QCinema 2025 expands its reach with a wide selection of Exhibition Sections that showcase the richness and diversity of world cinema. Among this year’s offerings is the Before Midnight category, a collection of films that delve into the fantastic, the supernatural, and everything that emerges as night falls on humanity. This section is not part of the competition lineup but remains one of the most anticipated highlights of the 13th QCinema International Film Festival, running from November 14 to 23, 2025.
One of the featured titles is The Garden of Earthly Delights by Morgan Knibbe (Netherlands, Philippines, Belgium), which received Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Editing at the Netherlands Film Festival. Set in the storm-battered slums of an Asian metropolis, the film follows 11-year-old street scavenger Ginto as he struggles for survival and dignity. He dreams of joining a gang, believing it to be a better fate than his sister Asia’s, who has turned to sex work to support them. As Ginto confronts his emerging sexuality and identity, his life violently intersects with that of Michael, a troubled Dutch tourist lured into the city’s red-light district by his own dark impulses. The film exposes the collision of Western privilege and postcolonial poverty, revealing how deep-rooted systemic inequalities and capitalist exploitation shape lives and power relations.
Another title in the Before Midnight lineup is Rabbit Trap by Bryn Chainey (USA, UK). Set in the late 1970s, the film follows married experimental musicians Daphne and Darcy Davenport, who leave London for an isolated cottage in the Welsh countryside in search of creative inspiration. While making field recordings for their new album, Darcy unintentionally captures a mysterious and disturbing sound. The unsettling echoes begin to infect their surroundings and strain their marriage, awakening ancient and malevolent woodland forces. When a nameless child appears in their lives, jealousy, paranoia, and long-buried traumas begin to surface, blurring the boundaries between myth, reality, and psychological decay.
The Ugly Stepsister by Emilie Blichfeldt (Norway, Poland, Sweden, Denmark) offers a satirical, body-horror-inflected reimagining of the classic “Cinderella” tale inspired by the darker versions of the Brothers Grimm. The story follows Elvira, the so-called “ugly stepsister,” as she competes with her conventionally beautiful stepsister Agnes for the attention of Prince Julian. Driven by her mother’s relentless ambition for wealth and social status, Elvira subjects herself to increasingly extreme and painful methods, ranging from crude cosmetic procedures to dangerous attempts at body modification, all in pursuit of impossible beauty standards and the shallow prince’s affection.
Beyond Before Midnight, QCinema’s Exhibition lineup includes several other key sections. The Screen International section, one of the festival’s most anticipated showcases, presents acclaimed films fresh from major global festivals. Rediscovery brings timeless masterpieces back to the big screen for a new generation to enjoy. QC Selects offers an exciting mix of new films for cinephiles of all tastes, while QCShorts International (Exhibition) highlights notable short-film auteurs from around the world.
Debuting this year are two new additions. Dokyu Days serves as QCinema’s dedicated non-fiction showcase, celebrating powerful and thought-provoking documentaries. The festival also launches Focus On: Sandra Hüller, honoring the extraordinary range of the acclaimed German actress through a curated selection of her most significant performances.
The 13th QCinema International Film Festival runs from November 14 to 23, 2025, with screenings at Gateway, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood, Trinoma, Fishermall, and Cloverleaf. Tickets are priced at ₱250.
