‘Leveling up’: 8 full-length films headline Puregold CinePanalo 2025

MANILA , Philippines – Following a fruitful inaugural edition last year, the 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival boasts an expanded and star-studded full-length lineup, with eight features set to participate in its main competition section, alongside 25 competitive student short films from different universities across the country.

The festival is set to run from March 14 to 25 at Gateway Cineplex 18.

“CinePanalo is continuously leveling up. I can’t imagine actually coming from last year when we were just experimenting with this idea that we want to see because we know the industry needs support,” said CinePanalo festival director Chris Cahilig in a mix of English and Filipino at a recent press launch in Quezon City.

He continued, “We didn’t know that it would actually go so fast. And to the people who have supported us since the very beginning, we’re so happy.”

Selected from a total of 141 full-length entries and 200 student shorts entries, all adhering to the festival theme “Mga Kwentong Panalo ng Buhay,” the eight full-length finalists were granted P3 million each, while the 25 student shorts received P150,000 each — up from last year’s P2.5 million and P100,000, respectively.

In a separate interview, Cahilig said that for the feature lineup, the festival allotted three slots to commercially viable films and one slot to a producer’s choice, which was eventually awarded to Baby Ruth Villarama’s documentary film Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea.

“We were just supposed to select seven full-length films but ended up giving away eight grants,” Cahilig said.

“We’re excited to uplift the voices of local Filipino filmmakers and we stand by every production selected to join the festival. The more we give to our artists, the more they give back to our national culture as a whole.”

Expanded slate

Among the full-length roster is Mes de Guzman’s Sepak Takraw, his 14th feature, starring Enzo Osorio (fresh from his Cinemalaya Best Actor win for The Hearing), Nicollo Castillo, Ruby Ruiz, and Acey Aguilar.

The latest addition to De Guzman’s Nueva Vizcaya-set narratives, the film follows two siblings from the Isinay tribe who are reunited through sepak takraw, a Southeast Asian team sport also known as kick volleyball.

“Until now, I’m still rewriting because the story is still evolving, because we are [filming] in the area where the Isinay tribes are. As you know, the Isinay tribe belongs to the big three of the tribes in Nueva Vizcaya that are now nearly forgotten,” said the director. 

I’m Drunk, I Love You director JP Habac is also making his CinePanalo debut with Olsen’s Day, featuring Khalil Ramos, Romnick Sarmenta, and Xander Nuda. Based on the very first short film he wrote in 2012 after his father’s demise, Habac said the story tackles the importance of family, whether biological or chosen. 

“It’s so much fun doing this kind of film because it is personal for those who wrote it and for the director. And I personally related to it because one, I’m a father and I had a father. For me, the journey of how the story was told opened a lot of ideas and also touched a lot of points in my personal life,” said Sarmenta, who was present at the launch, while also calling for support for student shorts.

For the first time, the CinePanalo slate will also include a full-length documentary, Baby Ruth Villarama’s Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea, about Filipino fisherfolk providing food to communities in need while confronting China’s aggression against them.

Other titles included in the lineup are TM Malones’ Salum, a father-daughter story set in Iloilo’s Gigantes Island, starring Allen Dizon and Christine Mary Dimaisip; and Tara Illenberger’s Tigkiliwi, a tale about two young sisters orphaned then taken care of by a mysterious old woman, led by Ruby Ruiz, Gabby Padilla, and Julian Paul Larroder.

Completing the slate are Christian Paolo Lat and Dominic Lat’s Journeyman, a boxing movie, showcasing JC Santos and Jasmine Curtis-Smith; Jill Singson Urdaneta’s Co-Love, tracking popular content creators dealing with romantic issues, led by KD Estrada, Alexa Ilacad, Jameson Blake, and Kira Balinger; while Janella Salvador and RK Bagatsing are teaming up for producer Catsi Catalan’s directorial debut Fleeting, a whirlwind romance between a dreamer and an unambitious heir.

Emerging talents 

The festival’s sophomore edition also continues its support to promising young artists, with its competition section for student shorts.

“Filmmaking may be one of the most difficult trades for young people to practice given the inherent costs of production,” Cahilig told Rappler.

“We have seen that many students taking up film often struggle with the fundraising portion of their schoolwork, thus inhibiting their ability to study their craft. As such, we believe that the Puregold CinePanalo provides an incredible opportunity for student filmmakers.”

Out of the 25 finalists, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines leads the category with six entries making the cut, including Adelbert Abrigonda’s Dan, En Pointe, Allan Balance Jr.’s Cancer Din Ang Zodiac Sign Mo?, Naiah Nicole Mendoza’s Taympers, Alexie Nicole Pardo’s Checkmate, Mark Joseph Sanchez’s Our One and Only Bab(o)y, and Aubrey Soriano’s Si Nadia at ang Kanyang mga Kuro-kuro. 

Close behind is the University of the Philippines Diliman with five entries, including Carlos Dala’s film, Clyde Gamale’s Champ Green, Mae Malaya’s Sisenta!, Jadrien Morales’ Let’s Go Somewhere Else, and John Lester Rimorin’s Japan Surplus. Then two titles from UP Visayas: Maria Eleanor Javier’s Mother at Sixty and Kieth Earl Rebaño’s Daeaura. 

Other entries selected in the category are Angel Allizon Cruz’s Dito, Dati, Roniño Dolim’s Sine-Sine, Kenneth Flores’ 1… 2… Strike!!!, Austine Rae Fresnido’s Sa Susunod Sisikat si Susan, Bjorn Herrera’s Nanay’s Frankenstein, Ira Corinne Malit’s SamPie, Vhan Marco Molacruz’s Uwian, Regene Narciso’s Papunta Ka Pa Lang, Naka-Bounce Na Ako, Jose Andy Sales’ G!, Jasper Tan’s Sa Pagbunga, Johannes Tejero’s Daog, Pildi, and Sean Rafael Verdejo’s Dela Cruz, Juan P.

Beyond the grants and equipment provided to the student directors, Cahilig also emphasized the screening platform the festival extends to their films.

“It is our hope that the Puregold CinePanalo continues to provide student filmmakers with the means to bring their visions to life, as well as the jumpstart they need to reach audiences that will connect deeply with their work,” he said.

Apart from the competition sections, CinePanalo will introduce a revisited section, showcasing all full-length films from last year’s lineup, such as Kurt Soberano’s Best Picture winner Under a Piaya Moon and Sigrid Bernardo’s Special Jury Prize winner Pushcart Tales.

Global exposure

But what’s next for the CinePanalo entries post festival run? Cahilig said the festival will be collaborating with veteran producer Ferdy Lapuz, who will serve as its international festival consultant and distributor.

“We are very aggressive in our efforts to submit and market the films abroad and even pay for the travel expenses of the filmmakers,” he said. 

As the festival director noted, several of the entries from the first edition went on to screen in various international film fests. Among others, Soberano’s Under a Piaya Moon participated in the 2024 Festival International du Film Transsaharien de Zagora in Morocco; Kent Cadungog’s Special Jury Prize winner Text Find Dad and Send to 2366 competed in the 2024 Singapore International Film Festival, followed by a feature at this year’s Emirates Film Festival; and Carlo Obispo’s A Lab Story was selected for the 2024 Asian Film Festival Barcelona and the 2024 Brunei Film Blitz.

“We are happy to encourage this year’s lineup to continue seeking success with their work internationally and spreading the high quality of Pinoy artistry,” said Cahilig. – Rappler.com