QCinema unveils short film finalists

Quezon City International Film Festival (QCinema) has released the list of entries that made it to the final cut for its new short film competition, QCX Shorts.

QCinema awards a financial grant worth P100,000 for each of the selected filmmakers, and will own the rights to the finished short films.

Directors from different parts of the country are set to make a splash in this year’s short film competition.

Three directors have used the different faces of drama.

Victor Nierva from Naga, Camarines Sur harnesses the power of melodrama for his piece, Sayaw sa Butal. Aedrian Araojo from Zamboanga City captures the sad story of a mother-and-son relationship in Hondo. Meanwhile, Gabrielle Tayag of Pampanga gives a new spin to the airport experience in his film, Padating.

Dark concepts are rediscovered in two short film features. Janus Victoria melds the concepts of art and goth in Viva Viva Escolta, while Dodo Dayao uses the found footage style for his horror entry, If You Leave.

In art, age is just a number. Sixteen-year-old Joshua Jared Joven proves that, when his LGBT-themed short, Kung Saan may Naiwan, was selected by the jury composed of Quezon City Film Development Commission (QCFDC) members.

Two short movies suited for children round up the rest of the line-up.

Mihk Vergara incorporates the concept of superhero in Nang Lumipad ang Batang Agila, while Inshallah Montero’s Papa’s Shadow uses elements of shadow plays.

QCinema, a film festival created by the QCFDC organized by Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, previously appropriated seed funding of P1M for its Circle Competition for eight indie filmmakers. The event is scheduled on Oct. 13 to 22.

Visit www.qcinema.ph to get more information about the film festival.