The journey to the second year of Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival is finally underway, with its introductory press conference held last July 23 at the Gateway Cineplex 18. A sequel to last year’s historic debut Puregold CinePanalo, this year’s iteration promises to give filmmakers across the country more opportunities to showcase their skill, creativity, and dedication to their craft.

Puregold is treating the success of the festival's inaugural run as a launching pad for something even bigger. This year’s version of the Puregold CinePanalo has up for grabs an increased funding pool for selected filmmakers, with seven full-length directors set to receive a production grant worth PHP3,000,000.00, while 25 selected student short film directors will receive a production grant worth one hundred and P150,000.00. Seven full-length film grants are to be given this time around, surpassing last year’s six.

Emphasized at the press conference was that, as in the previous year, this year’s Puregold CinePanalo seeks film entries that showcase the indomitable spirit of the Filipino through uplifting and inspiring “panalo stories.” The press conference also sent out reminders that those who believe they have what it takes have to submit a complete screenplay among other requirements by either July 30 for full-length films or Aug. 15 for student shorts.

To encourage aspiring filmmakers to join the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, a slew of directors from last year’s event joined the press conference to share their experiences creating their selected features. Present at the launch was Always Panalo Film awardee Carlo Obispo. Best Picture winner Kurt Soberano, of the recently re-screened Under A Piaya Moon, also sent a special video message to encourage filmmakers to submit their panalo stories for submission.

In addition to the messages from the full-length directors, five student directors also offered messages at the event in order to demonstrate the kinds of experiences and opportunities Puregold CinePanalo can bring young aspiring filmmakers. In attendance were Always Panalo Film awardee Jenievive Adame, Best Director winner Dizelle Masilungan, and regional filmmakers Marian Jayce Tiongzon and Joanah Demonteverde.

The event was also opened by Puregold’s Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Piedad, who delivered an emphatic statement on the importance of rewarding Filipino artistry and celebrating the spirit of Kwentong Panalo ng Buhay. She also noted that Puregold CinePanalo’s mandate found it especially important to give opportunities to student filmmakers who may not have the same access to filmmaking resources as established directors do.

“When we first launched Puregold CinePanalo, we envisioned it to champion Filipino stories, advocate for student filmmakers by providing them with a platform for their dream short films, and elevate the local film scene,” said Piedad.

Piedad noted how the previous iteration of the Puregold CinePanalo was instrumental in bringing to light the talents of several young, aspiring filmmakers, some of whom have used the momentum from the competition to fuel their artistic dreams further.

“We saw the birth of promising talents, with several inspiring stories that came to life on the big screen. Fueled by last edition’s success, here we are once again!” continued Piedad, “Back and bigger than ever, ready to celebrate another year of incredible films and mark the second chapter of Puregold CinePanalo.”

All interested filmmakers are once again encouraged to read through all the mechanics of the 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Festival which are publicly available on Puregold’s official social media accounts. Upon perusing through the mechanics, aspiring contestants may then proceed to submit their official applications at https://forms.gle/wNUUQ62okYcyW5r37. For those looking to learn more, inquiries may be sent to [email protected].