The 3rd edition of the CinePanalo Film Festival has announced the seven finalists for the full-length category of next year’s festival at a media reveal on Saturday, Oct. 25, in Quezon City.
From more than 200 entries, the seven entries that made the cut are ‘Wantawsan’ by Joseph Abello, ‘Mono No Aware’ by BC Amparado, ‘Apol of My AI’ by Thop Nazareno, ‘Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry)’ by Carl Papa and Ian Pangilinan, ‘Beast’ by Lawrence Fajardo, ‘Stuck on You’ by Mikko Baldoza, and ‘Multwoh’ by Rodina Singh.
Each of the seven entries has received a production grant of P5,000,000 and a chance to compete for the festival’s awards. The selected feature films will be shown on screen alongside twenty short films made exclusively by student filmmakers.
‘The upcoming 2026 CinePanalo is going to be the festival’s biggest installment yet,’ said Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad. ‘It was only right that we revealed the Top 7 films with a splash of our own.’
As of writing, the actors who will star in the seven entries have not been named, except for content creator Sassa Gurl, who is set to star in ‘Multwoh’ and was present during the reveal.
The CinePanalo organizers likewise affirm that each of the seven film entries will attempt to surpass the expectations set by the success of its past editions.
‘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,’ festival director Chris Cahilig said. ‘These films are going to make audiences laugh, cry, and everything in between. We can hardly wait for audiences to see what lies ahead at the festival.’
The CinePanalo, which is a film festival and grant competition by retail company Puregold, has served as a platform for Filipino filmmakers in crafting their dream projects, some of which were eventually selected to compete at international film festivals across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
‘We have always believed in the power of supporting and nurturing Filipino artists,’ added Hayagan-Piedad. ‘It is one of our greatest prides that CinePanalo has grown to this level and given so many Filipino filmmakers the chance to produce world-class movies. We have no doubt that the seven films competing next year will be no exception.’
The 2026 CinePanalo will be held next year at the Gateway Cineplex 18 and Ayala Malls. More details about next year’s edition are set to be announced in the coming weeks.