November 9, 2024
The QCinema International Film Festival is already on its 12th year this year. With "The Gaze" as its theme, it wants audiences to look at the human experience from different points of view, all captured and expressed through the medium of film. Running from November 8 to 17 at cinemas in Gateway, Trinoma, Shangri-la Plaza, and Powerplant Mall, this current edition has 55 full-length films and 22 short films, classified into 11 sections.
In contrast with previous inceptions, the opening film this year is not a feature-length film. The organizers have decided to showcase a collection of four short films released under the collective title of "Directors Factory Philippines." The Directors Factory is an initiative of the Cannes Directors Fortnight that began in Taiwan in 2013, working with a chosen partner country to mentor 8 promising directors with their dream projects.
The Philippines was chosen to be the partner country last November 2023. Four young Filipino filmmakers were chosen and partnered with fellow young filmmakers from other Asian countries (Malaysia, India, Cambodia, Singapore) to collaborate on writing and directing their short films, all set in Dapitan City. Their works had their world premiere at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight last May 2024, and now they just had their Philippine premiere.
"Cold Cut" was by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (Philippines) and Siyou Tan (Singapore). Joy (Claire Recososa Guantero) was falling in line to audition for a talent show being held in their neighborhood. However, she kept seeing a mysterious guy she knew as the Butcher (Noriel Tome Obnimaga) seemingly stalking her. This was the most abstract of the four shorts, as the viewer can give it whatever meaning. Personally, not to my liking. 4/10.
"Silig," by Arvin Belarmino (Philippines) and Lomorpich Rithy a.k.a. YoKi (Cambodia), is easily the easiest to connect with emotionally. Mamang (Sylvia Sanchez) was dying of cancer, so she asked her friend Sabina (Angel Aquino) to help her plan her cremation. It had two acclaimed actresses in the leads roles, and they knock the ball out of the park with their charming, bittersweet portrayals of two friends facing the inevitability of death. 8/10.
"Nightbirds." by Maria Estela Paiso (Philippines) and Ashiok Vish (India), stood out because it had animated images of birds integrated with the live images. Ivy (Pokwang) was frustrated that her husband Rody (Arsenio Dagyawan) was losing money at cockfighting. A bird god known as the Tigmamanukan (Bob Jbeili) came down in human form to give Ivy her wings. The message of female empowerment was somewhere in there, but not too clear. 6/10.
"Walay Balay," by Eve Baswel (Philippines) and Gogularaajan Rajendran (Malaysia), had outstanding cinematography by Pao Orendain and music by Bullet Dumas. Yahaira (Shaina Magdayao) and her mother Norayda (Ruby Ruiz) had been displaced out of their homes by the Marawi conflict. Very arthouse in its look and storytelling style, the whole film felt cold and distant. The faces of Magdayao and Ruiz convey their characters' restrained anguish. 6/10
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