The highly anticipated Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival officially announced on Nov. 6 a total of 55 shortlisted entries out of 270 submissions it received on its inaugural run.

Puregold CinePanalo is a film festival that aims to showcase the triumph and resilience of the Filipino spirit and the beauty of everyday wins in life. Retail giant Puregold named 15 established and promising directors for the full-length category, while 40 student filmmakers made it to the first round of the short film category.

Shortlisted entries will move on to the next steps of the competition, wherein Puregold will award a substantial grant of P2,500,000 for each of the five selected directors in the full-length category, and 25 grants worth P100,000 each for the promising amateur directors in the short film category.

Vincent Co, President of Puregold, expressed his gratitude and excitement following the overwhelming response to the festival's call for submissions. "We are incredibly happy about the numerous entries we received, with student entries coming from all over the country–Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”

Puregold CinePanalo received 125 entries for the full-length category, and 135 entries for the student shorts category. 

Shortlisted directors in the full-length category are as follows:

Carlo Obispo

Xian Lim

Viggo Franco

Joel Ferrer

Joseph Andrew Santos Abello

Alphie Velasco

Juan Carlo Balasbas Tarobal

Ezekiel M. Ferrer

RC Delos Reyes

Ma. Jasmin Celestina C. Bernardino

Raynier F. Brizuela

Kurt Steven Yu Soberano

Eugene Torres

Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo

Mark Norman Boquiren and Roman Perez Jr.

Meanwhile, the shortlisted directors for the student shorts category are:

Ma. Rafaela Mae Abucejo (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Jenievive B. Adame (STI College Cubao)

Alexa Moneii Agaloos (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Krizlynn Erl A. Atienza (Our Lady of Caysasay Academy)

Carlo James Buan (Colegio de San Juan de Letran)

Kent Michael Cadungog (University of the Philippines)

Chrisha Eseo Cataag (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo)

John Pistol L. Carmen (Bicol University)

Patricia Mae T. Dacanay (Faith Colleges)

Cedric Dalangin (University of the Philippines)

Patricia W. Dalluay (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Timothy Seth L. Dela Llana (De La Salle College of Saint Benilde)

Joanah Pearl Demonteverde (University of the Philippines - Visayas)

Joshua Andrey A. Doce (Bicol State College of Applied Science and Technology)

Neil M. Espino (De La Salle Lipa)

Jean A. Evangelista (De La Salle College of Saint Benilde)

Ma. Anne  Sofhia S. Flores (Lyceum of the Philippines University - Manila)

Terrence Gale Fernandez (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Clyde Gamale (University of the Philippines Film Institute)

Daniel Gil (Ateneo de Davao University)

Marc John C. Guevarra (De La Salle College of Saint Benilde)

Alexandra Lapid (Mapúa University)

Kim Sheenlee Laudato (Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School - Silay City)

Reutsche Colle Rigurosa Lima (University of San Carlos)

Kean Gaius D. Magno (College of Saint Anthony)

Dizelle C. Masilungan (University of Santo Tomas)

Jose Mikyl Medina (De La Salle University)

Ronjay-C Mendiola (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Mark Terence Molave (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Jhunel Ruth A. Monterde (De La Salle College of Saint Benilde)

Doxford D. Perlas (University of the Philippines - Visayas)

Andrea S. Ponce (Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Sta. Mesa)

Lyka B. Rojo (Lyceum of the Philippines University - Manila)

John Matthew Valle Samson (Ateneo de Manila University).

John Wilbert Llever Sucaldito (Far Eastern University)

Tyrone Lean J. Taotao (Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Sta. Mesa)

Edz Haniel Teñido Purificacion (Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna)

Manilie Ang Teston (Emilio Aguinaldo College Manila)

Marian Jayce R. Tiongzon (University of the Philippines - Visayas)

Mel Jose Cadalin Tutor (Asia Pacific Film Institute)

The judges for the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival are Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold's Senior Marketing Manager; Chris Cahilig, the festival director and filmmaker; directors Lemuel Lorca and Emmanuel dela Cruz, recognized for their contributions to Philippine cinema; and Tito Valiente, writer and film critic. With their combined expertise, the festival is set to receive fair and comprehensive evaluations of the exceptional entries.

Vincent adds, "Puregold remains dedicated to our retailtainment initiatives. Through CinePanalo, and the remarkable creativity of students and directors, we continue to connect with our loyal customers and new audiences outside our stores." 

Chris Cahilig, Puregold CinePanalo festival director and an esteemed filmmaker, shares, "The entries we received embody artistic excellence. While it was challenging to narrow down our selection, we are genuinely pleased with the deep pool of remarkable talent within the Filipino filmmaking industry, and it will be an honor to show these films to more audiences."

The final phase will see Puregold's careful selection of the ultimate finalists from the shortlist, who will then proceed with script finalization and subsequent production.

All participants are required to submit their completed films by March 1, 2024, with short films having a runtime of 20 to 30 minutes and full-length features extending to a minimum of 90 minutes.

The prestigious Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival will showcase the completed films for three days at the Gateway Cinemas in Cubao from March 8 to 10, 2024, with possible regional screenings to follow.

Apart from the generous grants, the final Puregold CinePanalo films will be eligible for the coveted awards to be presented on March 9, adding an extra layer of surprise to and anticipation for the event.

Fully produced short film entries will likewise be uploaded to the official Puregold Channel on YouTube, joining the roster of the channel’s successful digital narratives, “GVBoys,” “Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask,” “52 Weeks,” “Ang Lalaki sa Likod ng Profile,” and “My Plantito.”