MANILA , Philippines – Following a fruitful inaugural version final 12 months, the 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Movie Competition boasts an expanded and star-studded full-length lineup, with eight options set to take part in its principal competitors part, alongside 25 aggressive pupil quick movies from totally different universities throughout the nation.
The pageant is about to run from March 14 to 25 at Gateway Cineplex 18.
“CinePanalo is constantly leveling up. I can’t think about really coming from final 12 months once we had been simply experimenting with this concept that we need to see as a result of we all know the trade wants help,” mentioned CinePanalo pageant director Chris Cahilig in a mixture of English and Filipino at a latest press launch in Quezon Metropolis.
He continued, “We didn’t know that it might really go so quick. And to the individuals who have supported us because the very starting, we’re so completely satisfied.”
Chosen from a complete of 141 full-length entries and 200 pupil shorts entries, all adhering to the pageant theme “Mga Kwentong Panalo ng Buhay,” the eight full-length finalists had been granted P3 million every, whereas the 25 pupil shorts acquired P150,000 every — up from final 12 months’s P2.5 million and P100,000, respectively.
In a separate interview, Cahilig mentioned that for the characteristic lineup, the pageant allotted three slots to commercially viable movies and one slot to a producer’s selection, which was finally awarded to Child Ruth Villarama’s documentary movie Meals Supply: Contemporary from the West Philippine Sea.
“We had been simply supposed to pick out seven full-length movies however ended up freely giving eight grants,” Cahilig mentioned.
“We’re excited to uplift the voices of native Filipino filmmakers and we stand by each manufacturing chosen to hitch the pageant. The extra we give to our artists, the extra they offer again to our nationwide tradition as a complete.”
Expanded slate
Among the many full-length roster is Mes de Guzman’s Sepak Takraw, his 14th characteristic, starring Enzo Osorio (contemporary from his Cinemalaya Greatest Actor win for The Listening to), Nicollo Castillo, Ruby Ruiz, and Acey Aguilar.
The newest addition to De Guzman’s Nueva Vizcaya-set narratives, the movie follows two siblings from the Isinay tribe who’re reunited by sepak takraw, a Southeast Asian staff sport also referred to as kick volleyball.
“Till now, I’m nonetheless rewriting as a result of the story remains to be evolving, as a result of we’re [filming] within the space the place the Isinay tribes are. As , the Isinay tribe belongs to the large three of the tribes in Nueva Vizcaya that are actually practically forgotten,” mentioned the director.
I’m Drunk, I Love You director JP Habac can also be making his CinePanalo debut with Olsen’s Day, that includes Khalil Ramos, Romnick Sarmenta, and Xander Nuda. Based mostly on the very first quick movie he wrote in 2012 after his father’s demise, Habac mentioned the story tackles the significance of household, whether or not organic or chosen.
“It’s a lot enjoyable doing this sort of movie as a result of it’s private for individuals who wrote it and for the director. And I personally associated to it as a result of one, I’m a father and I had a father. For me, the journey of how the story was instructed opened loads of concepts and likewise touched loads of factors in my private life,” mentioned Sarmenta, who was current on the launch, whereas additionally calling for help for pupil shorts.
For the primary time, the CinePanalo slate may also embody a full-length documentary, Child Ruth Villarama’s Meals Supply: Contemporary from the West Philippine Sea, about Filipino fisherfolk offering meals to communities in want whereas confronting China’s aggression in opposition to them.
Different titles included within the lineup are TM Malones’ Salum, a father-daughter story set in Iloilo’s Gigantes Island, starring Allen Dizon and Christine Mary Dimaisip; and Tara Illenberger’s Tigkiliwi, a story about two younger sisters orphaned then taken care of by a mysterious outdated girl, led by Ruby Ruiz, Gabby Padilla, and Julian Paul Larroder.
Finishing the slate are Christian Paolo Lat and Dominic Lat’s Journeyman, a boxing film, showcasing JC Santos and Jasmine Curtis-Smith; Jill Singson Urdaneta’s Co-Love, monitoring fashionable content material creators coping with romantic points, led by KD Estrada, Alexa Ilacad, Jameson Blake, and Kira Balinger; whereas Janella Salvador and RK Bagatsing are teaming up for producer Catsi Catalan’s directorial debut Fleeting, a whirlwind romance between a dreamer and an unambitious inheritor.
Rising skills
The pageant’s sophomore version additionally continues its help to promising younger artists, with its competitors part for pupil shorts.
“Filmmaking could also be one of the vital tough trades for younger folks to observe given the inherent prices of manufacturing,” Cahilig instructed Rappler.
“Now we have seen that many college students taking on movie typically wrestle with the fundraising portion of their schoolwork, thus inhibiting their capacity to check their craft. As such, we imagine that the Puregold CinePanalo offers an unbelievable alternative for pupil filmmakers.”
Out of the 25 finalists, the Polytechnic College of the Philippines leads the class with six entries making the minimize, together with Adelbert Abrigonda’s Dan, En Pointe, Allan Steadiness Jr.’s Most cancers Din Ang Zodiac Signal Mo?, Naiah Nicole Mendoza’s Taympers, Alexie Nicole Pardo’s Checkmate, Mark Joseph Sanchez’s Our One and Solely Bab(o)y, and Aubrey Soriano’s Si Nadia at ang Kanyang mga Kuro-kuro.
Shut behind is the College of the Philippines Diliman with 5 entries, together with Carlos Dala’s movie, Clyde Gamale’s Champ Inexperienced, Mae Malaya’s Sisenta!, Jadrien Morales’ Let’s Go Someplace Else, and John Lester Rimorin’s Japan Surplus. Then two titles from UP Visayas: Maria Eleanor Javier’s Mom at Sixty and Kieth Earl Rebaño’s Daeaura.
Different entries chosen within the class are Angel Allizon Cruz’s Dito, Dati, Roniño Dolim’s Sine-Sine, Kenneth Flores’ 1… 2… Strike!!!, Austine Rae Fresnido’s Sa Susunod Sisikat si Susan, Bjorn Herrera’s Nanay’s Frankenstein, Ira Corinne Malit’s SamPie, Vhan Marco Molacruz’s Uwian, Regene Narciso’s Papunta Ka Pa Lang, Naka-Bounce Na Ako, Jose Andy Gross sales’ G!, Jasper Tan’s Sa Pagbunga, Johannes Tejero’s Daog, Pildi, and Sean Rafael Verdejo’s Dela Cruz, Juan P.
Past the grants and gear supplied to the scholar administrators, Cahilig additionally emphasised the screening platform the pageant extends to their movies.
“It’s our hope that the Puregold CinePanalo continues to supply pupil filmmakers with the means to carry their visions to life, in addition to the jumpstart they should attain audiences that may join deeply with their work,” he mentioned.
Other than the competitors sections, CinePanalo will introduce a revisited part, showcasing all full-length movies from final 12 months’s lineup, similar to Kurt Soberano’s Greatest Image winner Below a Piaya Moon and Sigrid Bernardo’s Particular Jury Prize winner Pushcart Tales.
World publicity
However what’s subsequent for the CinePanalo entries publish pageant run? Cahilig mentioned the pageant shall be collaborating with veteran producer Ferdy Lapuz, who will function its worldwide pageant guide and distributor.
“We’re very aggressive in our efforts to submit and market the movies overseas and even pay for the journey bills of the filmmakers,” he mentioned.
Because the pageant director famous, a number of of the entries from the primary version went on to display in numerous worldwide movie fests. Amongst others, Soberano’s Below a Piaya Moon participated within the 2024 Competition Worldwide du Movie Transsaharien de Zagora in Morocco; Kent Cadungog’s Particular Jury Prize winner Textual content Discover Dad and Ship to 2366 competed within the 2024 Singapore Worldwide Movie Competition, adopted by a characteristic at this 12 months’s Emirates Movie Competition; and Carlo Obispo’s A Lab Story was chosen for the 2024 Asian Movie Competition Barcelona and the 2024 Brunei Movie Blitz.
“We’re completely satisfied to encourage this 12 months’s lineup to proceed looking for success with their work internationally and spreading the prime quality of Pinoy artistry,” mentioned Cahilig. – Rappler.com
