Twenty-five talented student filmmakers received a well-timed dose of holiday cheer from the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, securing them as the honored recipients of film grants valued at P100,000 each.
Hailing from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, these selected student filmmakers stood out among 245 entries in Puregold’s inaugural CinePanalo Film Festival, showcasing the most promising short film projects.
Vincent Co, President of Puregold Price Club Inc., expressed enthusiasm about the grants, emphasizing their significant contribution to aiding the production costs of these budding filmmakers’ ventures. “We’re hopeful that they share our excitement upon receiving this fantastic news,” he remarked.
The selection committee for the short film category comprised esteemed individuals such as award-winning director Lemuel Lorca, film critic Tito Valiente, Puregold Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Piedad, and Puregold CinePanalo festival director Chris Cahilig.
This category within the Puregold CinePanalo aims to captivate and motivate young creatives nationwide to elevate their craft. The P100,000 grant serves as a substantial resource in funding their filmmaking endeavors. As part of the inaugural CinePanalo festival, the chosen grant recipients will showcase their shorts at Gateway Cinema in March 2024, with the films also finding their way onto Puregold’s official social media platforms on YouTube and TikTok.
Reflecting on this initiative, Ivy Piedad, Senior Marketing Manager at Puregold, emphasized, “Puregold CinePanalo embodies a celebration of the hope and inspiration intrinsic to Filipino culture. We take pride in uplifting the work of these emerging voices in Philippine cinema. By investing in Filipino youth, we invest in nurturing the future defining artists of our era.”
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 chosen winners are set to embark on the production phase to bring their short films to life. These finished works will be showcased to the public, alongside handpicked feature film projects, during the inaugural Puregold CinePanalo. This event promises to mark a significant milestone in both the current and future landscape of the local film industry.
