A Pride Edition That Travels the World
Quezon City’s QCinema International Film Festival has built a reputation for programming that is both locally rooted and globally minded. In 2026, that reputation was on full display with the QCinema Pride Film Festival, which returned for its second year with seven acclaimed LGBTQIA+ features from nine countries. The program, which ran from June 24 to 26 at Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao, featured recent winners from Berlin, Busan, Jeonju, and Manila, spanning romance, psychological drama, comedy, animation, and thriller.
Among the highlights was “Iván and Hadoum,” the Teddy Award winner for Best Feature Film at Berlinale 2026, directed by Ian de la Rosa. The festival also marked the big-screen return of the Philippine feature “Dreamboi,” written and directed by Rodina Singh, which won nine awards at the CineSilip Film Festival 2026, including Best Film and Best Director.
QCinema artistic director Ed Lejano described the Pride edition as “a natural extension of our year-round programming and a response to the growing popularity of queer stories”. The lineup’s international breadth—from Spanish-German-Belgian co-productions to South Korean dramas and Australian animation—demonstrates that Filipino audiences are not just consumers of global queer cinema, but active participants in a worldwide conversation.
QCinema Industry: Building the Next Generation of Filmmakers
Beyond its public screenings, QCinema has become a critical infrastructure for Filipino filmmaking through QCinema Industry. The 2026 edition, led by Quark Henares, will take place from November 18 to 20 as part of the main festival, which runs from November 14 to 23. The industry platform brings together filmmakers, producers, and distributors for workshops, pitching sessions, and networking opportunities.
The festival also continues to fund new work through its QCShorts grant, which supports innovative short films from emerging and established Filipino filmmakers. The recipients of the 2026 grant will have their films premiere at the festival in November. This commitment to production—not just exhibition—sets QCinema apart from festivals that are content to showcase finished work.
Why QCinema Matters for Philippine Cinema
QCinema’s identity is inseparable from Quezon City’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Film. This status, awarded in recognition of the city’s vibrant film culture, has allowed QCinema to position itself as a bridge between local filmmakers and international audiences.
In 2026, that bridge was evident in the festival’s collaboration with the Montañosa Film Festival in Baguio City, where six QCinema shorts were screened in March. Such partnerships strengthen the national film ecosystem and ensure that films made in Quezon City can find audiences in other regions.
For Filipino filmmakers, QCinema represents something rare: a festival that invests in their work, connects them to global markets, and treats queer and independent cinema not as niche interests, but as essential parts of the national cultural landscape.
