Manila, Philippines – Nagbabalik ang QCinema International Film Festival 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.
Ang nasabing festival ay pinagpapatuloy ang celebration ng 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 P1.5-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.
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.
Ang ilan sa mga lineup includes:
1. 9 Temples to Heaven, directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse (Thailand, Norway, France, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Qatar)
2. A Girl Unknown by Zou Jing
3. Fujiko by Taichi Kimura (Japan)
4. Fruit Gathering by Aung Phyoe (Myanmar, Czechia, France)
5. Hearing by Lê Bảo (Vietnam, Singapore, Norway, France, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan)
6. The Burning Giants by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, Singapore, Netherlands)
7. The World Before by Yoon Da-bi (South Korea)
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)
2. Baby Jackfruit, Baby Guava by Nông Nhật Quang (Vietnam, South Korea)
3. Beach Fictions by Lim Ha-yeon (South Korea) l
4. Furies by Rami Kodeih (Lebanon, Brazil)
5. La Gradiva by Marine Atlan (France, Italy)
6. Sad Girlz by Fernanda Tovar (Mexico, Spain, France)
7. The Color of the Sun by Xavier Tera (Canada, Italy, Japan)
8. We Are Aliens by Kohei Kadowaki (Japan, France)
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)
2. QCinema grantee Maanaa Kanimo by Toni Cañete (Philippines)
3. Sana’y Nandito Ka by Clister Santos (Philippines)
4. The 4PLY Clandestine System by Natalie Sin (Singapore)
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.
Ang kumpletong information ng lineup ay nasa qcinema.ph. JP Ignacio
