For years, Puregold has gone beyond just being a retail giant. It has become a storyteller for the Filipino masses. Through Puregold CinePanalo, the brand has seamlessly merged its heart for everyday Filipinos with the artistry of film. Just as Puregold serves both ordinary shoppers and sari-sari store owners with its panalo deals, its filmmaking arm reaches out to a wide audience—mass appeal with creative depth, and wholesale inspiration for dreamers who want to tell stories. Both film and retail share a common purpose — to reflect real life, spark emotion, and deliver something valuable to everyone.
There was an air of anticipation inside Cinema 12 of Gateway Cineplex 18 as the screen lit up with a scene of a woman reaching for cocktail cans, marking the big reveal of the seven official entries in the full-length category of Puregold CinePanalo 2026. The dramatic teaser stirred excitement among filmmakers whose long-held visions were finally set to come alive on screen.
The festival proudly unveiled seven feature films: 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; and Rodina Singh’s Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo).
Each of these chosen entries will receive a ₱5,000,000 production grant—Puregold’s biggest yet—and the opportunity to compete for top honors at the festival. Alongside them, twenty student-made short films will also take center stage, representing the next generation of storytellers.
Adding a signature Puregold touch, the event highlighted its retail roots by awarding each filmmaker a giant stylized grocery receipt—a creative nod to the brand’s origin and a symbolic “receipt” of their achievement and record-breaking production grant.
“The upcoming 2026 Puregold CinePanalo is going to be the festival’s biggest installment yet,” shared Puregold Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad. “It was only right that we revealed the Top 7 films with a splash of our own.”
Festival organizers promised that this new batch of films would uphold and exceed the legacy of the previous seasons. “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,” said Festival Director Chris Cahilig. “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 on its third year, Puregold CinePanalo continues to serve as a vital platform for emerging and established Filipino filmmakers to realize their creative visions—many of which have gone on to gain recognition in international festivals across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
“Puregold has always believed in the power of supporting and nurturing Filipino artists,” Hayagan-Piedad added. “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.”
The 2026 Puregold CinePanalo will take place at Gateway Cineplex 18 and Ayala Malls. The festival is 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 updates and announcements, visit the official festival page at facebook.com/puregoldcinepanalo.
