalls Cinemas Trinoma, Cinema 3
- AyalaMalls Cinema Cloverleaf, Cinema 2
- Robinsons Movieworld Galleria, Cinema 3
- Eastwood Cinemas, Cinema 1
- Fisher Mall Cinemas, Cinema 3
As for tickets, patrons will be pleased to know that QCinema sells tickets at PHP 251 pesos only. Prices can obviously change per theater, but this is what it goes for at least in Gateway.
There's also the QCinephile Festival Badge, a festival pass that comes with screening credit denominations of five, ten, or fifteen films. It also gives you access to "good seats" which are certain rows with optimal viewing angles as well as limited-time advanced online booking. This badge also comes with free QCinema merch. QCinema's QCinephile Festival Badge will set you back from PHP 1,250 to PHP 3,750, depending on the number of credits you want. As of press time, this badge is sold out.