Call for Submissions for QCShorts 2025

The QCinema International Film Festival has been giving seed grants to aid the production of innovative and boundary-pushing short films from up-and-coming and established Filipino filmmakers from across the globe.
For its thirteenth year, QCinema is once again looking for short films in early stages of development (script-level) to receive production grants—now worth P500,000. These films are set to make their world premiere at the QCinema International Film Festival in November 2025.
Deadline of submission: February 14, 2024, 11:59PM
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must submit two (2) PDF files: one (1) containing the full script (standard screenwriting format) and one (1) full deck containing the following information:
- Logline
- Short Synopsis (maximum of 3 paragraphs)
- Long synopsis (max 1-page concept treatment)
- Full script (standard screenwriting format; if written in another language, provide translation to English or Filipino)
- Director’s Statement
- Director’s Profile
- Producer’s Brief Profile (and optional Statement)
- Sample works (Project detail with link/s; insert line break for multiple projects; include access credentials for password-protected files)
- Proposed cast and crew
- Line item budget (pre-production, actual production, post-production, and distribution costs)
- Timeline of production
GUIDELINES:
- Short film production grant of Php 500,000 is open for Filipino Citizens 18 years old and above;
- Proposed entries can be narrative fiction, animation, or experimental;
- Only one entry per proponent. Proponent can either be the director or producer;
- Total running time (TRT) of completed film output must not exceed 20 minutes (including opening and closing credits);
- Production must adhere to health and safety protocols;
- QCinema will not be liable for any untoward incident during production;
- At every stage of the production, the cast and crew must follow current shooting guidelines to include proper working hours as well as testing and lock-in safety procedures (when applicable);
- Use of original literary sources, music materials, and film footage must have proper clearance from its respective copyright owners before it can be used in the final film output;
- Rights to the final film output belong to the proponent, but QCinema reserves the right to screen it for the duration of QCinema International Film Festival 2025 (QCIFF 2025) theatrically, on-line and selected events after the festival screening (with prior notice to the proponent);
- Final film output must have its Philippine premiere in QCIFF 2025;
- The filmmaker proponent and his/ her co-financiers must abide by the QCinema festival rules, guidelines, deadlines, and contract. In case of violations in the aforementioned terms, QCinema reserves the right to disqualify the filmmaker/ proponent and forfeit the entire grant.