There was a hush at Cinema 12 of Gateway Cineplex 18 as the screen showed a woman reaching for cocktail cans during the big reveal of the seven official entries in the full-length category of Puregold CinePanalo 2026.

The cinematic moment sparked drama and excitement among the gifted filmmakers whose dream projects were set to come to life.

The seven feature films are Joseph Abello’s Wantawsan; BC Amparado’s Mono No Aware; Thop Nazareno’s Apol of my Ai; Carl Joseph Papa and Ian Pangilinan’s Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry); Lawrence Fajardo’s Beast; Mikko Baldoza’s Stuck on You; Rodina Singh’s Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo).

As previously announced, each of the seven entries will receive a production grant of P5,000,000 and a chance to compete for the festival’s awards. The select feature films will be shown on screen alongside twenty short films made exclusively by student filmmakers.

In addition to the cinematic reveal videos, the event also showcased its retail roots by awarding each of the seven official entries with a giant stylized grocery receipt signifying their record-breaking production grant.

“The upcoming 2026 Puregold CinePanalo is going to be the festival’s biggest installment yet,” says Puregold Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad. “It was only right that we revealed the top seven films with a splash of our own.”

Puregold CinePanalo organizers likewise affirm that each of the seven film entries will surely amaze audiences and live up to the lofty expectations set by the success of its past festivals.

“Puregold 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 says. “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.”

Now in its third year, the Puregold CinePanalo has served as a platform for intrepid Filipino filmmakers in crafting their dream projects, some of which were eventually selected to compete at international film festivals across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

“Puregold has always believed in the power of supporting and nurturing Filipino artists,” says Hayagan-Piedad. “It is one of Puregold’s 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.”

Describing this batch of movies, Cahilig says, "Filmmaking is very diverse. Iba't ibang flavor ang makikita nila kaya matutuwa sila lalo na kung mahilig sila sa comedy, and horror. Pero meron din tayong art films na pangmalakasan at meron din may temang political. (They will see different flavors, so they will be happy, especially if they like comedy and horror. But we also have strong art films, and there are also movies with political themes.)The lineup caters to different market segments."

Cahilig admits he had sleepless nights selecting the top seven films from the 203 entries because he had to go through the lineup. "Initially, I screen the entries. So I screen them based on their plots. From 203 (entries), 70 passed the initial screening. Yung 70 yun ang binasa ng ating selection committee. So doon kami pumili ng 33, 15, and then seven. Grabe yung seven, lalo na yung last two slots. Sobrang debate talaga. Yearly nagdadagdag kami ng slots but for 2026, seven ang pinili talaga namin. (Initially, I screen the entries. So I screen them based on their plots. From 203 (entries), 70 passed the initial screening. Those 70 were what our selection committee read. So that's where we picked 33, 15, and then seven. The seven was great, especially the last two slots. There was a lot of debate. We add slots every year, but for 2026, we really picked seven.)"

The 2026 Puregold CinePanalo will be held next year at the Gateway Cineplex 18 and Ayala Malls. The Festival is proudly supported by Canon Marketing Philippines, CMB Film Services, Terminal Six Post, IM Rentals, the Asia Pacific Film Institute, Stage Post Audio and Music Productions Inc., the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

For more information on the Puregold CinePanalo, you may stay updated through the official Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/puregoldcinepanalo