The seven full-length film entries for the upcoming Puregold CinePanalo 2026 were unveiled during a special reveal event held at Cinema 12, Gateway Cineplex 18 on Saturday, October 25.
The announcement drew excitement from the filmmaking community as the screen played a cinematic reveal showing a woman reaching for cocktail cans, signaling the start of a new chapter for the selected filmmakers whose projects will soon come to life.
The seven feature films are:
- “Wantawsan” by Joseph Abello
- “Mono No Aware” by BC Amparado
- “Apol of My Ai” by Thop Nazareno
- “Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry)” by Carl Joseph Papa and Ian Pangilinan
- “Beast” by Lawrence Fajardo
- “Stuck on You” by Mikko Baldoza
- “Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo)” by Rodina Singh
Each project will receive a P5,000,000 production grant and compete for the festival’s major awards. The feature films will be screened alongside 20 student-produced short films during the festival run.
In keeping with its retail roots, Puregold presented each of the seven filmmakers with a giant stylized grocery receipt, symbolizing their record-breaking grant.
“The upcoming 2026 Puregold CinePanalo is going to be the festival’s biggest installment yet,” Puregold Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad said.
“It was only right that we revealed the Top 7 films with a splash of our own,” she added.
Festival director Chris Cahilig noted that this year’s participants embody the spirit of creativity and excellence the CinePanalo brand is known for.
“Puregold CinePanalo is giving its biggest grants to date, largesse that all seven participants truly deserve by showing us the passion, creativity, and ‘panalo sa husay’ spirit that only Filipino filmmakers can bring,” Cahilig said.
“These films are going to make audiences laugh, cry, and everything in between,” he added.
Now in its third year, the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival continues to serve as a platform for Filipino filmmakers to bring their dream projects to life. Some past entries have gone on to compete in international film festivals across Europe, Asia and Africa.
“Puregold has always believed in the power of supporting and nurturing Filipino artists,” Hayagan-Piedad added.
“It is one of Puregold’s greatest prides that CinePanalo has grown to this level and given so many Filipino filmmakers the chance to produce world-class movies,” she said.
The 2026 Puregold CinePanalo will take place next year at Gateway Cineplex 18 and Ayala Malls. The festival is supported by Canon Marketing Philippines, CMB Film Services, Terminal Six Post, IM Rentals, the Asia Pacific Film Institute, Stage Post Audio and Music Productions Inc., the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
READ: Rundown: Puregold CinePanalo 2026 Top 15 full-length films unveiled
