'Lost Sabungeros' to premiere at QCinema International Film Festival in November

"Lost Sabungeros," the first-ever investigative documentary film of GMA Public Affairs and GMA Pictures, will finally premiere at the QCinema International Film Festival this November.

GMA Public Affairs announced the film's upcoming debut in the big screen via Facebook on Tuesday.

"Walang makapipigil sa katotohan. The previously canceled premiere of GMA Public Affairs and GMA Pictures’ first investigative docu-film ‘Lost Sabungeros’ is finally set to make its debut at the QCinema International Film Festival. Catch it on the big screen this November," wrote GMA Public Affairs.

During QCinema film fest's media conference on Tuesday, "Lost Sabungeros" director Bryan Brazil expressed their happiness for being given a platform to show the film to the public.

"Malayo-layo na rin po 'yung tinakbo ng pelikula namin. We're really happy na nabigyan po kami ng platform dito sa QCinema, we're really thankful. Ang 'Lost Sabungeros' po ay kwento ng mga pamilya ng mga nawawalang sabungero na hanggang sa ngayon po ay hindi pa rin nahanap," he said.

"Lost Sabungeros" was set to premiere at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in August, but its screenings were canceled by the festival due to "security concerns."

Following the cancellation of the film's premiere at Cinemalaya, Tolits Tan, one of its producers, told GMA News Online that Cinemalaya did not elaborate what these "security concerns" were. Direk Bryan also said then that they were powerless over the film's cancellation and hoped what happened to them won't be a precedent for independent filmmakers.

"Lost Sabungeros" looks into the disappearances of over 30 sabungeros or cockfighters who have been missing since 2021. Its production team took more than two years to create the documentary despite the threats against their lives.

According to QCinema's film fest lineup, "Lost Sabungeros" will be shown in the Special Screenings section, alongside "An Errand" by Dominic Baekart, "If My Lover Were a Flower" by Kaung Zan, and "A Thousand Forests" by Hanz Florentino.

"Lost Sabungeros" will have a gala with a Q&A on November 9, 8:35 p.m., at Cinema 16 in Gateway Mall, Quezon City. The film will have another screening on November 12, 1:45 p.m., at Cinema 15, Gateway.

The screening schedule may be viewed here.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News