The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Isabella Cuartero
Who is Ella Arcangel and why is she opening QCinema International Film Festival 2026?
Actress Bianca Umali, who voices Ella in the fully animate film, described Ella as a young girl driven by a desire to do good for her community.
“Si Ella po ay isang batang babae na wala pong ibang hangad kundi ang gumawa ng mabuti sa komunidad niya. Pero ngayon po natin malalaman kung ano ba talaga ang dapat nating pinaglalaban at sino ang mga tunay nating kalaban.”
She also highlighted Ella’s distinctly Filipino identity. “Kagaya po ni Ella, isa siyang Pilipina, maraming tutsang ang buhok, na kayumanggi ang kulay at pango ang ilong pero napakalaki po ng kanyang kakayahan na gumawa ng mabuti at ‘yun ang magkaroon ng mabuting puso para sa komunidad niya, parang tayong mga Pilipino,” Umali shared.
On Instagram, Umali further expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “Sobrang proud at grateful po kami sa opportunity na ito. At siyempre, hindi na namin maantay na mapanood ninyo ang proyektong pinaghirapan at binuo namin nang buong puso.”
“Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw (Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko)” has been chosen to headline this year’s selection of world-class film making up QCinema International Film Festival 2026 slated from November 13–22.
The film, directed by Mervin Malonzo, brings a distinctly Filipino vision of the supernatural into conversation with social realities and the monsters that inhabit both.
Adapted from Julius Villanueva’s comics story, the film follows 12-year-old Ella (voiced by Sparkle artist Bianca Umali), a young mambabarang who battles malevolent spirits while confronting the violence and abuses of authority that plague her community amid the government’s war on drugs. The project received the ₱1.5-million QCinema Project Market (QPM) Philippines Co-Production Grant in 2023.
Celebrating its 14th edition, QCinema will feature an expansive selection of films from the Philippines and around the world under the banner of Genre’teurs, a curatorial concept exploring the intersection of genre filmmaking and auteur cinema. The festival also honors Quezon City’s status as one of only two UNESCO Creative Cities of Film in Southeast Asia.
The lineup was unveiled at a media conference in Quezon City on Thursday, October 22.
Meanwhile, “Look Back” closes the festival with the live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s acclaimed manga, directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. Starring Natsuki Deguchi as Fujino and Aju Makita as Kyomoto, the film traces the friendship of two young artists whose shared passion for drawing shapes their lives and creative journeys.
The film premiered in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it received five collateral awards.
Competition Sections
At the heart of QCinema 2026’s Genre’teurs are its competition sections, spotlighting emerging Asian filmmakers, daring first and second features, LGBTQIA+ narratives, and innovative short films from the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Asian Next Wave, one of QCinema’s main competitions, brings together some of the most compelling new voices in Asian cinema. This year’s lineup includes eight films, namely:
1. 9 Temples to Heaven, directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse (Thailand, Norway, France, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Qatar), follows a businessman’s pilgrimage to nine temples after a fortune teller warns him about the imminent death of his mother. The film premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. It was also selected as Thailand’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
2. A Girl Unknown by Zou Jing (China, France) is a coming-of-age drama following a young woman repeatedly uprooted and forced to begin life anew. The film had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the Critics’ Week section where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Gan Foundation Award.
3. Fujiko by Taichi Kimura (Japan) is a female-emancipation drama set in 1970s Japan, portraying a single mother challenging societal expectations. The film achieved massive success on the 2026 festival circuit, winning the Golden Mulberry Audience Award at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, as well as the Nippon Cinema Award at the Nippon Connection Film Festival in Germany.
4. Fruit Gathering by Aung Phyoe (Myanmar, Czechia, France) is a queer drama following a young factory worker in Myanmar as she contemplates her future amid the realities of working life. The film won the Crystal Globe Grand Prix, the highest honor at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
5. Hearing by Lê Bảo (Vietnam, Singapore, Norway, France, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan) is an intimate relationship drama exploring the silence and emotional distance between family members. The film was selected for the International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival.
6. The Burning Giants by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, Singapore, Netherlands) blends social drama with fantasy, using fantastical elements to explore contemporary realities. Previously selected for the 2023 QCinema Project Market, the film made its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the Venice International Film Festival.
7. The World Before by Yoon Da-bi (South Korea) is a coming-of-age drama set on a quiet South Korean island, capturing the uncertainties and emotional transitions of youth. The film received a Special Mention in the Kutxabank-New Directors category at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
8. Completing the Asian Next Wave competition lineup is Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw, an animated fantasy-horror film.
Anchored by the Asian Next Wave competition, the festival unfolds across nine sections, including New Horizons, RainbowQC, QCShorts International, Screen International, QC Selects, Rediscovery, Before Midnight, and Dokyu Days.
The 14th edition of the QCinema International Film Festival will hold screenings at Gateway Cineplex 18, Robinsons Movieworld Galleria, Ayala Malls Cinemas TriNoma, Fisher Box Office, and SM Cinema – SM City Fairview. All festival screenings are priced at a discounted ticket rate of ₱200 each.