News

QCinema Project Market (Qpm) wrapped this weekend with an awards ceremony in which cash prizes and in-kind services worth $442,000 were handed out to projects from the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia.

The event is part of an expanding roster of industry programs at QCinema International Film Festival (November 8-17), one of the Philippines’ major film gatherings, hosted by Quezon City, which is the largest city within the vast metropolitan area of Metro Manila.

While the festival has been running for 12 years, Qpm (November 14-16) was holding its second edition this year, and was joined by the launch of Asian Next Wave Film Forum, a series of panel discussions, masterclasses and case studies of regional co-productions.

Qpm selected 20 projects, including 13 from the Philippines and seven from the rest of Southeast Asia. Winning projects included Myanmar-Indonesia co-production The Beer Girl In Yangon and upcoming works from Filipino filmmakers Martika Ramirez Escobar,...

The QCinema Project Market, the industry platform of the Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival, wrapped its second edition with grants and co-production support distributed across multiple projects from the region.

Three Filipino projects secured the market’s top Philippine Co-Production Grant of $34,000 each: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Anak Alon” (Daughters of the Sea), Eve Baswel’s “Bato Bato Sa Langit, Ang Tamaan Magagalit” (Heaven Help Us), and Sonny Calvento’s “Inahing Baka” (Mother Maybe).

The Myanmar-Indonesia co-production “The Beer Girl in Yangon,” helmed by Sein Lyan Tun, scored the Southeast Asia Co-Production Grant worth $17,000. Additional co-production grants of $12,000 each went to Singapore’s “Other People’s Dreams” from Daniel Hui and Malaysia’s “The Passport” from Ananth Subramaniam.

Joel Ruiz’s “Angel De Dios” landed the Mocha Chai Award, which includes post-production services valued at $50,000. Kenneth Dagatan’s “Molder” picked up the Kongchak Studio Award, securing sound post-production services worth...

The next film by leading Asian director Brillante Mendoza and the directorial debut of New York Asian Film Festival director Samuel Jamier adorn the 2025 production slate of Philippines label Fire and Ice Media.

The company is headed by Liza Diño-Seguerra, a former actor and previous head of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. The company’s recent collaborations include a minority stake in Nicole Midori Woodford’s “Last Shadow at First Light” that premiered at the San Sebastian festival, and co-production “Blue Imagine,” by Urara Matsubayashi which had its world premiere at the Rotterdam festival.

Mendoza’s project “Cocoon” is a story inspired by the director’s relationship with his daughter and was written by Rocky Fajardo and Angel Mendoza. The film follows a Philippines American veterinarian and her African American fiancé as they navigate the intersections of family, culture, and identity. French producer Raphael Gindre, known for “Funny Birds” and “We the Coyotes,...

Netflix has purchased the Asia Pacific distribution rights to the film “Crosspoint” at the recent Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan, South Korea. The co-production between the Philippines and Japan stars prominent actors from both countries and tells a compelling story that spans their nations.

“Crosspoint” features Carlo Aquino, a renowned Filipino actor, and Emmy nominee Hira Takehiro of Japan. It follows Manuel Hidalgo, a former famous Filipino actor struggling in his career who relocates to Japan. He works performing illegally in Filipino pubs to earn money. His path crosses with Shigeru, a bankrupt Japanese construction manager in his 50s. Their difficult circumstances lead them to team up to hunt a serial killer for the reward, setting up a tense drama exploring moral complex themes.

Fire and Ice Media brokered the deal between Netflix and the film’s producers. Liza Diño-Seguerra of Fire and Ice said acquiring the rights for...

Philippines-based Fire and Ice Media has sold Asia Pacific rights for Donie Ordiales’ “Crosspoint” to Netflix. The film will stream after its Oct. 16 theatrical release in the Philippines.

The deal was struck at the recently-concluded Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm), adjacent to the Busan International Film Festival.

The film stars award-winning Philippines actor Carlo Aquino (“Whispers in the Wind”) and Japan’s Hira Takehiro, Emmy nominated for his performance in “Shogun.” It follows Manuel Hidalgo (Aquino), once a famous Filipino actor, who moves to Japan after a career slump to survive by performing illegally in Filipino pubs. He meets Shigeru (Hira), a construction manager in his 50s who recently went bankrupt due to unpaid debts. Both men are desperate to change their lives. One day, they see a news report about a serial killer on the run—someone Manuel recognizes. Seeing a chance to solve their problems, they track down...

For his latest work, Mikhail Red decided to focus on the world of Esports, which is becoming quite big in the Philippines. Based on the Filipino-designed shooter game, “Project Xandata” “Friendly Fire” also features Mlbb esports host Mara Aquino, cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao, and esports shoutcasters Rogyn “Osiris” Manansala and Aaron Paul Paragas “Burrito” Gaddi, in an effort to acquaint the ones who aren’t familiar with the particular world and to add some appeal to the ones already invested in it.

Friendly Fire is screening at Hawai’i International Film Festival

Filipino team Isla has recently lost their star player, who was signed by a Korean team, leaving their CEO Sonya Wilson in despair, as the two players that remain are definitely on a lower level. One night, though, as they are practicing, they stumble upon a player who kills both in the game with one shot, becoming an overnight sensation.

Haunted By Recurring Apparitions, A Young Girl Embarks On A Supernatural Journey To A Tsunami-ravaged Japan In Search Of Her Mother In This Poignant Drama About Love And Loss

The New Director's Award-nominee At San Sebastian Makes Its North American Premiere On SVOD Service Indiepix Unlimited On September 13, 2024

Synopsis

Haunted by recurring apparitions, sixteen-year-old Ami (Mihaya Shirata) embarks on a supernatural journey from Singapore to Japan in search of her mother who went missing during a cataclysmic tsunami. Upon her arrival in Tokyo, she meets Isamu (Masatoshi Nagase), her cynical taxi-driving uncle, who becomes her custodian and reluctant guide through the ravaged landscape and her family's dark past.

Set against the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami and shot mostly in Rikuzentakata, a city almost wiped out during the tsunami, Last Shadow At First Light is a “post-apocalyptic story of survivors' trauma” (The Film Verdict) that reckons with lingering family trauma.

Philippines auteur Brillante Mendoza’s film “Pula” has set a world premiere on Netflix.

The narrative unfolds in the devoutly Catholic town of Pula and examines themes of faith, fanaticism, and vigilante justice.

In the film, the tranquil life of Senior Master Sergeant Danilo Faraon (Coco Martin) and his family get upended by a tragic event that shakes the foundations of their close-knit community. A teenage girl’s murder propels Faraon into a vortex of deception, betrayal and guilt, leading him down a path of retribution against those he perceives to have wronged him and the townsfolk of Pula.

The cast also includes Julia Montes, Raymart Santiago, Lotlot De Leon, Alan Paule, Elizabeth Oropesa, Christine Bermas, Ina Alegre and Vince Rillon.

Mendoza, who won best director at Cannes in 2009 for “Kinatay,” is a festival regular and continues to explore societal issues via his films.

“The premiere of ‘Pula’ on Netflix...

Masterclasses

The Philippines’ Quezon City Film Commission (Qcfc) is teaming with European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (Eave) to launch the first Eave marketing masterclasses, which aims to bolster the region’s burgeoning film industry and its active participation in the global market. The initiative will select 30 Filipino and Asian producers and film industry professionals who wish to advance their careers and enhance their professional experiences. Interested applicants must be willing to cover all related flight travel requirements and accommodations for their visit to the Philippines.

Luxembourg-based Eave is a professional training, project development and networking organization for audiovisual producers. The masterclasses align with the Qcfc’s QC Screen Academy program, which aims to provide training for aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals, develop local talents, discover creative storytellers and upskill the local workforce to be more globally competitive.

“While Filipino and Southeast Asian filmmakers are renowned for their compelling and daring narratives, there...

Tatino Films, a French production and consultancy company involved in industry events in Asia and Europe, has teamed with Kazakhstan-based Alternativa Film Project and the Philippines’ QCinema Project Market for three film residencies.

The partnership will yield two Pop Up film residencies called the Pop Up Alternativa Awards for filmmakers from Central Asia and one Pop Up Qcfc (Quezon City Film Commission) x QCinema Award for Southeast Asian filmmakers to develop their upcoming film projects.

Launched by Tatino Films in 2019, the Pop Up Film Residency is an international network of residencies for feature film projects that works with the likes of Cannes, Eurimages, Brazil’s BrLab and the Doha Film Institute among others. Recent films developed at the Pop Up include “Slow” and “Stepne”.

The Alternativa Film Project and the QCinema Project Market were both launched in September this year. Backed by tech company inDrive, the Alternativa Film Project is...

New Philippines anime franchise “Solemn Vow” has set several partnerships across the Southeast Asian region.

Conceptualized as an anime series with a strategy for spinoffs into manga, games, music and merchandise, the franchise, created by Lawrence Panganiban, has formed partnerships with Philippines-based Enigma Kai and media startup Fire and Ice, and Singapore-based companies Anito Studios and Silver Media, in collaboration with Japanese animation giant Toei Animation Phils., Inc., which will handle production. Veteran music producer Alexander Lim will be consulting on the opening theme for the series.

The 13-episode anime series built around a fictional universe of magic and mystical creatures follows super powered spouses, Cef and Lia, who try to fix their marriage after the death of their young son. But their struggles worsen as their mercenary work leads them to a war between two tropical island nations, unleashing a serpent god that may destroy the world.

Panganiban, said:...

Some twenty aspiring film projects have been selected to participate in the inaugural edition of the Qcinema Project Market (Nov. 18-19) that this year represents and expansion of the QCinema Film Festival in The Philippines’ Quezon City.

The selected titles include development projects by several of East Asia’s better known independent and art-house directors and projects. Among them is “Filipinana,” which on Tuesday collected three prizes at Busan’s Asian Project Market. Another is “Fox King,” by well-established Malaysian filmmaker Woo Ming Jing, which will also travel to the Tokyo Gap Financing Market. Also lining up is established Singapore filmmaker Boo Junfeng and producer partner Raymond Phathanavirangoon with “Trinity.”

The 20 selected projects are vying for over $400,000 in grants and prizes, including a $35,000 co-production grants for Southeast Asian projects and $50,000 for Filipino projects.

“From an impressive submission of sixty five projects from all over the region, these selected projects really...

The QCinema International Film Festival in the Philippines has beefed up its industry program by introducing a project market strand, QCinema Project Market (Qpm). It acts as a networking and funding platform for Filipino and Southeast Asian projects in advanced development.

With the support of the Quezon City Film Development Commission (Qcfdc) and the Quezon City local government, Qpm will award over $300,000 in grants to selected projects.

To be eligible, the director must have at least a draft of the full script of a feature-length fiction film project, and the film must not yet be completed by the time QCinema 2023 commences and must not yet be fully financed. Southeast Asian directors with at least one short feature film may apply. Deadline for submissions is Sept. 15.

“In recent times, this region has showcased remarkable advancements in its cinematic endeavors, boasting production values that rival international benchmarks. This is clearly evident in...

Recently-established Philippines-based production and financing company, Fire and Ice, has deals to provide completion funding to two films being produced by prolific Singapore-based independent producer Potocol. Under a related agreement, Fire and Ice has also struck a multi-faceted first-look deal with Potocol.

The completion funding, which gives Fire and Ice a share of the film’s equity, will permit the completion of post-production of upcoming Potocol titles: “Pierce,” a sports drama by Nelicia Low, and “Last Shadow at First Light,” by Nicole Midori Woodford. Both films were recently showcased at Focus Asia’s Far East In Progress, part of the Far East Film Festival in Udine, and are expected to be completed before the end of the year.

The first-look agreement covers titles on Potocol’s slate including a project by Rafael Manuel, winner of a Silver Bear in Berlin in 2020 for his short film “Filipinana,” and another by cinematographer...

Hollywood producer Scott M. Rosenfelt has joined Filipino TV crime-action series, “Sellblock,” as U.S.-based Blue Fox Entertainment joins as the show’s sales and distribution representative.

Planned as a three-season series, “Sellblock” chronicles the activities of one of Asia’s biggest drug empires which is operating from inside a Philippines maximum-security prison. Production is scheduled to start in May.

The cast is headlined by Jericho Rosales alongside actors Empoy Marquez, Ronnie Lazaro, Mon Confiado, Sylvia Sanchez, and Ria Atayde.

The show is produced by Philippines-based BlackOps Studios Asia, headed by Pedring Lopez. Lopez will direct all eight episodes of the first season.

“Pedring and I are very pleased to expand upon our growing relationship with Blue Fox Entertainment’s executives, Audrey Delaney and Lisa Gutberlet with ‘SellBlock,’ as we are already involved together in two feature projects, ‘CounterPlay’ and ‘Gi’,” said Rosenfelt. “We appreciate their standing in the...

Filmmakers in the Philippines will no longer have to pay back production grants received from Film Philippines, the organization also known as Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp), it was revealed at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market on Saturday.

“The Film Philippines incentives and grants are the same, and the benefits that you can get and the percentages of cash rebate that you can get, they’re still the same. The only difference is it’s now non-recoupable funds, meaning that the beneficiary does not need to return any of the funds that they receive,” David Fabros, officer in charge, office of the executive director at the Fdcp told Variety.

The Philippines has multiple incentives including the Film Location Incentive Program, the International Co-Production Fund and the Asean Co-Production Fund.

The new chair and CEO of Fdcp, Tirso S. Cruz III, who took over from Liza Dino, said...

A heavyweight producers panel discussed the modalities of producing independent films in Southeast Asia at a mylab panel on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival on Thursday.

Panelists included: Liza Diño, former chair of Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp) who had greenlit several films during her tenure; Indonesia’s Yulia Evina Bhara, producer of Venice-winner “Autobiography” that’s also playing at Busan; Thailand’s Donsaron Kovitvanitcha, producer of Locarno and Busan title “Arnold is a Model Student,”; and Malaysia’s Haris Sulong, producer of “Beautiful Mind.” The discussion was moderated by Variety Asia editor Patrick Frater.

Bhara said that the entry of giant global streamers into the region has had a positive effect on the quality of productions and has also driven up budgets. Where once 100,000 was considered a high budget for independent films, now they can touch 900,000-1 million, Bhara said. Much of the funding...

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap will be serving as directing mentor along with fellow filmmakers Anthony Chen, Ifa Isfansyah, Joko Anwar and Ho Yuhang, for the ongoing Malaysian Development Lab for Fiction Feature Films (mylab) initiative at the Busan International Film Festival.

The directing mentors will work with the filmmakers of mylab and participate in conversations and exchanges on cinema and filmmaking, reports Variety.

An incubator programme for scriptwriters, directors, producers to work on developing scripts and film projects under lectures and the guidance of regional and international experts in scriptwriting, directing, producing, distribution, and markets and festivals, mylab focuses on projects at an early stage of development, with a team of scriptwriter, director and/or producer attached, targeted at regional or international audiences.

According to Variety, the programme is supported by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas). Other partners include Singapore Film Commission, Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp...

Celebrated filmmakers Anthony Chen (“Wet Season”), Anurag Kashyap (“Dobaaraa”), Ifa Isfansyah (“Losmen Bu Broto”), Joko Anwar (“Impetigore”) and Ho Yuhang (“The Ghost Bride”) are serving as directing mentors for the ongoing Malaysian Development Lab for Fiction Feature Films (mylab) initiative at the Busan International Film Festival.

The directing mentors will work with the filmmakers of mylab and participate in depth conversations and exchanges on cinema and filmmaking.

An incubator program for scriptwriters, directors, producers to work on developing scripts and film projects under lectures and the guidance of regional and international experts in scriptwriting, directing, producing, distribution, and markets and festivals, mylab focuses on projects at an early stage of development, with a team of scriptwriter, director and/or producer attached, targeted at regional or international audiences.

The program is supported by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas). Other partners include Singapore Film Commission, Film Development Council of the Philippines...

Developing Situation

New president of the Philippines Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday swore in a swath of new officials at government agencies. Among them, veteran actor Tirso Cruz III, was appointed as chair and chief executive of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp). He replaces Liza Dino Seguerra who has held the post for the past four years. In a Facebook posting, Seguerra said that she had not been officially informed of her replacement, but that nevertheless she would ensure a smooth transition.

Commissions

The BBC has commissioned independent production company Zig Zag to make “Football Academy,” a soccer documentary series following the young players and staff of the academy at Southampton Football Club, which will air this fall in the countdown to the 2022 soccer World Cup in Qatar. The 15×30’ series, for Cbbc, was filmed during the 2021/22 season and will track the highs and lows of key characters at the academy,...

Lab aims to hold residential workshop in the Philippines in April with an online follow-up in September during the Philippine Film Industry Month.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp) and French production and consulting firm Tatino Films are partnering on a new three-year cycle (2022-2024) of the Full Circle Lab Philippines for film professionals from the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Launched in 2019, the project and talent development programme aims to nurture and develop Filipino and Southeast Asian projects with global potential. So far more than 100 film professionals and 48 film projects (32 in development and 16 in post-production) have moved through the lab.

The journey from franchise to a competition slot at the Venice Film Festival to HBO series was the subject of Thursday’s Venice Production Bridge conference, “From the Philippines to the World: The ‘On the Job’ Franchise and Exploring New Ways of Global Content Distribution.”

In good spirits in a market cocktail that followed on Thursday evening, Erik Matti, the director of “On the Job: The Missing 8,” as his new film is called, told Variety how he got to keep his film at three hours and 28 minutes, and show it at the festival, as well as divide this film, and his previous one, “On the Job,” into one six-part series for HBO.

The series premieres on HBO in Asia on Sunday, two days after the film is shown in Venice. A half dozen festival engagements follow for the film version, he said, with announcements due shortly.

“When sales companies saw it was that long,...

The FilmPhilippines Office of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp) has trebled its annual filming incentives budget from $1 million to $3 million, effective from 2022.

The Philippines offers a range of incentives, including rebate schemes for local and international projects.

“Electric Child” by Swiss Simon Jaquemet, produced by Switzerland’s 8horses GmbH with local production company Epicmedia Productions, was recently approved to receive a 20% cash rebate on its eligible expenses in the Philippines under the Location Incentive Program. The fund requires a minimum qualified production spending of Php 8 million in the Philippines in order to receive a 20% cash rebate that is capped at Php 10 million.

The Fdcp also recently launched CreatePHFilms, a production fund worth $600,000 that supports local films from script through distribution. Production costs are low in the Philippines, compared to the West. “It’s still substantial knowing that the median production cost average production is around Php 8 million in the Philippines,...

Second edition of Lab in Manila will also support Filipino series and animation projects.

Full Circle Lab Philippines (Fcl), a project development initiative launched by Matthieu Darras and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp), will start accepting projects from across Southeast Asia at its next edition.

Fcl is also expanding into Filipino series, due to the growing demand for episodic content from VOD platforms, and animation IP stories in development, designed to encourage original narratives from Filipino animators.

Scheduled to take place April 15-22 in Manila, the Lab expects to support at least 20 projects – six features, four animation...

Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp) launched the two shooting incentives in Busan.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp) has launched two financial incentives – a location incentive and an international co-production fund – to encourage international film productions to shoot in the Philippines.

Under the banner of FilmPhilippines, the Film Location Incentive Program (Flip) will offer financial support to both international productions and co-productions with Filipino producers who spend at least $154,000 (PHP8m) in the Philippines for production and post-production.

Productions that can apply for the incentive include feature films, documentaries, animation, short films, TV series and web series.

Opening days to be moved from Wednesday to Friday and films to be kept in cinemas for a minimum of one week.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (Fdcp) has introduced a set of guidelines for theatrical releasing that includes moving opening days from Wednesdays to Fridays and keeping films in cinemas for a minimum of one week.

The new policies, which apply to both local and foreign films, also guarantee theatre assignments for the first three days of release, to prevent screen counts being reduced during opening weekends.

The Memorandum Circular (Mc) issued by the Fdcp also states...