Holiday cheers came right on time for twenty-five gifted student filmmakers when Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival named them as the official recipients of film grants worth P100,000 each.

The select student filmmakers—coming from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—turned in the most promising short film projects out of 245 entries submitted to Puregold’s very first CinePanalo Film Festival.

“The film grants will help tremendously with the production costs of their ventures as they pursue their passion for filmmaking,” said Vincent Co, President of Puregold Price Club Inc., enthused. “We certainly hope that they are as thrilled as we are by the good news.”

The selection committee for the short film category includes award-winning director Lemuel Lorca; film critic and columnist Tito Valiente; Puregold Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Piedad; and Puregold CinePanalo festival director Chris Cahilig. 

The short film category of the Puregold CinePanalo is primed to entice and inspire young creatives nationwide to push their craft. For one, the P100,000 grant is expected to go a long way in funding their filmmaking projects. For Puregold’s first CinePanalo festival, the chosen film grant recipients will have their shorts screened at Gateway Cinema in March 2024. The shorts will also be uploaded to Puregold’s official social media channels on YouTube and TikTok.

“Puregold CinePanalo will be a celebration of all things hopeful and inspiring about Filipino culture,” Ivy Piedad, Senior Marketing Manager at Puregold, said. “This is why we’re proud to uplift the work of these new, bright voices in Philippine cinema. By investing in the Filipino youth, we’re also investing in their development as the soon-to-be defining artists of our time.”

The winning student directors and their films are:

Jenievive B. Adame – “Smokey Journey” (STI College Cubao)

Ma. Rafaela Mae Abucejo – “Saan Ako Pinaglihi?” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Alexa Moneii Agaloos – “Ka Benjie” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Kent Michael Cadungog – “Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366” (University of the Philippines)

John Pistol L. Carmen – “Repeater si Peter” (Bicol University)

Chrisha Eseo Cataag – “Hallway Scholar” (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo)

Patricia W. Dalluay – “Lola, Lola, Paano ba ‘Yan?” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Joanah Pearl Demonteverde – “Kang Pagpuli Ko” (University of the Philippines – Visayas)

Joshua Andrey A. Doce – “I Am Mutya And I Thank You!” (Bicol State College of Applied Science and Technology)

Neil M. Espino – “Sa Hindi Paghahangad” (De La Salle Lipa)

Terrence Gale Fernandez – “Kaibigan ko si Batman” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Daniel Gil – “Distansya” (Ateneo de Davao University)

Alexandra Lapid – “Queng Apag” (Mapúa University)

Reutsche Colle Rigurosa Lima – “Tiil ni Lola” (University of San Carlos)

Dizelle C. Masilungan – “Kung Nag-aatubili” (University of Santo Tomas)

Jose Mikyl Medina – “Lutong Bahay” (De La Salle University)

Ronjay-C Mendiola – “Last Shift” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Mark Terence Molave – “Paano po gumawa ng collage college?” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

Jhunel Ruth A. Monterde – “Si Mary May Crush Kay Tess” (De La Salle College of Saint Benilde)

Doxford D. Perlas – “Naduea Eoman Si Brownie (Brownie’s Lost Again!)” (University of the Philippines – Visayas)

Andrea S. Ponce – “Layag sa Pangarap” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa)

Edz Haniel Teñido Purificacion – “Dzai Dzai Dzai Delilah” (Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna)

John Wilbert Llever Sucaldito – “Sabaw nga Tambal” (Far Eastern University)

Tyrone Lean J. Taotao – “Abandoned Lullabies” (Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa)

Marian Jayce R. Tiongzon – “May Kulay Rosas Ba Sa Bahaghari?” (University of the Philippines – Visayas)

The selected winners can now begin the production phase of creating their shorts. The final products can be watched by the public alongside selected feature film projects at the first ever Puregold CinePanalo. It is sure to be a historic event for both the present and future of the local film industry.