Erik Matti’s ‘Call My Manager’ kicks off QCinema 2025 with star-studded PH adaptation

“About three years ago, right after the pandemic, we started a project close to (producer) Dondon Monteverde’s and my heart. We adapted the cult French series ‘10%,’ also known as ‘Call My Agent.’ This project is as much a tribute to show business as it is a peek into what we love and sometimes hate about our industry,” Matti shared. “Except for the main characters, who are fictional, every celebrity guest plays themselves. Buti game sila!”

For the festival, Matti has edited the first two episodes into a seamless two-hour cinematic experience, allowing audiences to enjoy the story on the big screen. While the streaming release of the full series is still under wraps, fans now have the chance to catch an exclusive preview.

“Sa pagmamahal namin sa entertainment business, nilagay namin lahat ng nakakatuwa sa ating industriya. Pwedeng tawaging inside look kung audience ka. Pero matutuwa rin ang mga insiders kasi makikita nila sarili nila sa mga characters. Para sa mga tsismoso at tsismosa at mga intrigera, watch this to see why we love this crazy world we’re in,” Matti added.

QCinema 2025: a celebration of local and global cinema

Meanwhile, the QCinema International Film Festival, now in its 13th edition, will run from November 13 to 24 across Quezon City cinemas. Operating under the Quezon City Film Development Foundation, this year’s festival embraces the theme “Film City,” showcasing an array of international and local films across nine full-length sections and five shorts programs.

French filmmaker Alice Winocour’s “Couture,” starring Angelina Jolie, will open the festival. The film follows an American director attending Paris Fashion Week, exploring storytelling through a film-within-a-film structure.

The festival’s main competitions highlight emerging and diverse voices:

• Asian Next Wave features films like A Useful Ghost (Thailand/France/Singapore/Germany), winner of the Cannes Critics Week Grand Prix, Diamonds in the Sand (Japan/Malaysia/Philippines), and Open Endings (Philippines), winner of Best Ensemble Performance at Cinemalaya.
• RainbowQC spotlights queer-centered stories, including Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingoes (Chile), On the Road (Mexico), and Skin of Youth (Vietnam/Singapore/Japan).
• New Horizons presents debut and sophomore works such as Amoeba (Singapore), Chronology of Water (USA/France/Latvia), and The President’s Cake (Iraq/USA/Qatar).
• QCShorts International will showcase 21 titles, including six world premieres under the QCinema 2025 grant program, featuring shorts like Hoy, Hoy, Ingat! and RUNO!

Exhibition and special sections

QCinema also offers curated sections highlighting international cinema and restored classics. The Screen International program includes “Couture,” Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” “Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” and Oliver Laxe’s “Sirat.” 

Before Midnight focuses on restored works such as “The Garden of Earthly Delights” and “Rabbit Trap,” while Rediscovery revisits modern classics like “Almost Famous,” “Linda Linda Linda,” and “Showgirls.”

The festival also introduces new sections this year: Dokyu Days, a documentary showcase, and Focus On: Sandra Hüller, a tribute to the acclaimed German actress known for “Toni Erdmann.” 

QC Selects will screen locally recognized films, including Matti’s “Call My Manager,” “Human Resource” by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, and “Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus” by Arjanmar Rebeta and Jeffrey Jeturian.

The festival will conclude with the awarding of the Asian Next Wave Best Film, which will also serve as the festival’s closing film.

With Matti’s “Call My Manager” kicking off the festivities, QCinema 2025 promises a dynamic blend of insider showbiz tales, global cinematic voices, and celebration of local filmmaking talent.

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