The third edition of the highly regarded Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival has officially opened its doors to aspiring filmmakers, this time with greater creative freedom. Unlike the previous editions, the 2026 festival will no longer impose limits on genre, topic, or theme.
In earlier years, Puregold CinePanalo revolved around wholesome and inspiring stories, with entries guided by the theme “mga kwentong panalo ng buhay” (winning stories of life). That framework highlighted uplifting narratives but kept certain genres out of the picture.
For CinePanalo 2026, organizers have removed these restrictions to encourage filmmakers to explore wider storytelling possibilities. Applicants may now pitch films in genres previously unrepresented at the festival—including horror, suspense, crime, and fantasy.
The new guidelines aim to grant participants complete creative freedom, provided their concepts demonstrate strong potential for excellence. With this shift, Puregold CinePanalo expands its stage for bold, diverse, and imaginative stories, reaffirming its commitment to nurture the next wave of Filipino filmmakers.
Puregold senior marketing manager and festival chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad spoke on the decision to change the mechanics for this year’s festival. “Sa unang dalawang taon ng CinePanalo, nakita namin kung gaano kalalim ang pagmamahal at gaano kauhaw ang ating Filipino filmmakers na magkwento ng ibang pananaw. This year, we’re opening the festival to all genres and themes in order to showcase stories that are reflective of that diverse voice and creativity,” says Hayagan-Piedad.
On top of the unprecedented creative opportunity, this year’s Puregold CinePanalo also goes the extra mile with the financial grants on offer. Seven full-length film directors will receive Php5 million each, the largest production grant in Philippine film festival history, while twenty student filmmakers will receive P200,000 each.
Interested participants may now submit their applications online.
Full-length filmmakers may download https://tinyurl.com/PCPFFFullApp for contest mechanics and application forms. Meanwhile, here’s the link for the student short category: https://tinyurl.com/PCPFFShortsApp.
Applications for the full-length category close on 11:59 PM, September 10, 2025. Student short applications will close on 11:59 PM, November 25, 2025.
The directors selected to participate in the upcoming festival will have their films screened at Gateway Cineplex 18 from August 7-18, 2026.
For further inquiries, potential applicants may email thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com or message its official Facebook page @puregoldcinepanalo.
CinemaBravo 
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