‘Poor Things’ to open QCinema International Film Festival 2023

MANILA, Philippines – Heads up, cinephiles! QCinema announced on Tuesday, October 24, their opening and closing films for this year’s 11th QCinema International Film Festival. 

Kicking off the event is the hotly-anticipated black comedy-fantasy Poor Things starring Emma Stone (La La Land, Easy A) and Mark Ruffalo (The Adam Project, 13 Going on 30). The film was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also helmed Academy Award-nominated movies The Lobster and The Favorite. 

Adapted from the novel of the same name, Poor Things follows Stone’s character as she is resurrected and embarks on a journey of self-discovery amidst the social constraints of her time. The wild comedy movie debuted at the Venice International Film Festival where it bagged the Golden Lion award. 

Meanwhile, the festival will culminate with romantic drama The Breaking Ice, Singapore’s submission for the Best International Feature Film at this year’s Academy Awards. The movie follows three young people in their twenties, played by Zhou Dongyu, Liu Haoran, and Qu Chuxia, who come together by chance in the snowy city of Yanji. 

Anthony Chen, best known for their work on Ilo Ilo which won the Camera d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, directed the film. 

Other films included in the lineup include classic cinematic gems such as A Clockwork Orange (1971), Chungking Express (1994), Enter the Dragon (1973), and Fallen Angels (1995). 

In total, the festival will include around 65 diverse local and international films, including five from the Philippines for the QCSEA Shorts Competition. 

The QCinema International Festival 2023 is set to run from November 17 to 26 in select theaters across Metro Manila. Additional details, such as official schedule and ticket prices, have yet to be announced. – with additional reports from Dana Villano/Rappler.com

Dana Villano is a Rappler intern.