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The QCinema International Film Festival has unveiled the five recipients of its 2026 QCShorts Production Grant, awarding a combined ₱3.5 million ($57,817) to promising Filipino filmmakers set to create bold and compelling short films.

Selected from a record-breaking pool of 395 submissions, this year’s projects reflect the growing diversity of Philippine cinema, featuring stories rooted in regional cultures, queer experiences, political realities, folklore, and personal identity.

According to QCinema artistic director and newly appointed QC Screen Commission executive director Ed Lejano, the selection process highlighted the increasing presence of regional filmmakers and genre-driven storytelling.

“What stands out, even when we were shortlisting, are the increasing number of films from the regions and works that are deeply rooted in genre,” says Ed Lejano, QCinema’s artistic director and the newly appointed executive director of the QC Screen Commission. “Many of the titles that stood out use filmmaking, narrative conventions, satire, and even myths as a way to make sense of the violence, extremism, absurdity, and gross injustice happening today.”

Five New Voices Receive QCShorts Support

The 2026 QCShorts grantees are:

• Carla Pulido Ocampo – Agsangit Laeng ti Al-alia (A Ghost Can Only Howl)
• Maki Makilan – Body Works
• Toni Cañete – Maanaa Kanimo (With You)
• Rodiell Veloso – Run Shirley Run!
• Clister Santos – Sana’y Nandito Ka

Jason Tan Liwag, QCinema’s head of short film programming, noted that this year’s selections tackle themes of division, belonging, and emotional distance.

“This new batch of shorts all examine widening rifts between the individual and the family, between our bodies and beliefs,” says Jason Tan Liwag, head of short film programming. “Whether it’s about distant wars, fissures within communities, or personal alienation, we are committed to holding space for stories that are deeply political, regional, and quintessentially Filipino.”

Stories Rooted in Identity, Community, and Survival

“Agsangit Laeng ti Al-alia” Revisits Revolution and Gender

Written and directed by Carla Pulido Ocampo and produced by Lester Valle, Agsangit Laeng ti Al-alia (A Ghost Can Only Howl) is an Ilocano-language period drama centered on a young feminine herbolario who dreams of joining revolutionary fighters while struggling against his father’s deteriorating mental state.

Ocampo and Valle are no strangers to QCinema. Their previous QCShorts-supported project, Tokwifi, earned awards from QCinema, Cinemalaya, Gawad Urian, and FAMAS.

“Body Works” Explores Love Beyond Transaction

Body Works, written and directed by Maki Makilan and produced by Earvic Noay, Patti Lapus, and Dodo Dayao, tells the story of a laid-off dishwasher who enters a paid romantic arrangement to survive, only to face unexpected emotional complications.

Makilan’s work often explores themes of migration, queerness, and displacement. Her films have screened in Cebu, Bangkok, and San Diego, among other cities.

“Maanaa Kanimo” Blends Faith and Queer Identity

Writer-director Toni Cañete brings a heartfelt queer coming-of-age story through Maanaa Kanimo (With You), produced by Tin Velasco and Micah Tadena.

Set within a close-knit community disrupted by the disappearance of a Mama Mary statue, the film follows two sisters navigating questions of morality, identity, and faith. Cañete, who comes from Cagayan de Oro City, has previously won recognition from the CCP Gawad Alternatibo and the Mindanao Film Festival.

“Run Shirley Run!” Delivers Dark Comedy and Body Horror

Among the most unusual projects in this year’s lineup is Run Shirley Run!, a dark comedy queer body horror film written and directed by Rodiell Veloso and produced by Rajiv Idnani and Tomomi Furuyama.

Set in Mindanao, the story follows a suicidal manananggal whose body splits in two—one half longing for death while the other desperately clings to life. Chaos unfolds when aswang hunters and mischievous teenagers cross paths with the creature.

Veloso cites filmmakers Takashi Miike, Sion Sono, and Julia Ducournau as inspirations. He is also an alumnus of the Busan Asian Film School and Full Circle Lab Philippines.

“Sana’y Nandito Ka” Highlights Family Reconnection Through Animation

Completing the roster is Sana’y Nandito Ka, an animated slice-of-life drama written and directed by Clister Santos and produced by Leon Lopez and Alex Poblete.

The film follows a young man reconnecting with his estranged mother after six years apart. Santos, a multimedia artist and CIIT College of Arts and Technology graduate, previously earned acclaim for his short film Ili-Ili (2023), which premiered at the 38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival and won Best Animation at the CCP Gawad Alternatibo 2024.

Continuing the Legacy of QCShorts

Launched in 2016, the QCShorts Production Grant was established to support original Filipino storytelling through the short film format. Over the years, its grantees have gained recognition from major international festivals including Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, Locarno, Clermont-Ferrand, and Singapore.

Since its inception, QCinema has awarded ₱14.85 million ($245,237) to 56 short film projects from across the Philippines, showcasing a wide range of cinematic styles, languages, and perspectives.

The selection committee for this year’s QCShorts grant included Ed Lejano, Kints Kintana, Jason Tan Liwag, Philbert Dy, Iana Bernardez, Quark Henares, Venice Atienza, and Sam Manacsa.

The selected films are scheduled to make their world premieres during the 14th QCinema International Film Festival, happening from November 13 to 22, 2026.