(From left) Khavn, JP Habac and Lawrence Fajardo. HandoutMANILA -- Puregold CinePanalo 2026 has announced the official top 15 shortlist for the festival's full-length category.
The selected entries come from some of the country’s most passionate filmmakers — from promising newcomers to established industry veterans. With this year’s diverse and high-caliber lineup, Puregold CinePanalo 2025 is shaping up to be the festival’s most competitive and thrilling edition yet.
Only seven filmmakers will be chosen from the list of 15, and each will get P5 million — the largest production grant in the history of the film festival.
The top 15 full-length films for the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo are:
Ennui - Alpha Habon
Pasilyo - Allen Galindo
Gods and Thieves - Tyrone Acierto
Apol of My Ai - Thop Nazareno
Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo) - Rodina Singh
And There was Silence - Jonathan Jurilla
Wantawsan - Joseph Abello
Stuck on You - Mikko Baldoza
Mono No Aware - BC Amparado
Ang Lalakeng Lumuluha ng Perlas - Khavn
Beast - Lawrence Fajardo
I’ve Seen Where it Ends - JP Habac
Aripuen - Christopher Gozum
Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry) - Carl Papa & Ian Pangilinan
Catch Me if You Stan - Rayn Brizuela
“The 2026 Puregold CinePanalo line-up is a revelation to us at the festival. Only three years in, we’ve earned the attention and trust of some of the country’s most important filmmakers,” said Puregold's senior marketing manager and festival chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad.
“We are indebted to all the participants who entrusted their best-kept stories to us. We are humbled and extremely excited to make these dream projects a panalo reality,” she added.
CinePanalo has built a strong track record for supporting films that have gained recognition abroad, including Kurt Soberano's "Under a Piaya Moon," Sigrid Bernardo's "Pushcart Tales," TM Malones' "Salum," JP Habac's "Olsen's Day," and others, which have screened in countries such as Pakistan, Morocco, Singapore, and the United States.
This year, the festival’s record-breaking production grant and the international attention received by past entries have encouraged even more directors to join what promises to be the largest CinePanalo yet.
The top 15 filmmakers will go through one more round of selection before the official festival lineup is announced. The select filmmakers will pitch directly to the festival's selection committee, which will have the arduous task of narrowing down a final list of seven to proceed forward to the production phase.
The select full-length films will be screened at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, which will take place at the Gateway Cineplex 18 from August 7 to 18, 2026.
Meanwhile, applications for the Puregold CinePanalo’s student shorts category continue. Interested applicants may still submit their dream projects here before 11:59 p.m. on November 25.