MANILA, Philippines — Puregold’s CinePanalo 2026 film festival is set to showcase an eclectic lineup of 26 feature and short films that celebrate imaginative, distinct, and unconventional Filipino storytelling.
Running from September 23 to October 4, the festival features a mix of genres—including supernatural comedies, political satires, coming-of-age tales, and dramas—across several major theater venues, including Gateway Cineplex 18, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and Market! Market!
Among the feature-length offerings is Rodina Singh’s supernatural queer comedy “Multwoh (Patay Na Patay Sa’yo),” starring Sassa Gurl and Joao Constancia, which follows a deceased college student who returns as a spirit to confess her feelings to her crush.
In Lawrence Fajardo’s “Beast,” actor John Arcilla plays a farmer embarking on a magical journey to Manila alongside his carabao to trace the memory of his late niece.
Other supernatural and dark comedy entries include “Patay Gutom,” starring Khalil Ramos, Ian Pangilinan, Agot Isidro, and Cris Villanueva, which explores an accidental third-eye opening; and Mikko Baldoza’s “Stuck on You,” starring Xyriel Manabat and River Joseph, about a manicurist mistakenly caught up in a hitman conspiracy.
The lineup also includes Joseph Abello’s political comedy “Wantawsan,” starring Joross Gamboa, Rita Daniela, and Zion Cruz, centered on a father’s unexpected entanglement with a newly elected local official.
Grounding the festival with more traditional thematic narratives are Thop Nazareno’s “Apol of My Ai,” starring Zanjoe Marudo, Zion Cruz, and Rochelle Pangilinan, which delves into family and young love, alongside BC Amparado’s “Mono No Aware,” featuring Juan Karlos Labajo and Perry Dizon as a Filipino worker in Japan fulfilling an elderly widower’s final wish.
The festival’s student short film section covers socially relevant topics, including a queer archivist preserving early Pride March history, a lawyer seeking her activist mother, a transgender pageant contestant, and a grieving father navigating state bureaucracy.
Addressing the broader challenge of drawing audiences to local cinema amid competing entertainment options, festival organizers emphasized their commitment to providing a dedicated platform for local talent.
“Every film in this year’s CinePanalo carries the passion of its creators,” said Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, CinePanalo festival chair.
“Giving these stories a platform where audiences can experience and celebrate them is our way of supporting Filipino artistry and contributing to the continued growth of Philippine cinema.”