Your Guide To The QCinema International Film Festival 2025

From Oscar-contending international hits to emerging voices from the Philippines and beyond, this year’s festival promises a jam-packed cinematic experience.

QCinema once again highlights Quezon City’s pivotal role in both the history and present of Philippine cinema as it unveils the full lineup for the QCinema International Film Festival 2025. Under this year’s theme, “Film City,” the 13th edition of the festival brings together the best of world cinema, presenting over 80 films across nine full-length sections and five short film programs. 

Many selections explore the art of filmmaking itself: cinema about cinema, stories about storytellers, and the transformative power of moving images in reshaping our perspective on the world. The festival’s opening film, Couture by Alice Winocour (starring Angelina Jolie), sets the tone for this, following an American filmmaker who arrives in Paris for Fashion Week. 

READ ALSO: QCinema Industry 2025 Expands Its Horizons 

Competition Sections

At the heart of QCinema’s lineup are its competition sections. This includes its main competition, the Asian Next Wave, which spotlights powerful new voices from across Asia. Then there’s RainbowQC: a platform for queer perspectives that challenge, inspire, and expand cinematic narratives. New Horizons showcases debut and second features that push the boundaries of global cinema, while QCShorts International highlights emerging Southeast Asian directors working in the short film format.

Asian Next Wave

Competing in the Asian Next Wave are the following titles, the winner set to be the festival’s closing film. 

• A Useful Ghost by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (Thailand, France, Singapore, Germany) — Grand Prix, Cannes Critics Week 2025 and Thai Entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards
• Diamonds in the Sand by Janus Victoria (Japan, Malaysia, Philippines) — White Mulberry Award for Best Debut Film, Udine Far East Film Festival 2025
• Family Matters by Pan Ke-yin (Taiwan) — Southeast Asian premiere; Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film, New York Asian Film Festival
• Ky Nam Inn by Leon Le (Vietnam) — Southeast Asian premiere
• Lost Land by Akio Fujimoto (Japan, France, Malaysia, Germany) — Southeast Asian premiere; Special Jury Prize in the Venice Horizons section of the 2025 Venice Film Festival
• Luz by Flora Lau (China, Hong Kong) — Nominee for Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema – Dramatic) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
• Open Endings by Nigel Santos (Philippines)— Southeast Asian premierel Best Ensemble Performance at the 21st Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
• Renoir by Chie Hayakawa (Japan) — Nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
• The World of Love by Yoon Ga-Eun (South Korea) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of the Roberto Rossellini Award: Jury Award and the Audience Award at the Pingyao International Film Festival

RainbowQC

• 3670 by Park Joon-Ho (South Korea) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of Best Actor Prize, Disruption Support Prize, CGV Award, and the WAtcha’s Award at the Jeonju International Film Festival
• Bel Ami by Geng Jun (France, Taiwan) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Leading Actor, and Best Narrative Feature (Audience Choice Award) at the Golden Horse Awards
• On the Road by David Pablos (Mexico) — Asian premiere; Winner of the Queer Lion and the Venice Horizons Award at the 81st Venice International Film Festival
• Skin of Youth by Ash Mayfair (Vietnam, Singapore, Japan) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of Special Jury Award at the 24th New York Asian Film Festival
• Strange River by Jaume Claret Muxart (Spain, Germany) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of the Golden Puffin at the 22nd Reykjavik International Film Festival
• Summer’s Camera by Divine Sung (South Korea) — Winner of the Wavemaker Award Grand Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival
• The Little Sister by Hafsia Herzi (France, Germany) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of the Queer Palm and the Best Actress prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
• The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo by Diego Céspedes (Chile) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of the Un Certain Regard Award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and Chile’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards

New Horizons

• Amoeba by Siyou Tan (Singapore, Netherlands, France, Spain, South Korea) — Winner of Cinephilia Critics’ Award and Youth Jury Award at the Pingyao International Film Festival
• Blue Heron by Sophy Romvari (Canada, Hungary, USA) — Winner of the Swatch First Feature Award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival and Best Canadian Discovery Award at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival
• Brand New Landscape by Danzuka Yuiga (Japan) — Southeast Asian premiere; World premiere in the Director’s Fortnight section at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
• Chronology of Water by Kristen Stewart (USA, France, Latvia) — Southeast Asian premiere; World Premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival
• DJ Ahmet by Georgi Unkovski (North Macedonia, Czechia, Serbia, Croatia) — Southeast Asian premiere; Winner of World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award and Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
• Lucky Lu by Lloyd Lee Choi (Canada, USA) — Southeast Asian premiere; World premiere in the Director’s Fortnight section at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
• Manas by Marianna Brennand (Brazil, Portugal) — Asian premiere; Winner of the Director’s Award at the Giornate degli Autori section of the 81st Venice International Film Festival
• On Your Lap by Reza Rahadian (Indonesia) — KB Vision Audience Award and FIPRESCI Award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival
• The President’s Cake by Hasan Hadi (Iraq, USA, Qatar) — World premiere at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2025; Winner of the Audience Award and Caméra d’Or; Iraq’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards

QCShorts International 

The QCShorts International competition lineup is made up of 21 short film titles, six of which are making their world premieres, having received the QCShorts 2025 grant earlier this year. 

• “Hoy, Hoy, Ingat!” (Hey, Hey, Take Care!) by Norvin de los Santos (Philippines) — World Premiere, QCinema grantee
• “Ours Was A Timeless Night Burning” by Lauviah Caliboso (Philippines) — World Premiere, QCinema grantee
• “RUNO!” by Racquel “Lysa” Catolico and Jazmine Gin Pateña (Philippines)  — World Premiere, QCinema grantee
• “Si Kara: Ang Babaye Nga Nag Daba-Daba” (Kara: The Burning Woman) by Dale (Philippines) — World Premiere, QCinema grantee
• “Surface Tension” by The Serrano Sisters (Philippines) — World Premiere, QCinema grantee
• “Yelo” by Gab Rosique (Philippines) — World Premiere, QCinema grantee
• “A Metamorphosis” by Lin Htet Aung (Myanmar) — Winner of Tiger Short Award at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025; Official Selection: Currents at New York Film Festival
• “Agapito” by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero (Philippines, France) — World premiere at Cannes Film Festival; Honorable Mention at Toronto International Film Festival
• “As If To Nothing” by Pek Jia Ho and Ang Jia Jung (Singapore)
• “Baby Fat” by Margarita Mina (Philippines, USA) — World Premiere; 2025 National Board of Review Student Grant Winner
• “Before the Sea Forgets” by Lê Ngọc Duy (Singapore) — World premiere at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2025; Official Selection at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Queer Lisboa, and Chéries-Chéris
• “Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites” by Chheangkea (Cambodia, France, USA) — Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction at Sundance Film Festival; Best Queer Short Award at Provincetown International Film Festival
• “Honey, My Love, So Sweet” by JT Trinidad (Philippines) — World premiere at Locarno Film Festival
• “In the Valley” by Lim Han Loong (Malaysia) — World premiere at Busan International Film Festival
• “Little Rebels Cinema Club” by Khozy Rizal (Indonesia) — Crystal Bear for Best Short Film (Children’s Jury Generation Kplus) at Berlinale; Best Live Action Short at Raindance Film Festival
• “My Plastic Mother” by Amar Haikal (Indonesia) — World premiere at Leeds International Film Festival
• “Please P(r)ay Attention” by Vasupol Suwanjuta (Thailand) — World premiere at Busan International Film Festival
• “Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts” by Rein Maychaelson (Indonesia) — World premiere at Berlinale; Krakow Silver Dragon Award; NYAFF Honorable Mention; Concorto Jury Special Award
• “Visiting Heaven Gate” by Nghiêm Quỳnh Trang (Vietnam, Czech Republic) — Special Mention at ShorTS International Film Festival
• “Vox Humana” by Don Josephus Eblahan (Philippines, USA, Singapore) — World premiere at Toronto International Film Festival; Winner of Silver Wolf for Best Short Film at Festival de Nouveau Cinema; Gold Hugo for Best Live Action Short Film at Chicago IFF; Student Jury Prize (Best International Film) at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival; Best Performance at Singapore IFF; Kurrak Grand Jury Prize; Best International Short Award at Odense IFF
• “When the Blues Goes Marching In” by Beny Kristia (Indonesia) — Minikino Film Week Best National Competition Award

Exhibition Sections

Completing the lineup are QCinema’s Exhibition Sections, which showcase the breadth and diversity of world cinema. 

The Screen International section, one of the festival’s most anticipated, features acclaimed titles fresh from the global festival circuit. Before Midnight offers stories of the uncanny, the mysterious, and the extraordinary, while Rediscovery brings timeless masterpieces back to the big screen for a new generation. QC Selects features a selection of exciting new films for cinema lovers of all stripes, and the QCShorts International (Exhibition) spotlights the world’s innovative auteurs working within the short film format.

Making its debut this year is Dokyu Days, QCinema’s new non-fiction showcase dedicated to powerful and thought-provoking documentaries. Fans of acclaimed German actress Sandra Hüller—who gave an unforgettable performance in 2023’s Anatomy of a Fall—can look forward to an extraordinary selection of works showcasing the actress’s range in Focus On: Sandra Hüller, co-presented with the Goethe-Institut Manila.

Screen International

• Couture by Alice Winocour (USA) — opening film
• Divine Comedy by Ali Asgari (Iran, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey) 
• Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch (USA, Italy, France, Ireland, Germany)  — Golden Lion winner, Venice Film Festival 2025
• Hamnet by Chloé Zhao (USA, UK) — Winner of the People’s Choice Award at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival
• History of Sound by Oliver Hermanus (UK, USA, Sweden)
• Little Amélie by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han (Belgium) — Winner of the Audience Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival
• Once Upon a Time in Gaza by Tarzan and Arab Nasser (Palestine, France) — Winner of Best Director at the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival
• Sirat by Oliver Laxe (Spain, France) — Jury Prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and Spain’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film
• The Mastermind by Kelly Reichardt (USA)
• The Portuguese House by Avelina Prat (Spain, Portugal)
• The Things You Kill by Alireza Kahatami (Turkey, Canada, France, Poland) — Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival and Canada’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards

Before Midnight

• The Garden of Earthly Delights by Morgan Knibbe (Netherlands, Philippines, Belgium) — Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Editing at the Netherlands Film Festival
• Rabbit Trap by Bryn Chainey (USA, UK)
• Ugly Stepsister by Emilie Blichfeldt (Norway, Poland, Sweden, Denmark)

Rediscovery 

• Almost Famous by Cameron Crowe (USA)
• Linda Linda Linda by Nobuhiro Yamashita (Japan)
• Showgirls by Paul Verhoeven (USA)

QC Selects

• Call My Manager by Erik Matti (Philippines) — The first two episodes of the series set to stream on HBO Max
• Human Resource by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (Thailand) — Premio Fondazione Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente Award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival
• Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus by Arjanmar Rebeta and Jeffrey Jeturian (Philippines)
• Rental Family by Hikari (USA/Japan)
• Shadow Transit by Pedring Lopez (Philippines)
• The Kings of the World by Laura Mora Ortega (Colombia, Luxembourg, France, Mexico, Norway) — Golden Shell for Best Picture at the 70th San Sebastián International Film Festival
• The Richest Woman in the World by Thierry Klifa (France, Belgium) — Nominee for the Queer Palm at the 78th Cannes Film Festival

Dokyu Days

• Below the Clouds by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy) —  Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival
• 10s Across the Borders by Sze-Wei Chan (Philippines, Singapore, Germany)
• The Road to Sydney by Benito Bautista (USA)
• Treasure Hunter by Giacomo Gex (USA)
• The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia, France, USA) — Winner of the Silver Lion at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and the Tunisian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards
• 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov (Ukraine, United States) — Premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and the Ukrainian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards

Focus On: Sandra Hüller 

• Requiem by Hans-Christian Schmid (Germany)
• The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer (UK, Poland, USA) — Cannes 2023 Grand Prix, Best International Feature; and Best Sound at the 2024 Academy Awards
• Toni Erdmann by Maren Ade (Germany, Austria, Monaco, Romania, France, Switzerland, Belgium) — FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes 2016; Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2017 Academy Awards
• Two to One by Natja Brunckhorst (Germany)
• Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet (France)  — Palme d’Or and the Palm Dog Award Cannes 2023; Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards

QCShorts International (Exhibition) 

• “A Very Straight Neck” by Neo Sora (Japan, China) — Best Auteur Short Film at the Locarno Film Festival 2025
• “An Orange from Jaffa” by Mohammed Almughanni (Palestine, Poland) — 2025 Oscar Shortlist and Grand Prix International Competition at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
• “God is Shy” by Jocelyn Charles (France) — World Premiere at La Semaine dela Critique of Cannes Film Festival 2025
• “Razeh-del” by Maryam Tafakory (Iran, UK, Italy) — Nominee of the European Film Award and Winner of the Junior Jury Award (Pardi di Domani section) at the Locarno Film Festival
• “We Were the Scenery” by Christopher Radcliff (USA, Canada) — Winner of Prix du jury du court métrage: Documentaire at the Sundance Film Festival and winner of Short Dox Award at Dokufest

QCinema International Film Festival runs from November 14 to 23, 2025, with screenings at Gateway, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood, Trinoma, Fishermall, and Cloverleaf. Tickets are priced at ₱250. For festival updates, visit qcinema.ph. 

Photos courtesy of Kinorium (unless specified).