From Almodóvar to Diaz: My top six QCinema films to catch this year

The QCinema International Film Festival is just around the corner, offering a true treat for cinephiles. Now in its 12th edition, it brings the best from this year’s Cannes, Venice, and other prestigious film festivals to Philippine screens, making sure no one suffers from a dreaded case of FOMO.

Of course, I’ll watch as many films as I can, but here are the top six that I’m prioritizing — ranked by personal anticipation:

1. The Room Next Door — I’ve been eagerly awaiting Pedro Almodóvar’s Golden Lion winner for months. This highly acclaimed Spanish director’s latest film stars Oscar winners Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in a powerful drama about death.

Marking Almodóvar’s English-language debut, The Room Next Door is adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel What Are You Going Through and set in upstate New York (though largely shot in Spain). Moore plays Ingrid, a best-selling author, who reconnects with an old friend, Martha (Swinton), recently diagnosed with cancer.

2. Anora — Sean Baker’s work isn’t my usual go-to, but his 2024 Palme d’Or winner is a must-watch. Currently holding a 99 percent critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this romantic-comedy is generating major buzz. Though I didn’t particularly connect with Tangerine (2015) or The Florida Project (2017), Baker’s latest is too big to skip.

Known for his indies that are focused on marginalized communities — particularly sex workers — Baker’s Anora follows the marriage of a female stripper and the son of a Russian billionaire, played by Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn, respectively. With Greta Gerwig as Cannes jury president this year, this Neon-distributed title holds even more intrigue.

3. Lost Sabungeros — After a sudden and infamous cancellation from this year’s Cinemalaya’s non-competition lineup, this investigative documentary from GMA Public Affairs is not to be missed.

Directed by Bryan Brazil, the documentary dives into the mysterious disappearance of over 30 cockfighters. When cockfighting turned virtual during the Covid-19 pandemic, it created millionaires — but also left a disturbing trail of vanished individuals. The docu centers on three whistleblowers exposing alleged kidnappers involved in these cases.

4. Moneyslapper — With John Lloyd Cruz, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Charlie Dizon in the cast, this film, directed by Bor Ocampo, instantly makes my watchlist. Set in Pampanga, it follows Daniel (Cruz) who flees the country after winning the biggest lottery prize in Philippine history, picking up the story five years later.

Penned by Norman Wilwayco and Jason Paul Laxamana, who recently stirred debate by arguing typhoons entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) shouldn’t be reported by news outlets, Moneyslapper should be interesting.

5. Cloud — Since it’s the festival’s closing film, it’s a must-catch. You can tell a lot about a film festival by its choice of opening and closing features, and I’ll be watching both.

Cloud, directed by seasoned Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, is a psychological action-thriller that premiered at this year’s Venice Festival and is Japan’s entry for the 2025 Oscars.

The story follows Masaki Suda as Ryosuke Yoshii, a sketchy online seller whose life takes a dark turn when hitmen enter the picture.

6. Phantosmia — What’s a QCinema watchlist without a bit of arthouse? Lav Diaz’s latest, his eighth film featured at the Venice Film Festival, follows an ex-soldier (Ronnie Lazaro) experiencing phantom smells as part of his PTSD.

This four-hour philosophical slow-burn could practically qualify as a “short film” in Diaz’s cinematic universe. Also starring Janine Gutierrez, Hazel Orencio, and Paul Jake Paule, it’s a challenge I’m up for.

This year’s QCinema, themed “Gaze,” has 11 sections, with 55 full-length films and 22 shorts. It will run from 8 to 17 November at Gateway, TriNoma, Shangri-La Plaza, and Power Plant.