Quezon City goes to Cannes

QUEZON City, through the support of Mayor Joy Belmonte, participated in the recently held Cannes Film Festival and Marche du film to present itself to the commissions, filmmakers, producers, and industry stakeholders of the world.

This initiative is in line with the city’s goal to revitalize the Quezon City Film Development Commission (QCFDC), an institution that was enacted through City Ordinance No. SP- 1690, S-2006 making Quezon City one of the first local government units in the Philippines to have its own Film Commission. The goal was to expand QCinema International Film Festival, the city’s supported international film festival which is celebrating its 11th year.

As one of the most influential festivals and markets in the world, Cannes — which ran from May 16 to 27, 2023 in France — was an excellent platform for QCFDC to showcase its commitment to the growth and development of its local film industry.

Leading the Quezon City delegation was QC District 1 Congressman Arjo Atayde who pledged his full support to the vision of the city to be the film and entertainment capital of the Philippines.

QCinema, the country’s top international film festival, was represented by Artistic Director Ed Lejano, QC Film Foundation President Manet Dayrit, board member Armi Cacanindin and QCinema Festival Manager Gyana Barata.

I, on the other hand, represented the QCFDC as its newly appointed Executive Director. With my experience as the former Chairperson and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, I recognize the immense potential to further empower the QC commission and champion the Quezon City film industry, and it was truly heartwarming for me to be able to announce this new role in Cannes where I met again with a lot of international partners and friends.

In Cannes, we hosted two events to get the international film community excited about Quezon City and its film industry.

The first event was Film Festival Directors’ Lunch held May 19. It was attended by A-list and prominent film festival directors and programmers from Locarno, Tallinn, Toronto, Venice, Fribourg, Three Continents – Nantes, Bucheon, Hawaii, Vesoul, New York, Vienna, Germany, Busan, Switzerland, Bangkok, and Rotterdam film festivals. This was where we introduced the QCFDC and the QCinema International Film Festival and presented opportunities for collaborations and partnerships to support QCinema.

Then, in our second event, the QCinema Night, we unveiled the exciting plans for the 11th edition of the QCinema, which includes t the Asian Next Wave category, and the expansion of RainbowQC section to further amplify LGBTQIA+ voices within the festival. These initiatives showcase QCFDC’s progressive vision and dedication to fostering diverse storytelling and artistic excellence.

This direction of the commission for international participation in platforms like Cannes gives us the following advantages:

Economic benefits: Film markets attract filmmakers, producers, distributors, and other industry professionals from around the world. This can result in increased tourism and business opportunities for the city, as well as job creation.

Exposure: Participating in a film market can increase a city’s visibility on the global stage, which can help attract investors, businesses, and talent.

Cultural benefits: Film markets showcase a diverse range of films from around the world, providing opportunities for cultural exchange and enrichment. This can help promote a city’s cultural offerings and enhance its reputation as a hub for arts and culture.

Networking opportunities: Film markets provide opportunities for industry professionals to network and form partnerships, which can lead to new collaborations and projects.

In a recent conversation with Mayor Joy Belmonte who also acts as the chairperson of the commission, she expressed, “We are immensely proud of QCFDC’s representation at Cannes International Film Festival and Marche du Film. Our presence in such a prestigious event affirms our commitment to positioning Quezon City as a hub for creativity and innovation within the global film industry. Together with QCinema, we are proud that our newly-revitalized film commission will bring home so many opportunities to collaborate with esteemed partners from around the world.”

I cannot be more grateful that I get to dip (immerse) my toes again in the film industry in this new capacity that enables me to use my expertise and learnings from international film festivals and markets, starting with Cannes.

To be able to support a remarkable leader like Mayor Joy and her vision is inspiring not just to me but to all local filmmakers and industry stakeholders in Quezon City.

The film world is really our oyster and Quezon City is ready to make its mark. I look forward to activating soon our plans and programs with the Commission and working with this new team of passionate and dedicated individuals to make QC the land of opportunities, partnerships and economic growth for the film industry.