The CinePanalo Film Festival of Puregold has excelled in 2026. It pushed Philippine cinema like no other film festival in this country. It definitely uplifted the industry, even without extravagance.
The Puregold CinePanolo Film Festival (PCFF) is in its third run this 2026—one of the best film line-ups we have ever seen. It created long lines of moviegoers on the weekend.
The PCFF 2026 proved that Philippine cinema is not a questionable industry. In an era of online streaming and superhero films dominating the screens. CinePanalo’s opening day sold out across several participating cinemas in Metro Manila. Screenings are still ongoing until October 4.
CinePanalo carefully curated the films that can impact the audience. Puregold funded seven full-length films and 19 student short films.
Out of these seven full-length films, we give praise to two of these films. The “Mono No Aware” and the “Beast” stand out from the three full-length movies we watched.
Beast stars John Arcilla as Lolo Omeng, directed by Lawrence Fajardo. A farmer embarks on a journey with his loyal beast to Luneta Park. What is great about this movie is a display of forgotten practices we rarely see in the provinces. Then modern elements seem to overshadow what a true Filipino is.
This movie also addresses many issues our society is facing. Issued such as toxic social media, modern transportation issues, social issues, and the disappearing slow life. This raises a big question: who is truly the Beast? As usually we get the best performance from John Arcilla as always.
The cinematography is great, with no short use of light and dynamic symmetry. However, the talking carabao is not impressive. It looks like a poor use of AI every time the carabao talks. Either they don’t have the budget for CGI or the AI’s texture rendering couldn’t match its natural surroundings.
Mono No Aware seems to be like a Japanese film, but it’s not. After watching it, you get the idea of what the movie is about. This film addresses the lives of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Japan. In this film, you will be surprised by what kind of jobs there are in Japan. One of these jobs our OFWs do is specialized cleaners for crime scenes. One OFW is a new father trying to make amends despite the low-paying job. Along the storyline, this young father came across another elderly Filipino who has lived and is widowed in Japan. The further you watch, the more you realize this film is about loneliness. A sight common in Japan that Filipinos get dragged to.
Impressive execution of this film as if it were Kurosawa with a Filipino flavor. The excellent use of dynamic symmetry in many scenes. What’s more astonishing is the multiple tongues. A display of Filipinos polygot talent. A conversation shifting naturally with the use of Tagalog, Bisaya, Nihongo, and English. Especially in the scene where it includes a Japanese caregiver and two Filipinos are in the living room.
The short films also deserve high praise. While the cinematography is good, their storyline are better. The audience would connect more to two of these short films. These are Teks Battle and Bumtak Sara ti Nuangen.
The best script you have seen from students of these two short films. “Teks Battle” is a reminiscing moment for Generation X. A game that you are surprised to see kids playing in this movie. An entertaining, funny movie that addresses power hunger in Filipino society. A story without sugarcoating and goes straight to the point.
The “Bumtak Sara ti Nuangen” addresses a toxic Filipino cultural habit that is prominent in rural areas. A person who successfully gets a Visa becomes the talk of the town, and almost everyone in the community wants a taste of it. A funny way to look at this toxic Filipino reality.
Here is a rundown of the films of CPFF with commentary from moviegoers.
Full-Length Features
Patay Gutom
Rundown: A grumpy shut-in eats a ghost offering, opening his third eye and binding him to a lonely ghost to uncover family secrets.
Review: A crowd favorite (~8/10). Praised for Khalil Ramos and Ian Pangilinan’s dynamic chemistry, smart balance of humor and grief, and Baguio atmosphere.
Mono No Aware
Rundown: A Filipino solitary-death cleaner in Japan fulfills an elderly widower’s final wish before he dies.
Review: Critically acclaimed for its poignant, gentle exploration of grief, family, and mortality, featuring a standout performance by Juan Karlos Labajo.
Stuck on You
Rundown: A heartbroken manicurist accidentally accepts a hitman’s job and gets tangled in a deadly conspiracy.
Review: Fun, fast-paced comedy with Thai-ad style humor. Xyriel Manabat carries the film, though the middle act suffers from minor pacing lags.
Multwoh (Patay Na Patay Sa’yo)
Rundown: A college student dies suddenly and returns as a ghost to confess their unrequited love.
Review: Hilarious and warm queer comedy set in Baguio led by Sassa Gurl, though the second half feels slightly narrative-cluttered.
Apol of My Ai
Rundown: A young boy navigating early adolescence falls for his choir teacher while dealing with a rift between him and his father.
Review: A touching coming-of-age story that uses music as a central bridge to explore family healing and growing pains.
Beast
Rundown: A farmer and his carabao travel to Manila on a magical road trip to search for his missing niece.
Review: A unique piece of magical realism anchored by a powerful performance from John Arcilla.
Wantawsan
Rundown: A struggling father receives cash from a newly elected mayor, leading to a chaotic sequence of events on his son’s birthday.
Review: Witty and humorous slice-of-life satire that blends everyday humor with sharp political commentary.
Student Short Highlights
Ang Huling Banlaw ni Susan
Rundown: A washerwoman uses vivid daydreams to escape the economic hardships of her daily survival.
Review: Highlight of the student lineup; widely praised for its sharp commentary on working-class struggle and strong color grading.
No Mad is an Island
Rundown: A young boy in a coastal fishing town dreams of expressing himself through dance.
Review: Commended for its aesthetic beauty, warmth, and expressive visual storytelling.
Starfish
Rundown: A sex worker returns to his provincial home to confront his estranged family and local oppression.
Review: A raw, dark drama noted for tackling complex social issues with intensity.
Teks Battle: Shoot Pati Pato!
Rundown: Children playing a card game in a small barangay mirror real-world social power dynamics.
Review: Clever and inventive, turning a simple childhood game into an effective social allegory.
What makes this CPFF stand out is that Puregold stepped in to fund these projects. Bringing along big sponsors, partnered cinemas, and a bag of groceries for moviegoers.
For a ticket price of ₱250 for each film, you get home with a bag of groceries that exceeds ₱1000. This is why this film festival gets numerous supports from major corporations. The moviegoers get home with a win. People can still watch these wonderful films up until October 4.