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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/QCinema International Film Festival) |
The QCinema Project Market, the official film industry initiative of the QCinema International Film Festival (QCinema), announced the film project winners of its inaugural run in its awarding ceremony held last November 20, 2023 at the Novotel Hotel Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City in conjunction with the QCinema International Film Festival’s 2023 edition. The winners were awarded with monetary support and co-production grants amounting to Php26M in total. Now on its eleventh year, the QCinema International Film Festival goes beyond the screening of some of the best of Filipino and world cinema by enriching the film festival experience with the inauguration of the first QCinema Project Market which aims to provide a hub where talent and opportunities can meet, especially for production and project funding. QPM hosted a two-day networking and pitching event last November 18 to 19, 2023 for 19 feature-length fiction films from Southeast Asia. Film project representatives attended one-on-one meetings with local and international producers and production and post-production company representatives.
The QCinema Project Market concluded with the announcement of the recipients of the project market’s first set of major awards and special grants and awards. Receiving the QCinema Project Market – Philippines Co-production Grant worth around $55,000 (Php3M) each were “The Remotes” from director-producer John Torres and “Filipiñana” by director Rafael Manuel. Two film projects also received the QCinema Project Market – Philippines Co-production Grant worth $27,000 (Php1.5M) each. These are “The Boy and the Fight of Spiders (Diwalwal)” by director Jarell Serencio and “Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw” from the comic book series of the same name, by director Mervin Malonzo. It was the only animation project in the roster. QCinema Project Market – Southeast Asia Co-production Grant worth $35,000 each was given to “The Sea is Calm Tonight” by Vietnamese director Le Bao and two film projects from Singapore — “The Drought” and “Trinity” from directors Nelson Yeo and Boo Junfeng, respectively.
In support of the QCinema Project Market’s goal of encouraging the creation of innovative and globally relevant films and the fostering of synergy in the Southeast Asian region, special awards were given by film industry partners including development and post-production grants. The CMB Discovery Award gave three sets of grants for film equipment rental support. Two projects — “Filipiniana”, one of the project market’s big winners, and “Violet Flower” by director Jerome Zamora received grants worth more than $18,000 each (Php1M) while two Filipino film projects and two Southeast Asian film projects received grants worth $9,000 (Php500,000) each — “A” Chasing “B” from director Dan Villegas and “Hold My Gaze” by director Carlo Catu, and “The Sea is Calm Tonight” and “The Burning Giants” from director Phuttiphong Aroonpheng from Thailand, respectively. Isabel Sandoval’s “Underworld” won the Narra Sight and Sound Post Grant. This award entitles the winner a video post-production of around $18,000 (Php1M) and an audio post-production sponsorship worth $9,000 (Php500,000), for a total post-production package of around $27,000 (Php1.5M).
The winner of the Kongchak Studio Award, “The Drought” from director Nelson Yeo, received an in-kind prize worth $10,000 in sound post-production services to be done in Kongchak’s studios in Cambodia. Malaysia’s “The Fox King” received the Mocha Chai Award. This awards the winner a comprehensive post-production services package, including final grading up to 4K Dolby Vision, final mix up to Dolby Atmos, and DCP delivery, valued at up to $50,000. The Central Digital Lab Color Grading Grant awarded “Tale of the Land” (Indonesia) and “The Sea is Calm Tonight” (Vietnam) a color grading grant worth over $5,500 (Php300,000) each. The Pop Up Film Residency QCinema Award was received by Carlo Catu’s “Hold My Gaze". The film project will be invited to a tailor-made three-week long residency in Paris, France in February 2024 while “RIA”, from director Arvin Bellarmino emerged as the winner of two awards — a development grant worth $3,600 (Php200,000) from CreaZion Studios, and a sponsored 10-day color grading package worth $25,000 from Singapore’s Space Lion Studios.
QCinema Artistic Director Ed Lejano shares his hope of having the QCinema Project Market as a regular part of the yearly international film festival, stating, “QCinema Project Market has been met with warm welcome and overwhelming interest from the country and the region and we hope to be able to continue this as an annual integral program inside QCinema. This event holds so much potential and promise for our projects and decision makers alike and we are glad to bring everyone together this year.” QCinema Project Market Managing Director Liza Diño-Seguerra expressed her excitement about the success of QCinema’s most recent addition of a project market, commenting, “We are so happy to have concluded the very first QPM with a very successful slate of projects and the overwhelming support of partners, funders, and collaborators. With this, we believe that the project market will continue to play an integral role in facilitating cross-border collaborations and co-production opportunities among Filipino, Southeast Asian, and international filmmakers.” The finalists were selected from almost 70 film submissions from across the Southeast Asian (SEA) region. The networking event aims to support films at the development level and foster cross-border collaborations and co-production opportunities among Filipino, Southeast Asian, and international filmmakers, consistent with QCinema International Film Festival’s commitment to providing a platform for strong and creative voices in film.
