Puregold CinePanalo 2026 is offering the largest production grants in Philippine film festival history, with P5 million each for seven full-length film directors and P200,000 each for 20 student filmmakers.
Festival chair and Puregold senior marketing manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad said the move aims to position CinePanalo as “a launchpad for the new breed of Philippine cinema.”
“By providing more funds, we may now challenge our filmmakers to break every boundary of narrative, style, and genre,” Hayagan-Piedad said.
“All narrative and genre restrictions are being lifted. Craft and excellence will be the new focal point of the festival. Puregold CinePanalo is thus encouraging participants to explore a wider range of stories and styles for their entries—from cerebral thrillers to whimsical young romances to more complex stories with intricate plot turns,” the executive added.
The full-length category is open to professional and amateur filmmakers aged 18 and above. Applicants must submit an online application form that includes signed terms and conditions, a synopsis and logline in Filipino or English, a completed screenplay, the director’s resume with links to sample works, two recent photos, a director of photography, list of producers, and an assistant director.
Applications for the full-length category close at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 10. A shortlist of 30 applicants will be announced on Oct. 1, and those selected must submit an initial pitch deck by Oct. 8. Fifteen applicants will then pitch to organizers on Oct. 22 and 23. The final seven recipients of the P5 million grants will be announced on Oct. 25.
Student short film applications, open to those at least 15 years old and currently enrolled for the 2025-2026 school year, will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 25. Applicants must also submit a certificate of enrollment. The final lineup of selected student filmmakers will be released on Feb. 1, 2026.
The completed films from both categories will screen during the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, set for Aug. 7 to 18, 2026, at Gateway Cineplex 18. Previous editions of the festival have featured award-winning titles such as Under a Piaya Moon and Salum.
Application forms are available at https://tinyurl.com/PCPFFFullApp for full-length films and https://tinyurl.com/PCPFFShortsApp for student shorts. Inquiries may be sent to thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com or via the festival’s official Facebook page @puregoldcinepanalo.
