Puregold CinePanalo 2026, now in its third year, recently announced its magnificent seven directors and their films, which are officially part of the competition. Three years plus a septet of progressive filmmakers equals a perfect 10 — an edition of what has truly become an important Filipino film festival.

Launch

There was no drama — nada in terms of technical hitches. The announcement program was short, sweet and swift. I loved the musical score played before the actual announcement and the creative use of lights. There was a sense of grandness to it all, making for an unforgettable afternoon thanks to the palpable congenial vibe and cheery atmosphere inside the venue.

Another memorable highlight of the launch was the video presentation featuring Elora Espano as the woman reaching for cocktail cans during the big reveal of the seven official entries in the full-length category. Elora nailed the part — she truly is a gifted actress.

The seven feature films are: 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 Baldazo’s Stuck on You and Rodina Singh’s Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo).

The magnificent seven

Joseph Abello’s last film was Double Twisting, Double Back (2018), one of the most controversial entries in the Cinema One Festival, with Tony Labrusca playing a gymnast with a fractured and perverse personality. Labrusca, incidentally, stars in Dream Boi, another much-talked-about film at this year’s CineSilip Festival. Abello’s debut film, What Home Feels Like, was declared Best Picture at the very first ToFarm Film Festival.

Of Wantawsan, Abello said: “It’s a family drama with a lot of heart. Being part of this festival comes as a happy kind of shock and surprise.”

BC Amparado is best known for Gulay Lang, Manong — a film about medical marijuana — and Salikmata, a story about a forbidden love affair between a young man and a politician’s daughter. Speaking about Mono No Aware, Amparado shared: “It will be shot in Japan and explores themes of life, death and the realities faced by OFWs.”

Thop Nazareno’s acclaimed films include Edward, Kiko Boksingero and Purok 7. Coming-of-age stories are the hallmark of his work, which is why Apol of My Ai stays true to his signature style. Nazareno explained: “It’s about a young boy who has a crush on his teacher, not knowing that his rival for her affection is his own father.”

Ian Pangilinan — who played Vlad, the film student in Gaya Sa Pelikula, widely considered one of the most significant Filipino boys’ love dramas — now steps behind the camera for real as co-director (with Carl Joseph Papa) of Patay Gutom.

Pangilinan said: “Being a director — it’s surreal, kilig, and definitely a dream come true. I’m excited since this is my directorial debut. The film is all about love and its many splendored things.”

Lawrence Fajardo is no stranger to film festivals. His notable works include Imbisibol, A Hard Day and The Hearing, all of which competed in major Filipino film festivals. This marks his first time joining Puregold CinePanalo.

Mikko Baldazo described Stuck on You as: “A story about a street-smart woman — a manicurist — who takes on various odd jobs to make ends meet and eventually becomes a shady character with a heart of gold.”

Rodina Singh, known for her bold and provocative films that often received MTRCB’s X rating, continues to push boundaries. Her works — Mamu: Is a Mother Too and Dream Boi — depict the lives, desires, and dreams of trans women with heartbreaking honesty.

For Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa Iyo), Singh said: “It’s my first film for general patronage. Hello, MTRCB — hindi niyo na ako ma-e-X (you can’t give me an X rating anymore)!” she laughed. “This movie is about a young trans woman, played by Sassa Gurl, who dies before getting the chance to tell the object of her affection how much she loves him.”

Applause for year three

All seven films in competition received a production grant of P5,000,000 and a chance to vie for the festival’s top awards. These feature films will be screened alongside twenty short films created exclusively by student filmmakers.