It’s all systems go for Puregold CinePanalo 2026, which is offering hefty production grants — the largest ever in Philippine film festival history — to this year’s participants, both professional and student filmmakers.
With P5 million to be awarded to seven full-length film directors and P200,000 to 20 student filmmakers, Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold CinePanalo chair and Puregold senior marketing manager, explains how raising the grants supports the festival’s vision. “CinePanalo is our launchpad for the new breed of Philippine cinema,” she says. “By providing more funds, we may now challenge our filmmakers to break every boundary of narrative, style, and genre.”
Ms. Hayagan-Piedad further points out: “All narrative and genre restrictions are being lifted. Craft and excellence will be the new focal point of the festival. Puregold CinePanalo is thus encouraging participants to explore a wider range of stories and styles for their entries — from cerebral thrillers to whimsical young romances to more complex stories with intricate plot turns.”
Indeed, Puregold CinePanalo is on the lookout for the very best that local cinema has to offer with the freedom and funding to tell stories that will captivate the public.
“The door is open for all types of films at this year’s Puregold CinePanalo!” Ms. Hayagan-Piedad enthusiastically says. “Let us all demonstrate the full breadth of the local film industry.”
To join the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo festival, applicants must accomplish the online application form, which will require submission of the following:
Signed terms and conditions
Synopsis in Filipino or English
Logline in Filipino or English
Completed screenplay
Resume of the director with accessible links to sample works
Two recent photos of the director
Director of photography
List of producers
Assistant director
The application form for the full-length category can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/PCPFFFullApp. Meanwhile, student short applicants can apply at https://tinyurl.com/PCPFFShortsApp. The full mechanics for the competition are embedded in both online forms.
The full-length film category is open to all professional and amateur filmmakers aged 18 years old and up. Applications for the full-length category must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2025.
A short list of 30 selected applicants will be announced on Oct. 1, 2025, all of whom must submit an initial pitch deck by Oct. 8.
On Oct. 15, 15 applicants will be selected to make their pitch to the festival organizers from Oct. 22 to 23. The final seven recipients of the production grants will be revealed on Oct. 25, 2025.
Meanwhile, applications for the student short film category will close by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2025.
Applicants must be at least 15 years of age and must be enrolled students at the time of the festival run in August 2026. Applicants will be required to submit a certificate of enrollment for SY 2025-2026. The final line up of selected student filmmakers will be announced on Feb. 1, 2026.
The final produced films in both categories will screen as part of the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival on Aug. 7-18, 2026 at the Gateway Cineplex 18. They will follow in the footsteps of critically acclaimed and award-winning films from the festival’s previous runs such as Under a Piaya Moon, Salum, and more.
For further inquiries, potential applicants may email thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com or message its official Facebook page @puregoldcinepanalo.
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