As a premier film festival in the country, QCinema is aware of its environmental footprint and its pivotal role in shaping and influencing the film industry. During her welcome remarks, Mayor Joy Belmonte emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and academia to transform knowledge into actionable steps, she said, “This collaboration between the government and academia exemplifies how knowledge can be translated into action. Rest assured, we will draw inspiration from the insights provided by our researchers. This is an opportunity for us to set a new standard for cultural events making QCinema a model of environmental responsibility and sustainability, and inspiring other film festivals worldwide to follow suit.”
“It will not just be a celebration of film, but a demonstration of our commitment to a sustainable future. Together with our stakeholders, we will continue to make the likes of QCinema and our other cultural events brighter and more sustainable. Join us as we explore how film festival can become a leader in eco-friendly cultural events. Let’s work together. Lights, camera, and action for sustainability,” she continued.
Acting towards sustainability, QCinema engaged in a study on its environmental impact as a cultural event titled “Setting the Stage for Sustainability: An Environmental Impact Baseline Study of QCinema International Film Festival.” Funded by the University of Glasgow (UofG) Glasgow Centre for International Development in partnership with the UPLB Foundation, Inc., this study represents the first of its kind in the Philippines to examine the impact of cultural and creative industries on sustainability.
The project was recently presented to local government officials, representatives from academia, entertainment industry stakeholders, and media professionals.
A total of 229 individuals responded to the survey, which sought to profile QCinema audiences, their festival viewing habits, level of awareness on climate change issues, willingness to act towards climate action, and perception of the festival’s economic and cultural impact.
The study found a high level of climate change awareness among QCinema audiences, with 70% of respondents showing high awareness of climate change issues, and nearly 86% rating climate change as an essential issue. Moreover, 72.92% strongly supported climate change efforts, despite less than half (48.03%) being moderately involved in activities contributing to climate change solutions. The study also revealed that 64.63% of respondents were willing to pay a sustainability fee on top of the ticket price.
Regarding ecological impact, the data indicated that approximately 60% of the audience consumed food bought from establishments at the venues, while 76% consumed mostly water and soda, generating solid waste from popcorn, chips, water bottles, and soda cans.
“This initiative to establish baseline data is the first step towards creating a possible environmental management plan and sustainability framework for the festival,” stated Michael Kho Lim, lead researcher. “It is high time other organizers followed suit and took significant steps that could drive the cultural and creative industries towards a greener and more sustainable future.”
The study also highlighted QCinema’s impact on the entertainment industry, with over 84% of respondents viewing the event as a pivotal educational platform and 92% highly rating the festival’s contribution to the appreciation of the art and craft of filmmaking. Additionally, more than 85% of respondents highly rated QCinema’s contribution to producing high-quality films.
Furthermore, film festivals were perceived to have a significant impact on the country’s economy, with 73% of respondents underscoring their role in economic stimulation, potentially boosting local spending, tourism, and employment opportunities.
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