The third Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival named its winners on September 30 at Gateway Cinema 5 in Cubao. Screenings continue through October 4.

When ElysPlanet previewed Mono No Aware on September 22, it was the quietest of the seven features in Puregold CinePanalo 2026. It had a poster, a logline and a cast list, but no dedicated feature or interview, which several of the other entries already had. Eight days later, BC Amparado’s drama about a Filipino worker in Japan won nine awards at the festival’s Gabi ng Parangal (awards night), including Pinakapanalong Pelikula, the festival’s top prize.

The ceremony was held on Wednesday, September 30, at Cinema 5 of Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City. Puregold, the supermarket chain, runs CinePanalo as a production-grant program, and each of this year’s seven feature finalists received ₱5 million to make its film. Our festival overview explains how that grant model works.

Where the Nine Awards Came From

Besides the top prize, Mono No Aware won the International Jury award, Panalong Direktor (Best Director) for Amparado, Panalong Aktor (Best Actor) for Juan Karlos Labajo, and Panalong Pangalawang Aktres (Best Supporting Actress) for Japanese actress Momoko Kobayashi. It also took Best Ensemble and three craft awards: cinematography for TM Malones, editing for Edmund Telmo, and sound design for Willie Apa Jr.

Labajo, who fronts the band Juan Karlos, plays Ichi, a Filipino cleaner in Japan whose job is clearing out the homes of people who died alone and went undiscovered. He won from a field of seven nominees that included his co-star Perry Dizon, John Arcilla for Beast, and both leads of Patay Gutom, Khalil Ramos and Ian Pangilinan. Labajo did not attend the ceremony.

Journal News Online called Kobayashi’s win the night’s biggest surprise, noting that some in the room had hoped one of the homegrown nominees would take it: Rita Daniela for Wantawsan, Rochelle Pangilinan for Apol of My Ai, or Agot Isidro for Patay Gutom. Kobayashi was also absent, and the film’s co-producer from Japan accepted the trophy on her behalf.

Three Films Took Four Awards Each

Apol of My Ai, Thop Nazareno’s coming-of-age film, won Panalong Karangalan mula sa Hurado, the jury prize, along with three individual awards. Zanjoe Marudo won Panalong Pangalawang Aktor (Best Supporting Actor), Emerzon Texon won for musical scoring, and Zion Cruz won Panalong Child Performer. Cruz was nominated twice in that category, for this film and for Wantawsan, with Ruslan Jacob of Beast as the third nominee. Marudo did not attend the ceremony either.

Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo), Rodina Singh’s queer ghost story starring Sassa Gurl, won Panalo sa mga Manonood, the audience award. It also won for Rodrigo Ricio’s production design and took Panalo sa Brand Intrusion, the award for brand integration.

Patay Gutom, the live-action and animation hybrid co-directed by Carl Joseph Papa and Ian Pangilinan, won Panalong Kwento for the story by Papa and Yvonne Garcia, the visual effects award for its animation team, and Panalong Poster for Denver Balbaboco’s design. It shared the Puregold Always Panalo Film award with Multwoh, which brought each film to four.

Xyriel Manabat Was There to Collect

Of the four adult acting winners, Manabat was the only one at the ceremony. She won Panalong Aktres (Best Actress) for Stuck on You, Mikko Baldoza’s comedy in which she plays a heartbroken manicurist pulled into a hit job, opposite River Joseph. Sassa Gurl was also nominated in the category. The film’s second award went to “Reyna ng Quezon City” by Juana, which won Panalong Awitin (Best Song).

Beast and Wantawsan Went Home Empty

Two of the seven features won nothing. Beast, Lawrence Fajardo’s magic-realist road movie, had Arcilla in the Best Actor race and Jacob in Child Performer. Wantawsan, Joseph Abello’s comedy about a father and a ₱1,000 handout from the mayor he supported, had nominations for Joross Gamboa, Daniela and Cruz.

The Student and Panorama Shorts

In the student shorts competition, Samantha Palaje’s Limlim won Pinakapanalong Maikling Pelikula (Best Short Film). Palaje and Jomarie Corro-Reyes of Kun Hain, Bisan Diin. tied for Panalong Direktor, and Corro-Reyes’s film also won the jury prize. Alumahan won the International Jury award, and Ang Huling Banlaw ni Susan won the audience award.

CinePanalo’s first Panorama section, 10 shorts screening only at Gateway, had its own top award. It went to Zig Dulay’s The Other Side of Reality. Dulay is also directing Amir, GMA Pictures’ entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival in December. All 29 shorts are listed in our shorts guide.

The Last Weekend to Watch

CinePanalo screenings continue through Sunday, October 4, at Gateway Cineplex 18 in Araneta City, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and Market! Market! in Taguig. Regular tickets cost ₱250. A discounted rate of ₱200 applies to students, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Perks cardholders. The Panorama shorts screen only at Gateway.