QCinema International Film Festival returns for its 14th edition from November 13 to 22, 2026, with an expansive selection of films from the Philippines and around the world under the banner of Genre’teurs, a curatorial concept exploring the intersection of genre filmmaking and auteur cinema. The festival also continues to celebrate Quezon City’s distinction as one of only two cities in Southeast Asia to have received the designation of UNESCO Creative City of Film.
Leading this year’s lineup is the world premiere of Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw (Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko), the highly anticipated animated feature directed by Mervin Malonzo, which opens the festival with a distinctly Filipino vision of the supernatural, social realities, and the monsters that inhabit both.
Adapted from Julius Villanueva’s comics, Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw follows 12-year-old Ella (voiced by Bianca Umali), a young mambabarang who battles malevolent spirits while confronting the violence and abuses of authority plaguing her community amid the government’s war on drugs. This highly anticipated animated film was awarded the ₱1.5-million QCinema Project Market (QPM) Philippines Co-Production Grant in 2023.
Closing the festival is Look Back, the live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s acclaimed manga, directed by Japanese master filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. Starring Natsuki Deguchi as Fujino and Aju Makita as Kyomoto, the film follows two young artists whose friendship and shared love of drawing shape their lives and creative journeys.
The film premiered in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it won five collateral awards.
Competition Sections
Anchoring QCinema 2026’s Genre’teurs are its competition sections, showcasing emerging Asian filmmakers, bold directorial debuts and second features, LGBTQIA+ stories, and innovative short films from the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
The festival’s main competition, Asian Next Wave, showcases some of the most exciting new voices in Asian cinema. The lineup includes:
1. 9 Temples to Heaven, directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse (Thailand, Norway, France, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Qatar), follows a businessman’s pilgrimage to nine temples after a fortune teller warns him about the imminent death of his mother. The film premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. It was also selected as Thailand’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
2. A Girl Unknown by Zou Jing (China, France) is a coming-of-age drama following a young woman repeatedly uprooted and forced to begin life anew. The film had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the Critics’ Week section where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Gan Foundation Award.
3. Fujiko by Taichi Kimura (Japan) is a female-emancipation drama set in 1970s Japan, portraying a single mother challenging societal expectations. The film achieved massive success on the 2026 festival circuit, winning the Golden Mulberry Audience Award at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, as well as the Nippon Cinema Award at the Nippon Connection Film Festival in Germany.
4. Fruit Gathering by Aung Phyoe (Myanmar, Czechia, France) is a queer drama following a young factory worker in Myanmar as she contemplates her future amid the realities of working life. The film won the Crystal Globe Grand Prix, the highest honor at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
5. Hearing by Lê Bảo (Vietnam, Singapore, Norway, France, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan) is an intimate relationship drama exploring the silence and emotional distance between family members. The film was selected for the International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival.
6. The Burning Giants by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, Singapore, Netherlands) blends social drama with fantasy, using fantastical elements to explore contemporary realities. Previously selected for the 2023 QCinema Project Market, the film made its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the Venice International Film Festival.
7. The World Before by Yoon Da-bi (South Korea) is a coming-of-age drama set on a quiet South Korean island, capturing the uncertainties and emotional transitions of youth. The film received a Special Mention in the Kutxabank-New Directors category at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
8. Completing the Asian Next Wave competition lineup is Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw, an animated fantasy-horror film.
Showcasing fresh perspectives and distinctive storytelling, New Horizons spotlights feature directorial debuts and second films by filmmakers pushing the boundaries of cinema. Competing in this year’s New Horizons are:
1. Angh by Theja Rio (India) is a historical drama set in 1960s Nagaland, following a Konyak family whose commitment to preserving its traditions is challenged by the arrival of a Christian missionary. The film won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
2. Baby Jackfruit, Baby Guava by Nông Nhật Quang (Vietnam, South Korea) is an intimate documentary exploring family, sexuality, neurodivergence, and the silences that shape relationships. The film won a Special Jury Award – Burning Lights Competition at Visions du Réel 2026.
3. Beach Fictions by Lim Ha-yeon (South Korea) is a coming-of-age drama following a young woman’s encounters with romance and strangers in a coastal town. The film competed in the New Currents section of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where it received a Special Mention from the jury.
4. Furies by Rami Kodeih (Lebanon, Brazil) is a crime thriller unfolding against the backdrop of Lebanon’s economic collapse. The film made its global debut at the Venice International Film Festival before screening as a Centrepiece selection at TIFF. It was selected as the official Lebanese entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
5. La Gradiva by Marine Atlan (France, Italy) is a coming-of-age drama exploring the experiences and transitions of young people. The film won the AMI Paris Grand Prize, the top honor at the 2026 Cannes Critics’ Week, and was nominated for the Caméra d’Or and Queer Palm.
6. Sad Girlz by Fernanda Tovar (Mexico, Spain, France) is a coming-of-age drama examining the aftermath of sexual assault and its effects on friendship. The film won the Crystal Bear for Best Film from the Youth Jury and the International Jury Grand Prix in the Generation 14plus section at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).
7. The Color of the Sun by Xavier Tera (Canada, Italy, Japan) is a coming-of-age drama set in Okinawa, where the arrival of an American teenager brings the island’s cultural tensions into the lives of a group of young friends. The film received the FIPRESCI Prize following its premiere in the Orizzonti section of the Venice International Film Festival.
8. We Are Aliens by Kohei Kadowaki (Japan, France) is an animated drama reflecting on childhood friendship and the lasting consequences of seemingly minor events. The film premiered in Directors’ Fortnight (Quinzaine des Cinéastes) at the Cannes Film Festival before advancing to the official competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
QCinema’s LGBTQIA+ section, RainbowQC, presents stories exploring queer identities, relationships, desire, and belonging across different cultures and experiences. The lineup features:
1. Big Little Things by Michelle Zhou (Hong Kong, USA) is a family drama about a woman who returns to her hometown with her girlfriend and asks a male friend to pose as her boyfriend to conceal their relationship from her family. The film was selected for the Orizzonti section of the 2026 Venice International Film Festival.
2. Flesh and Fuel by Pierre le Gall (France, Poland) is a romantic drama about two truck drivers who develop an unexpected connection while navigating the challenges of their profession. The film won the Queer Palm Revelation prize at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
3. I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming by Isabelle Stever (Germany, Ukraine) is a queer war drama following a trans man whose transition unfolds against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It won the Environmental Awareness Award (specifically the youth jury award “The Environment Is Quality of Life”) at the 79th Locarno Film Festival.
4. Jim Queen, directed by Marco Nguyen and Nicolas Athané (France, Belgium), is an animated satire in which a mysterious disease threatens to turn Paris’s gay men straight, prompting a race to save the city’s queer community. It had its world premiere at the Midnight Screenings section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and it won a Silver Audience Award at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
5. Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Italy) is a coming-of-age drama about a shy teenager who discovers desire and questions her beliefs during a trip to Italy with her Catholic school choir. It was awarded the FIPRESCI Jury Award at Berlin’s Perspectives competition and was Slovenia’s entry to the 98th Academy Best International Feature
6. Lovers in the Blue Night by Anuparna Roy (India) is a relationship drama following four people searching for connection in an indifferent Mumbai as their lives intersect in unexpected ways. The film had its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the NETPAC Award.
7. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma by Jane Schoenbrun (Canada, USA, UK) is a horror film about a filmmaker who visits an abandoned camp to recruit a reclusive star, only to uncover something sinister. The film premiered as the opening title of the Un Certain Regard section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Queer Palm.
8. The Riverbank (A Margem do Rio), directed by Matheus Farias and Enock Carvalho (Brazil, Germany), is a queer erotic thriller following a man whose secret encounters take an unexpected turn when he meets a magnetic fisherman. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Locarno Film Festival and emerged as a major winner at the 2026 Festival do Rio.
QCinema’s expanded short film competition program, QCShorts International, pairs the festival’s five QCinema grantees with some of Southeast Asia’s most exciting voices and storytellers working in the short film format, presented across four programs exploring diverse themes, perspectives, and cinematic styles.
Program 1: At Night We Lead Different Lives ventures in the double lives of humans in transactional relationships. Moving between magic realism, horror, fantasy, and national allegory.
1. And If Thuy Didn’t Exist (Et si Thuy n’existait pas) by Carlo Francisco Manatad (Philippines, France, Indonesia) follows an undocumented immigrant navigating a new country through odd jobs and a phone that speaks for her as she searches for connection. It premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it received a Special Mention, and later won Best Live Action Short Film at the Tirana International Film Festival
2. QCShorts grantee Body Works by Maki Makilan (Philippines) follows a laid-off dishwasher who enters a paid romance to survive, only to discover that love demands more than a transaction.
3. Is This Desire? by Apa Agbayani (Philippines, USA) follows an architect surveying a derelict mountain mansion who finds herself haunted by the presence of two strangers. It made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the US.
4. She Said by Ivan Tan (Singapore) follows Ling, whose partner’s marriage proposal prompts her to recount her past as a scam caller, revealing a haunting confession that blurs the line between truth and allegory. It premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and is nominated for Best Live Action Short in the 63rd Golden Horse Awards.
5. Through the Cracks by Le Hoang (Vietnam) is a psychological thriller that follows a soon-to-be groom who hears mysterious, rattling and clicking sounds in his head right before his wedding, sending him into a panic as he confronts a deep internal truth. It will be making its world premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival.
Program 2: A Little Blasphemy Never Hurt Anyone features the most irreverent short films following humans reckoning with faith, body, and desires through their interactions with animals and beasts:
1. Bleat! by Ananth Subramaniam (Malaysia, Philippines, France) follows an elderly Malaysian-Tamil couple who discover that their male goat, destined for ceremonial slaughter, is pregnant, forcing them to choose between their beliefs and their community’s expectations. It won the Queer Palm for Best Short Film at last year’s Cannes Critics Week.
2. Fruit (Buah) by Jen Nee Lim (Singapore) follows a pregnant woman whose repeated attempts to end her pregnancy fail in a place where abortion is illegal, until she encounters a mysterious bus driver. It won the Special Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival earlier this year.
3. QCShorts grantee Run Shirley Run! by Rodiell Veloso (Philippines, Japan, Thailand) follows a suicidal manananggal whose top half wants to die while her bottom half wants to live, setting off chaos when two bumbling aswang hunters and a pair of teenagers interfere with their deadly reunion.
4. The Bovine Comedy by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (France) unfolds in a future where cows have nearly vanished. When a wealthy farmer’s aging bull struggles to reproduce, he turns to a poor worker’s unusual manual technique and finds himself drawn to the man’s hands. It won the Pardino d’oro for Best Auteur Short Film at the Locarno Film Festival earlier this year.
5. The Dream Is a Snail (Giấc mơ là ốc sên) by Thiên Ân Nguyễn (Vietnam, South Korea) follows a struggling young artist who takes an unusual job as a human racetrack in a senior rejuvenation workshop, only to become obsessed with the hypnotic sensation of snails gliding across his skin. It premiered in the main short competition of the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or.
Program 3: All Our Mothers Were Once Girls peel back the unlived lives of four mothers through the eyes of the children around them. Featuring women of all ages from the Philippines and Singapore, this program promises great laughs and many tears:
1. Grandmothering (Gandang Lola) by Kylechandler Bigay (Philippines) follows Amor, a 67-year-old beautician who runs a fading beauty parlor while caring for her grandson. Hoping to feel seen again through a “Gandang Lola” pageant, she must confront her fears and redefine beauty on her own terms. It will make its world premiere at the Leeds International Film Festival before making its Asian premiere at the festival.
2. QCinema grantee Maanaa Kanimo by Toni Cañete (Philippines) follows two sisters who investigate the disappearance of a Mama Mary statue in their community, uncovering questions of identity and morality that can only be resolved through an unexpected kiss.
3. Sana’y Nandito Ka by Clister Santos (Philippines) follows a young man who accompanies his mother on election day, six years after he last saw her, and finds himself spending an unexpected afternoon making peace with the woman who left him behind.
4. The 4PLY Clandestine System by Natalie Sin (Singapore) follows two documentary filmmakers profiling an eccentric tissue peddler whose brittle charm conceals a disturbing secret, forcing them to confront their own morbid curiosity. It made its premiere last year at the Singapore International Film Festival.
And the last QCShorts International program is Program 4: The Mountains Always Ask for More looks at our fraught relationship with nature and the histories it conceals and reveals. In this section are deeply political works from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia:
1. QCShorts grantee Agsangit Laeng ti Al-alia (A Ghost Can Only Howl) by Carla Pulido Ocampo (Philippines) follows a youngherbolario who must wear his absent mother’s clothes and his sister’s resolve to join a revolution his father does not believe in. .
2. Golden Island (Kota Emas) by Arief Budiman (Indonesia, Singapore) follows two videographers who piece together memories and archival footage of Papua, exposing the realities of land exploitation and military subjugation. It made its premiere earlier this year in the Tiger Short Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
3. Incident on the Mountain (Oupatevak Het Tam Phnom) by Savunthara Seng (Cambodia) follows three men connected to a mysterious helicopter crash high in the mountains, as two men climb the slopes and a forest-dwelling shaman recounts ancient rain rituals. It premiered earlier this year at the 2026 Berlinale.
4. Obscura by Timoteus Anggawan Kusno (Indonesia, Netherlands) follows three gallery workers who steal a Mooi Indië landscape painting and drive toward the paradise it promises, only to enter a dreamlike world where colonial imagery and archival ghosts unsettle the myth of a paradise that never truly existed. It premiered earlier this year at the Locarno Film Festival.
5. They Made Monsters by Jaime Morados (Philippines) follows a young boy who has been raised by his monster-hunting father to kill who begins to question where true horrors lie when he hears the human-like cries of the captured creature. It will premiere later this October at the Singapore International Film Festival before making its homecoming in the Philippines.
Exhibition Sections
Complementing the competition lineup are QCinema 2026’s exhibition sections, presenting a diverse selection of acclaimed international films, notable cinematic works, genre titles, and compelling documentaries.
Screen International showcases award-winning and critically acclaimed films from around the world, giving QCinema audiences the opportunity to catch some of the year’s most talked-about titles among cinephiles.
1. A Long Winter by Andrew Haigh (UK, Canada) is a drama set in 1951 Colorado, following a teenager left to endure a harsh winter with his father after his mother suddenly disappears, forcing him to confront questions about identity and his future. The film was officially selected for the Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and New York Film Festival (NYFF).
2. Fatherland by Paweł Pawlikowski (Poland, Germany, France, Italy) is a historical drama following writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika on a road trip through postwar Germany, where they confront the country’s divisions and their own family’s demons. The film won a shared Best Director award at the 79th Cannes Film Festival and was selected as Poland’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
3. Fjord by Cristian Mungiu (Romania, Norway, France, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, USA) is a legal thriller drama about a Romanian family settling in Norway whose hopes of a new life are challenged when their young daughter shows signs of physical abuse, raising difficult questions about culture, parenting, and the values of a progressive society. The film won the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, along with the FIPRESCI Prize, François Chalais Prize, Ecumenical Jury Prize, and Citoyenneté Prize.
4. Makikiraan Po (Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors) by Lav Diaz (Philippines) is a historical drama set in 1617, following a Spanish priest’s colonial mission to build a church in the jungle and the dangerous expedition undertaken by his illegitimate son to transport marble through hostile territory. The film won the Brian Award at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
5. Nowhere to Lay My Eyes (눈 둘 데가 없네) by legendary auteur Hong Sang-soo (South Korea) is a family drama following an experimental filmmaker who visits her family on Jeju Island, where conversations about work, success, and artistic ambition reveal the complexities of pursuing one’s passions. The film won the Pardo for Best Direction for Hong Sang-soo, the Pardo for Best Performance for Kim Min-hee, and the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the 79th Locarno Film Festival.
6. The Beloved by Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain, France) is a psychological family drama about a celebrated filmmaker who casts his estranged daughter in his latest movie, creating an opportunity for the two to confront decades of hurt and attempt to repair their fractured relationship. The film premiered in the official competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival to strong reviews.
7. The Diary of a Chambermaid by Radu Jude (France, Romania) is a drama film about a Romanian maid working for a wealthy French family while longing to reunite with her daughter, exposing the absurdities of bourgeois life through the perspective of an immigrant worker. The film screened at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
8. Vintage Violence by Eugene Kotlyarenko (USA, Japan) is an action-comedy crime thriller about alivestreamer who discovers a cache of vintage denim only to run afoul of the Yakuza when he is lured to Japan to sell the jeans by one of his subscribers.. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
QC Selects is a curated lineup of films selected by QCinema, highlighting powerful stories, distinctive perspectives, and exciting cinematic visions.
1. 11 by Bebe Go (Philippines) is a drama-fantasy set during the COVID-19 lockdown, following a filmmaker who travels to La Union to stay with a friend and begins recording sounds amid the eerie quiet of a tourist town without visitors and the lingering traces of colonial occupation. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival.
2. You Are the Film by Makoto Ueda (Japan) is a science-fiction comedy film about a playwright and a musician who discover they can interact with each other through the films they are watching, until their cinematic worlds begin to merge in unexpected and chaotic ways. The film won the White Raven Award and Audience Award at the 2026 Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and was also selected for the Fantasia International Film Festival.
3. Club Kid by Jordan Firstman (USA) is a comedy-drama about a longtime New York club promoter whose carefree lifestyle is upended when he discovers he has a ten-year-old son and must learn to navigate the challenges of fatherhood. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
4. Fucktoys by Annapurna Sriram (USA) is a dark comedy drama film about a sex worker who believes she is cursed and embarks on a bizarre journey through a decaying town in search of the money needed to break the curse. The film won the Special Jury Award for a Multi-Hyphenate at the SXSW Film Festival and received a Special Jury Mention for the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature at Fantasia.
5. I Grew an Inch When My Father Died by P.R. Monencillo Patindol (Philippines) is a coming of age drama about two brothers whose lives shift dramatically after their abusive father is murdered, as they grapple with grief, conflicting loyalties, and their complicated relationship with the killer’s son. The film premiered in the Bright Future section of the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
6. IBUKU by Eddie Cahyono, is a 2026 Indonesian drama film that depicts the struggles of a mother trying to reach her daughter in Saudi Arabia. The film had its world premiere and competed in the Competition section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival.
7. The Remotes by John Torres (Philippines, USA) is a science-fiction mystery thriller about a grieving detective investigating a series of automobile deaths linked to a mysterious app that appears to take control of its users’ bodies. The film received a QCinema Project Market Co-production Grant during production and premiered internationally at the Toronto International Film Festival.
8. The Tigers (Los Tigres) by Alberto Rodríguez (Spain, France) is a crime thriller about two industrial-diver siblings facing financial hardship who become entangled in a dangerous drug-smuggling scheme after attempting to retrieve packages of narcotics from a tanker. The film won the Jury Award for Best Cinematography at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
9. Completing this section is Look Back by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan), a drama-comedy.
Rediscovery presents landmark films from cinema’s rich history, digitally restored and handpicked by QCinema’s artistic director, celebrating works that continue to shape cinematic storytelling across generations.
1. Amores Perros by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Mexico) is a crime drama that interweaves the lives of a young man pursuing his sister-in-law, a supermodel navigating a new relationship, and a homeless man hiding a dark secret, with a car crash connecting their stories. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Tokyo Grand Prix.
2. Batang West Side by Lav Diaz (Philippines) is a crime drama following a detective investigating the shooting of a Filipino teenager in Jersey City, gradually uncovering the struggles of the community surrounding the victim. This landmark film won 10 Gawad Urian Awards, including Best Picture, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay, and was named Gawad Urian Best Film of the Decade for 2000–2009. It also won Best Film at the Singapore International Film Festival and the Brussels International Festival of Independent Film (Festival International du Film Indépendant de Bruxelles).
3. Patay na si Hesus by Victor Villanueva (Philippines) is a dark comedy following a mother and her children on a road trip from Cebu to Dumaguete to attend the funeral of her estranged husband, where a series of misadventures forces the family to confront its differences. The film won the Audience Choice Award and Gender Sensitive Film Award at the QCinema International Film Festival Circle Competition, followed by the Jury’s Choice Award at Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.
4. Possession by Andrzej Żuławski (France, Germany) is a psychological horror film that blends spy thriller, supernatural horror, and relationship drama as a man investigating his wife’s decision to leave him uncovers increasingly disturbing secrets against the backdrop of Cold War-era West Berlin. It received a Palme d’Or nomination at Cannes and actress Isabelle Adjani won Best Actress.
5. Perfect Blue by Satoshi Kon (Japan) is an animated psychological thriller about a former pop idol transitioning into acting whose life spirals into paranoia and an identity crisis as people around her begin to die. The film won Best Asian Film at the Fantasia International Film Festival and Best Animated Feature Film at both Fantasporto and the B-Movie Film Festival.
As part of the Rediscovery section, Focus On: Pete Lacaba pays tribute to the celebrated Filipino writer and screenwriter
6. Jaguar by Lino Brocka (Philippines) is a crime drama following a security guard who becomes entangled in the violent world of his wealthy employer’s son, only to discover that loyalty offers little protection against the indifference of the powerful. The film made history as the first Filipino film nominated for the Palme d’Or in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980. It also won Best Picture and Best Director at both the FAMAS Awards and the Gawad Urian Awards.
7. Sister Stella L. by Mike de Leon (Philippines) is a political drama about a nun whose work as a counselor leads her to confront social injustice and support striking factory workers fighting for their rights. The film competed for the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival and won multiple Gawad Urian Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress for Vilma Santos, and Best Actor.
Before Midnight brings together bold genre cinema, from action-packed dark comedy and supernatural horror to unsettling mysteries and psychological thrillers.
1. Arrested Memory by SABU (Taiwan, Japan) is an action comedy about a detective who, after a traumatic incident leaves him with amnesia, conceals his condition while investigating the kidnapping of a prominent Japanese businessman, relying on his instincts and martial arts skills to solve the case. It premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
2. Chronovisor by Kevin Walker and Jack Auen (USA) is an armchair mystery in which the life of a reclusive academic collides with the story of a clandestine technology that can photograph the past.The film premiered in the Bright Future section of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and won the Best Film Grand Prize in the International Competition at the Jeonju International Film Festival.
3. I Love Paris by Nicky Murphy (France, USA) is a horror-comedy mockumentary about an aspiring pop star whose ambitions take an unexpected turn after a vampire attack leaves her craving blood, prompting her to recruit her attacker as her manager. The film won the Gold Audience Award for Best International Feature Film at the 30th Fantasia International Film Festival.
4. Moonglow by Isabel Sandoval (Philippines, Japan, Taiwan) is a crime drama with romantic elements, set in 1970s Manila and following a corrupt-weary police detective who steals money from a superior, only to be assigned to investigate her own crime alongside a former lover. The film officially made its global debut in the prestigious Big Screen Competition at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
5. The Unknown (L’inconnue) by Arthur Harari (France, Italy) is a psychological fantasy thriller film following a photographer who wakes up in a woman’s body after taking a mysterious pill, while discovering that another woman now inhabits his own. The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May, where it competed for the Palme d’Or.
Dokyu Days presents documentaries that illuminate true stories from around the world. Titles in this section include;
1. Bomba Bernal by Khavn (Philippines) is an experimental documentary that revisits the bomba films of the 1970s, examining their role as both mass entertainment and artistic resistance during the Marcos dictatorship through a cinematic collage incorporating the writings of National Artist Ishmael Bernal. It celebrated its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR 2025) under the Cinema Regained section
2. I Deserve a Lover Whose Every Rise Sets Fiery Dooms Raging Across the Skies by Mani Haghighi (Iran) is an unconventional documentary following married artists Nasser Bakhshi and Roghayeh Najdi, whose vast collection of found objects, discarded ephemera, and personal photographs preserves fragments of everyday life and Iran’s collective cultural memory amid escalating wartime conflict. The film premiered in the Main Slate of the 64th New York Film Festival.
3. To the Moon and Back by Elisa Gómez Alvarez (Switzerland, Philippines, France, Qatar) is a documentary following two young scientists from the Philippines and Morocco as they attend an intensive astronaut training workshop in Lausanne, Switzerland, confronting institutional barriers while pursuing their shared dream of space exploration. The film had its world premiere at the 57th Visions du Réel International Film Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, where it screened in competition.
4. The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer (La ilusión de un verano sin fin) by Alessandra Sanguinetti (Argentina, USA) is a documentary chronicling the lives of cousins Belinda and Guillermina, whom the photographer began documenting as children, capturing their evolving relationship and coming-of-age experiences in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The film celebrated its world premiere in the Filmmakers of the Present section, where it won the prestigious Golden Leopard (Pardo d’Oro) for the competition, alongside the Swatch First Feature Award.
5. Union Town by Barbara Kopple (USA) is a social-issue documentary following New York City’s last-mile delivery workers over three years as they organize to challenge major corporations and fight for better working conditions, offering a portrait of labor activism in an increasingly unequal economy. The film premiered out of competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
The 14th edition of the QCinema International Film Festival runs from November 13 to 22, 2026, with screenings at Gateway Cineplex 18, Robinsons Movieworld Galleria, Ayala Malls Cinemas TriNoma, Fisher Box Office, and SM Cinema – SM City Fairview. All festival screenings are priced at a discounted ticket rate of ₱200 each.
For more information, visit qcinema.ph or follow @qcinemaph on Facebook, Instagram, and X.