A new Philippine-Italian sales alliance aims to put independent films in front of buyers in Asia, Europe and North America. Fire & Ice Media, the Philippine producer and sales agent, and Italy’s Coccinelle Film Sales unveiled the strategic partnership at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market.
The pair will work together on a handpicked group of films, combining their regional know-how and buyer contacts to seek distribution deals beyond the films’ home markets. A first batch of films has already been chosen, though the companies have yet to name them.
Abell Diño-Cabrera, who heads Fire & Ice Media and runs the division’s film and TV development, production, positioning and sales work, will steer the alliance for the Philippine side.
“Every film has its own audience and its own potential in different markets. Our job is to understand where those opportunities are and work with the right people to make them happen,” said Diño-Cabrera. “Partnering with Coccinelle allows us to strengthen our reach, share market knowledge, and create more possibilities for the filmmakers and producers who trust us to represent their work.”
Coccinelle, set up by Francesca Breccia, sells independent titles on the international circuit, pairing films and their rights owners with buyers and distributors in a range of territories. Breccia said the company already had sales alliances with Asian counterparts, notably in South Korea and Thailand, and was delighted to now bring the Philippines into that network.
“Filipino cinema has a strong identity and remarkable creative energy, with stories and voices that deserve greater international exposure. I was particularly drawn to Fire & Ice Media’s lineup, which combines a distinctive arthouse sensibility with strong commercial potential,” Breccia said. “I look forward to joining forces and creating new opportunities for independent films across international markets.”
Fire & Ice was at the Asian Contents & Film Market with a slate of Filipino titles. On offer are Phil Giordano’s “Bilyarista,” a sports drama with a female lead; Nigel Santos’ queer ensemble piece “Open Endings”; David R. Corpuz’s “Only Known to Us”; Law Fajardo’s “The Hearing”; and “Crosspoint,” a Philippines-Japan thriller from Donie Ordiales. A selection of films by Brillante Mendoza rounds out the lineup.
Several international co-productions and development projects are also in the works. Among them are Mendoza’s “Aid,” Ham Tran’s supernatural thriller “Red Thread” and “Karaoke News,” a crime thriller from John Paul Su that takes aim at the media.
Parent company Fire & Ice Entertainment, co-founded by CEO Liza Diño and Ice Seguerra, spans film and TV production, international sales, music, live events and creative consultancy. Its Media arm has been a partner on international co-productions such as Nicole Midori Woodford’s “Last Shadow at First Light,” which bowed in San Sebastián in 2023, and Matsubayashi Urara’s “Blue Imagine,” a 2024 Rotterdam premiere.
The company’s homegrown projects include “Never the Bride,” a scripted drama series from Diño about a wedding planner whose own marriage is falling apart, and “Funeral Flowers,” a family drama feature she will write and direct. Seguerra is attached to direct “Alex & Rio,” a road movie driven by music.
Diño said the company had learned over the years that a robust slate is merely the starting point.
“Every market is different. Buyers have their own interests, audiences have different tastes, and sometimes a film finds its opportunity through a conversation with the right person who understands what it has to offer,” she said. “That’s what makes this collaboration with Coccinelle meaningful to us. We bring different strengths, relationships, and knowledge of our respective markets. But ultimately, we share the same goal: to serve the films we represent, find the right partners who believe in them, and give these stories the best possible opportunity to reach audiences. We see this as the beginning of a meaningful long-term relationship.”