Vietnam talent showed strong presence at the 12th QCinema International Film Festival in Quezon City, Philippines, as Trương Minh Quý’s “Viet and Nam” claimed the top prize, while compatriot Dương Diệu Linh’s “Don’t Cry, Butterfly” secured the Grand Jury Prize.
“Viet and Nam,” which made its debut in Cannes Un Certain Regard, emerged victorious in the Asian Next Wave competition. The jury, comprising Babyruth Villarama, Gabor Greiner, Ming-Jung Kuo and Nguyen Le, praised 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.”
“Don’t Cry, Butterfly,” Dương’s debut feature, follows a middle-aged wife who, upon discovering her husband’s infidelity, embarks on a mystical journey in search of a better life. The film previously won three prizes at Venice.
Elizabeth Lo took home the Best Director award for “Mistress Dispeller,” marking a milestone as the first documentary to compete in the Asian Next Wave section. The jury lauded Lo’s “exceptional ability to fuse authenticity with artistry.”
The festival introduced two new competition sections under its Special Critics Prize. Lithuanian director Saulé Bliuvaité’s “Toxic” won the New Horizons prize for Best First Film, while Vietnam scored another victory with Pham Ngoc Lân’s “Cu Li Never Cries” taking home the New Horizons NETPAC Award for Best Asian First Film.
In the acting category, Filipino star John Lloyd Cruz (“Moneyslapper”) shared the Best Lead Performance honor with Indonesia’s Shenina Cinnamonfor (“Tale of the Land”). Japan’s “Happyend” by Neo Sora clinched the Best Screenplay award, while Marcus Cheng and Hsu Kuei-Ting received the Artistic Achievement Award for Production Design for “Pierce.”
In the RainbowQC Prize section, celebrating LGBTQ cinema, Brazil’s “Baby” by Marcelo Caetano and British-Finnish entry “Sebastian” by Mikko Mäkelä shared the Best Film honor. Japanese entry “My Sunshine” by Hiroshi Okuyama received a special mention.
The QCShorts International competition recognized festival-produced “Kinakausap ni Celso ang Diyos” by Gilb Baldoza as Best Short Film, with Malaysian-Irish co-production “WAShhh” by Mickey Lai securing the Jury Prize. “Are We Still Friends?” by Al Ridwan earned a special mention, while “Rampage! (o ang parada)” by Kukay Bautista Zinampan received the Gender Sensitivity Award.
“Here We Are” by Chanasorn Chaikitiporn won the QCinema Critics Lab Young Critics Prize, and Visayan film programmer Ligaya Villablanca was honored with the Alexis Tioseco and Nika Bohinc Award for Film Criticism.
QCinema Artistic Director Ed Lejano noted that this year’s festival theme, “The Gaze,” was well-represented by the diverse lineup of Asian directors who offered “a kaleidoscope of gazes, filtered through their own distinctive lenses.”
