Quezon City’s QCinema Project Market (QPM) wrapped up its 2025 edition by awarding over PHP 18 million (USD 310,000) in funding and industry support to filmmakers across Southeast Asia. This milestone coincides with Quezon City being named a UNESCO Creative City of Film, elevating the Philippines to the ranks of the world’s top cinematic hubs.
The two-day event featured pitch sessions, curated meetings, and industry dialogues, showcasing bold and diverse projects from the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Now in its thirteenth year, QCinema continues to be a premier launchpad for world-class Filipino and Southeast Asian cinema.
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2025 QCinema Project Market Winners
Major Awards
- Quezon City Best Project Award: “Daddy Cool” — Dominic Bekaert (Philippines) | PHP 1,000,000
- QPM Southeast Asian Project Award – 1st Place: “Penumbra” — Russell Morton (Singapore) | PHP 500,000
- QPM Southeast Asian Project Award – 2nd Place: “The River Knows Our Names” — Mai Huyền Chi (Vietnam) | PHP 300,000
- QPM Filipino Project Award – 1st Place: “There Is, There Isn’t (Meron, Wala)” — Arjanmar H. Rebeta (Philippines) | PHP 500,000
- QPM Filipino Project Award – 2nd Place: “The Void is Immense in Idle Hours” — Sam Manacsa (Philippines) | PHP 300,000
- QPM Discovery Award: “The Willing” — Joon Goh (Malaysia) | PHP 500,000
- Best Pitch: “Jollywood” — Khavn De La Cruz | PHP 100,000
Partner Awards
- Mocha Chai Laboratories Award
“Jaguar” — Directed by Dean Colin Marcial
(Comprehensive post-production services valued at up to approx. USD 50,000) - CMB Equipment Support Grant
“Luzonensis and Floresiensis” — Directed by Glenn Barit (Philippines)
“Dear Wormwood” — Directed by Dodo Dayao (Philippines)
“Ozzy and Onie” — Directed by Jaime Pacena II (Philippines)
“The Void is Immense in Idle Hours” — Directed by Sam Manacsa (Philippines)
“When The World Is Paused” — Directed by Han Thit Htoo Aung (Myanmar)
“Romdoul, The Evening Fragrance” — Directed by Lomorpich Rithy (Cambodia)
(Film equipment support worth PHP1,000,000 (approx. USD 17,240) tailored to the project’s requirements) - Kongchak Studio Award
“Daddy Cool” — Directed by Dominic Bekaert (Philippines)
(approx. USD 10,000 worth of audio post-production services) - Central Digital Lab Color Correction Grant
“The Void is Immense in Idle Hours” — Directed by Sam Manacsa (Philippines)
“Daddy Cool” — Directed by Dominic Bekaert (Philippines)
(Colour grading and digital mastering services worth PHP 300,000 (approx. USD 5,170)) - Barebones Award
“There Is, There Isn’t” (Meron, Wala) — Directed by Arjanmar H. Rebeta (Philippines)
“Romdoul, The Evening Fragrance” — Directed by Lomorpich Rithy (Cambodia)
“Ghost of the Currents” — Directed by Patiparn Boontarig (Thailand)
“KOMIXXX” — Directed by Jopy Arnaldo (Philippines)
(Colour grading services worth approx. USD 14,000) - Terminal Six Post-Production Award
“Dear Wormwood” — Directed by Dodo Dayao (Philippines)
(approx. USD 10,000 in post-production support including offline editing and digital intermediate preparation) - Narra Post-Production Grant
“What’s Left of Us” — Directed by Tyrone Acierto (Philippines)
“Penumbra” — Directed by Russell Morton (Singapore)
“Dancing Gale” — Directed by Sammaria Sari Simanjuntak (Indonesia)
(One Filipino project and two Southeast Asian projects each receive PHP 500,000 (approx. USD 8,620) in audio post-production services) - Puregold Cine Panalo Film Marketing Grant
“Ozzy and Onie” — Directed by Jaime Pacena II (Philippines)
(PHP 200,000 (approx. USD 3,445) in marketing support; may be considered as the CinePanalo Film Festival opening film) - Pop Up Film Residency x FAP Project Award
“The Void is Immense in Idle Hours” — Directed by Sam Manacsa (Philippines) - Pop Up Film Residency x FAP Skill Up Award
Eero Yves Francisco (Production Designer) “Sentinel” - Kingyo Productions Award
“When The World Is Paused” — Directed by Han Thit Htoo Aung (Myanmar)
(approx. USD 5,000 plus music mentorship and collaborative support with Kingyo’s Taiwanese composer) - Stage Post Audio and Music Productions, Inc. Audio Post-production and Music Grant
“Luzonensis and Floresiensis” — Directed by. Glenn Barit (Philippines)
“There Is, There Isn’t (Meron, Wala) — Directed by Arjanmar H. Rebeta (Philippines)
“Sentinel” — Directed by Carl Joseph E. Papa (Philippines)
“Ozzy and Onie” — Directed by Jaime Pacena II (Philippines)(PHP 600,000 worth of complete audio post-production and original musical scoring, all handled by the Stage Post team)
QPM Managing Director Liza Dino-Seguerra emphasized the milestone: “Quezon City’s UNESCO Creative City of Film designation inspires us to aim even higher. These awards reflect our belief in the region’s filmmakers and our dedication to supporting their stories as they travel to global audiences.”
With its growing international profile, QCinema Project Market continues to be Southeast Asia’s premier platform for cinematic innovation, connecting filmmakers, fostering cross-border collaboration, and bringing the region’s most compelling stories to global audiences.
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