The QCinema International Film Festival celebrated its 12th edition by honoring a new slate of winning films in Quezon City, Philippines.
Taking the top prize in its main competition, Asian Next Wave, was “Viet and Nam” from Trương Minh Quý. The Vietnam-set film which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard is produced by Epic Media and is co-production between the Philippines, Vietnam plus other European countries.
The jury, composed of Babyruth Villarama, Gabor Greiner, Ming-Jung Kuo and Nguyen Le, cites the film for “conjuring the haunting presence of trauma and memories that are embedded within the landscape, and tenderly following a romance that unfolds deep within the coal mines”.
Another Vietnamese filmmaker, Dương Diệu Linh, won the Grand Jury Prize for her debut, “Don’t Cry Butterfly”. The film tells about a middle-aged wife who discovers her husband is having an affair and embarks on a mystical journey to seek a better life elsewhere.
