The Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival has announced the 33 short-listed full-length films from 203 entries submitted by emerging, established, and even iconic local filmmakers.
Of the 33 films entering the next stage of selection, only seven will receive the record-breaking P5-million production grant that stands as the biggest, to date, in Philippine film festival history.
“This has been the most competitive year of the Puregold CinePanalo yet as we drew a wide variety of both up-and-coming and veteran directors,” said Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold senior marketing manager and festival chair. “With the removal of genre and narrative restrictions, we received the boldest and most creative pool of applications. We appreciated seeing the complexity and fearlessness of more unconventional stories that still rang true with genuine, lived experiences.”
For Ms. Hayagan-Piedad, the overwhelming number of applicants shows how the Puregold CinePanalo has become an institution in the local filmmaking industry. “We received 203 applications this year, nearly double the 125 entries submitted in our inaugural year. We are immensely grateful for the support of the local community of filmmakers, producers, and students that have entrusted their dream projects to us and helped us grow in credibility year on year.”
The Top 33 films in the full-length category are as follows:
The filmmakers behind the Top 33 will go on to submit pitch decks to the festival’s selection committee. From there, a short list of 15 filmmakers will pitch directly to festival officials for the chance to be part of the final festival lineup of seven.
The final lineup of films will screen at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival at the Gateway Cineplex 18 on Aug. 7 to 18, 2026. These will join the ranks of internationally acclaimed films that have premiered at the Puregold CinePanalo such as Kurt Soberano’s Under a Piaya Moon, Sigrid Bernardo’s Pushcart Tales, and TM Malones’ Salum.
Meanwhile, submissions for the festival’s student shorts category are ongoing. Participants must turn in their applications at https://tinyurl.com/PCPFFShorts before 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2025.
For further inquiries, applicants may email thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com or message its official Facebook page @puregoldcinepanalo.
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