That’s a wrap! Concluding QCinema Industry 2025

Asian Next Wave Film Forum Day 2

In its next-day sequel, the November 23 Asian Next Wave Film Forum resumes with a private roundtable on sustaining international co-productions as a filmmaker from Southeast Asia. The special conversation dives deep into one of the industry’s most anticipated programs: La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut Français. Heading this panel is Filipino producer Armi Rae Cacanindin where she invites the Head of La Fabrique Gabrielle Béroff-Gallard, Director Martika Ramirez Escobar, Director Arvin Belarmino, and fellow producers Monster Jimenez and Kristine de Leon. As La Fabrique empowers emerging filmmakers, Béroff-Gallard imparts her knowledge on how to build sustainable careers from local to global. Although La Fabrique does not follow a strict criteria in selecting films, it does search for stories that matter, especially those that are both untold and uniquely told.

Topping off QCinema with a final case study, celebrated Southeast Asian storyteller Bianca Balbuena partners with NEON Head of Design Bianca Parkes to provide an in-depth look at the creative direction of 2025 award-winning picture Anora. From its social campaign to its premiere activations, Director of Anora Sean Baker made sure to present an analogue feel through its promotional materials of posters, micro-website, physical screenplay copies, and even shoes. The team behind the film also ensured that appreciation was shown to honor the community it represented, thus holding a sex worker-only screening to pay homage. “We buy films not because it makes money, we buy films because of the stories”, once again stressing the significance of intention, purpose, and goal. 
 

3, 2, 1, Action! Film workshop galore

Alongside the instructive panels of Southeast Asia filmmaking, QCinema breathes a convention of workshops and masterclasses to bring film techniques accessible to the public. Among these are: a distribution workshop led by Sed Arce as it is the most overlooked stage in filmmaking, a screenwriting masterclass by Satyanshu Singh as he covers the bends of narrative storytelling, a cinematography masterclass taught by Tey Clamor in which she details her techniques when shooting underwater, a programming masterclass by Samuel Javier to show how festival curatorship can open pathways for the evolving voices of film. Passion continues to burn in more seminars, such as in: Micah Fernandez’s virtual production class on how to integrate advanced technology into film development, Eero Francisco’s production design training as he teaches how to craft emotion into visuals, and Franck Priot’s lessons in navigating co-productions with France by detailing the mechanics of European’s film landscape.

 

Quezon City pioneers as a creative trailblazer in local cinema 

As QCinema 2025 comes to an end, Quezon City shines through this year as a UNESCO Creative City of Film at Ibis Styles Manila. Over a decades-long legacy, Executive Director of Quezon City Film Commission (QCFC) Liza Diño shares the innovative journey of the city home to the country’s biggest broadcasting companies, production firms, and film institutes. With Paulo Mercado moderating the unraveling of its tale as a champion of local cinema, Diño reflects with her colleagues Paolo Villaluna, Ed Lejano, Manet Dayrit, Atty. Gio Gomez, and Dr. Ivan Henares. They discussed the current longstanding initiatives that foster creative growth and align with the city’s future plans. Before closing the panel, Diño joins QCFC’s Multimedia Content Producer Jehdediah Francisco to launch the brand new QCinema Industry logo, conceptualized to signify Quezon City’s title as the City of Stars.

A Film City is not only a title to bear, but a commitment to stay true to its name. Atty. Gio Gomez welcomes a panel that helps bring this vision to life:  Lino Cayetano of Rein Entertainment, Avid Liongoren of Rocket Sheep, Marla Rausch of Sikap Animation, Sari Dalena of UP Film Institute, Raia Miranda as the Youth Creative Representative, and Twinky Lagdameo of Symphonic Distribution. Appreciative of the opportunities that Quezon City has opened up to them, they present a new set of challenges in today’s economic landscape. It is not enough that Quezon City is the core of the country’s entertainment industry, they are finding a way to extend that potential across the regions. As AI takes over all forms of media, these trailblazers strive to  keep humans at the forefront of Philippine creativity. 

There is no replacing the hardworking laborers of film. At the FAP Guild Summit, Director General of the Film Academy of the Philippines Paolo Villaluna charts the renewed programmes to establish transparency with the film guilds. The academy is turning their focus on providing guilds with accreditation, grants, subsidies, academy membership, worker policies, and inter-agency support. FAP is raising the standards to enhance the industry into becoming more accountable and unified where every worker is protected and trained.

Channelling the power of the Filipino artist, Quezon City plants shining potential and harvests influential stars. The UNESCO Creative City of Film wears this badge of honor as it encourages and strengthens the national arts. The groundbreaking title was appointed to the city last World Cities Day on October 31, 2025.