Up-and-coming film directors will soon have the chance to showcase their very own “kwentong panalo ng buhay” as part of Puregold’s recently launched, first-ever film festival.
Dubbed CinePanalo Film Festival, the event will be marked by largesse—Puregold is giving away millions worth of production grants to help fund the works of a select group of filmmakers that will participate in it. To date, the festival is arousing immense interest and the application process is well underway to determine who will be part of it.
Vincent Co, President of Puregold Price Club Inc., spoke about the exciting opportunities that await participants. “We want CinePanalo to uplift the spirits of young and gifted filmmakers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” he said. “We hope that the CinePanalo platform and the financial grant, will provide an important boost to their aspirations.”
Puregold’s CinePanalo Film Festival is looking for inspirational stories that conform to the festival’s official theme, “Mga Kwentong Panalo ng Buhay.” Applicants whose creations reflect timeless Pinoy values about love, friendship, family, and hope will find vigorous support at the upcoming festival.
Only a select few that will best capture the spirit of the festival’s theme will receive the sought-after grants. Five amateur and professional directors will be given P2,500,000 each to produce a feature film for the festival. Meanwhile, twenty-five student filmmakers will be given P100,000 each to create shorts.
The completed films will be screened at a three-day festival to be held at Gateway Cinemas from March 8 to 10, 2024. The short films will also be posted on Puregold’s official social media pages such as the Puregold Channel on YouTube. These shorts will be featured next to Puregold’s successful retailtainment series such as “GV Boys,” “Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask,” and “Ang Lalaki sa Likod ng Profile”.
Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Senior Manager for Marketing of Puregold asserts, “CinePanalo Film Festival’s focus will be on the heartfelt and hope-filled. We look forward to what stories, this idea inspires in our local directors.”
The festival was officially launched at a press conference organized by Cinema 76 Film Society last August 8, 2023. Since the announcement of the event dropped, festival officials have been receiving dozens of inquiries from interested filmmakers. An esteemed selection committee will sift through all applications to find the exceptional directors who will make up the festival’s lineup in March.
Interested participants may email thesecretariat@cinepanalo.com to receive the materials needed to apply. All applications and requirements must be emailed back by October 27, 2023. A shortlist of selected directors is expected to drop by November 6, 2023.
