Sigrid Bernardo’s Pushcart Tales, from the inaugural Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, was screened as an official entry at Thailand’s Pattaya Film Festival 2025, which ran from Aug. 28 to 30.
Bernardo’s critically acclaimed dramedy starred Nonie Buencamino, Shamaine Buencamino, Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Harvey Bautista, Therese Malvar, and Elora Españo as everyday people trapped inside a supermarket during a powerful storm.
Pushcart Tales was part of the lineup for the first-ever Puregold CinePanalo event and had been among the most awarded films at the end of the festival. It won six trophies, including Best Director, Best Actor for Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Best Actress for Shamaine Buencamino, Best Sound Design, Best Ensemble, and the Special Jury Prize.
“I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to have Pushcart Tales featured at the Pattaya Film Festival,” Bernardo said ahead of the event. “I looked forward to sharing our story with a wider audience and to connecting with other filmmakers and film lovers. It’s wonderful to know that Pushcart Tales can inspire and touch the hearts of people from different backgrounds—and I thank the Pattaya Film Festival for this chance to showcase it.”
Puregold’s senior marketing manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad emphasized the importance of the occasion.
“We convey our congratulations to Direk Sigrid, her crew, and the wonderful cast of Pushcart Tales,” she said, expressing confidence that Bernardo would make the most of the chance to demonstrate the “always panalo” excellence of Philippine cinema at the festival.
Pushcart Tales was the latest from Puregold CinePanalo’s initial selection of films to earn recognition beyond the festival. The 2024 Puregold CinePanalo Best Picture winner, Under a Piaya Moon, later received six nominations for the 73rd FAMAS Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Joel Torre, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Production Design. Kurt Soberano also earned a Best Director nomination at the Gawad Parangal ng Bayaning Pilipino.
Meanwhile, films from Puregold CinePanalo’s student shorts category also gained international exposure. Sean Rafael Verdejo’s Dela Cruz, Juan P. and Mark Joseph Sanchez’s Our One and Only Bab(o)y were selected for India’s Jagran Film Festival, which runs from Sept. 4 to Nov. 16, while Clyde Cuizon Gamale’s award-winning Champ Green competed at the Hanyang International Shorts Awards in South Korea.
