The Philippines will be represented by six feature-length films at Marché du Film and three projects at Festival de Cannes, along with 17 production companies, four Filipino producers, and a Filipina juror in the independently-sponsored Queer Palm award.

The four Filipino films that will have exclusive screenings at Marché du Film are “TOPAKK” by Richard Somes, “Her Locket” by J.E. Tiglao, “Grace” by Ato Bautista, and “I Am Ninoy” by Vince Tañada. Documentary films “Tens Across the Border”s by Chan Sze-Wei and “Asog” by Sean Devlin are also included in the Cannes Docs 2023 program.

TOPAKK (English Title: Trigger) will be joining the genre-oriented Fantastic Pavilion Galas at Marché du Film. This action-drama film follows the story of a security guard, afflicted with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from previously serving in the army, who finds himself involved in another deadly war.

Her Locket, meanwhile, tells the story of Jewel, a mother with dementia, who suddenly recovers an old locket that causes memories from her previous life to return.

Grace is a crime thriller film about a college student who decides to seek revenge on men who are involved in his girlfriend’s death, regardless of their powerful positions in the country. Finally, I Am Ninoy follows 11 characters whose lives resemble that of the late Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino.

Tens Across the Borders, directed by Chan Sze-Wei, is part of the Cannes Docs – Marché du Film showcase as a co-production project between the Philippines, Singapore, Germany, and United Kingdom. This documentary feature follows three individuals from Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines as they explore the ballroom scene in New York City and expand the queer community across Southeast Asia.

The Cannes Docs-In-Progress program also selected Sean Devlin’s documentary entitled Asog, a film about a non-binary teacher who embarks on a road trip for a drag pageant and meets communities that are still reeling from the aftermath of previous typhoons in the country.

The FDCP will also be hosting a series of events at Marché du Film such as the FilmPhilippines Incentives Talk, Philippine Cinema Night, and Full Circle Lab Philippines on Spotlight. Moreover, the FDCP will organize a Philippine Pavilion shared with the Singapore Film Commission, where Filipino delegates can gather to discuss potential partnerships and expand their networks with film industry professionals from different countries.

The Marché du Film is one of the biggest film markets in the world that is attended by more than 12,000 professionals in the film industry. It aims to promote business partnerships and collaborations involving financing, co-production, and distribution of films, as well as networking opportunities among film industry experts.