MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Envisioned as a festival that would give young creatives “a more sustainable, energizing environment in which they may pursue their passions,” the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival celebrated student filmmakers alongside seasoned professionals at its inaugural awards night last March 16 at Gateway Cineplex 18, Araneta City, Cubao. Twenty-five student short films and six feature-length films participated in the festival, with trophies for each competition given the same spotlight during the awarding ceremonies. Ten student films were also given production workshop scholarships, courtesy of the Mowelfund Film Institute.
Finalists were announced last January 2024, with feature films receiving PHP2.5 million grants and student shorts receiving PHP100,000 grants. Entries were selected by a committee comprised of Puregold CinePanalo Festival Director Chris Cahilig, Republic Creative Business Unit Direct Lyle Gonzales; Puregold Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad; veteran director Jeffrey Jethurian; film critic Tito Valiente; and director Victor Villanueva.
Last Shift by student director Ronjay-C Mendiola was the biggest winner in the Shorts competition, bagging five awards: Best Film, Best Actor (Jules Azaula), Best Supporting Actor (Vince Macapobre), Best Screenplay (Ronjay-C), and Best Poster.
In the Feature-Length competition, director Kurt Soberano came out on top with six awards for his debut feature, Under a Piaya Moon. Along with Best Picture, the film also won Best Actor (Jeff Moses, tie), Best Supporting Actor (Joel Torre), Best Cinematography (Nathan Bringuer), Best Production Design (Jed Sicangco and Kurt), and Best Editing (Rodney Jarder Jr.)
Sigrid Andrea Bernardo‘s Pushcart Tales matched Piaya Moon‘s tally with six awards of its own in the Feature-Length competition. Sigrid took home the award for Best Director, with her film also winning Best Actor (Carlos Siguion-Reyna, tie), Best Actress (Shamaine Buencamino), Best Ensemble, and Best Sound Design, and the Special Jury Prize.
The full list of winners is as follows:
PINAKAPANALONG PELIKULA (BEST FILM)
Full-length: Under a Piaya Moon
Short Film: Last Shift
ALWAYS PANALO FILM
Full-length: A Lab Story
Short Film: Smokey Journey
PANALONG DIREKTOR (BEST DIRECTOR)
Full-length: Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, Pushcart Tales
Short Film: Dizelle Masilungan, Kung Nag-aatubili
PANALONG AKTRES (BEST ACTRESS)
Full-length: Shamaine Buencamino, Pushcart Tales
Short Film: Jade Mary Cornelia, Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366
PANALONG AKTOR (BEST ACTOR)
Full-length: Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Pushcart Tales, and Jeff Moses, Under a Piaya Moon
Short Film: Jules Azaula, Last Shift, and Cristmer Valencia, May Kulay Rosas Ba sa Bahaghari?
PANALONG KARANGALAN MULA SA MGA HURADO (SPECIAL JURY PRIZE)
Full-length: Pushcart Tales
Short Film: Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366
PANALO SA MGA MANONOOD (AUDIENCE AWARD)
Full-length: A Lab Story
Short Film: Saan Ako Pinaglihi?
PANALONG PANGALAWANG AKTRES (BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS)
Full-length: Nicole Omillo, Boys at the Back
Short Film: Maila Rediang, Repeater si Peter
PANALONG PANGALAWANG AKTOR (BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR)
Full-length: Joel Torre, Under a Piaya Moon
Short Film: Vince Macapobre, Last Shift, and Aiskhylos Akiyama, “Kung Nag-aatubili”
PANALONG KWENTO (BEST SCREENPLAY)
Full-length: Raynier Brizuela, Boys at the Back
Short Film: Ronjay-C Mendiola, Last Shift
MOWELFUND SPECIAL CITATION
Full-length: Under a Piaya Moon
Short Film: Ka Benjie
MOWELFUND SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
Kent Michael Cadungog, Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366
Jenievive Adame, Smokey Journey
Daniel Gil, Distansya
John Llever Sucaldito, Tambal nga Sabaw
Reutsche Colle Rigurosa Lima, Till ni Lola
Alexa Moneii Agaloos, Ka Benjie
John Pistol Carmen, Repeater si Peter
Dizelle Masilungan, Kung Nag-aatubill
Joshua Andrey Doce, I Am Mutya and I Thank You!
Marian Jayce R. Tiongzon, May Kulay Rosas Ba Sa Bahaghari?
PANALO SA CINEMATOGRAPHY (BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY)
Full-length: Nathan Bringuer, Under a Piaya Moon
Short Film: Anton Acosta, Kung Nag-aatubili
PANALO SA PRODUCTION DESIGN (BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN)
Full-Length: Kurt Soberano and Jed Sicangco, Under a Piaya Moon
Short Film: Mikaela Ganaden, Remedy Soup
PANALONG AWITIN (BEST SONG)
Full-length: “Mahal Kita” by VJ Mendoza, Road to Happy
Short Film: “Balik” by Dixzie Dione Cruel, Tiil ni Lola
PANALONG ENSEMBLE (BEST ENSEMBLE)
Full-length: Pushcart Tales
Short Film: Smokey Journey
PANALO SA MUSICAL SCORING (BEST SCORE)
Full-length: Owa Marquez, Boys at the Back
Short Film: Bernie del Carmen, Smokey Journey
PANALO SA EDITING (BEST EDITING)
Full-length: Kurt Soberano and Rodney Jarder Jr., Under a Piaya Moon
Short Film: Reutsche Colle Lima, Nyle Justin Bacolod, and Elj Seth Tababa, Tiil ni Lola
PANALO SA SOUND DESIGN (BEST SOUND DESIGN)
Full-length: Nioki Aquino, Pushcart Tales
Short Film: Kzee Flores, May Kulay Rosas Ba Sa Bahaghari?
PANALO SA FILM POSTER (BEST POSTER)
Full-length: Boys at the Back
Short Film: Last Shift
The Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival is currently on an extended run until March 26 at Gateway Cineplex 18, Araneta City, Cubao.
