Hiligaynon film, Mindanao short win Cinepanalo Film Festival 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Hiligaynon full-length film “Salum” directed by TM Malones, and Mindanaoan short film “Champ Green,” were honored the top prizes in their respective categories at the second edition of the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival.

At the awarding ceremony in The Elements, Eton Centris in Quezon City early this week, “Salum” took home four Puregold CinePanalo trophies in the full-length category namely: Panalong Pelikula, Panalo sa Production Design, Panalo sa Sound Design, and Panalo sa Musical Scoring as well as a cash prize of P250,000.

Meanwhile, “Champ Green” received a P100,000 cash prize and five trophies in the student shorts category including Panalong Maikling Pelikula, Panalong Pangalawang Aktor for Sol Eugenio, Panalo sa Kwento, Panalo sa Brand Intrusion, and Mowelfund Special Citation. 

In addition, “Champ Green,” being the students shorts winner, also won film equipment including a Black Mist, a Dream Filter, a Blue Lightstreak Filter from MFP Rentals and Kase Philippines; a Nanlite FC 60B with Merch from MQ Group and Nanlite Philippines; and a Hollyland Lark C1 Wireless Microphone from Sieztech Enterprize and Hollyland Tech Philippines.

“Champ Green” also won an extra P25,000 for winning the Panalo sa Brand Intrusion, as did fellow short film “G!” and full-length film “Journeyman” who won the same award; as well as “Checkmate and Taympers,” who similarly tied for Pinakapanalong Promosyon ng Pelikula. Each of these sponsors gladly awarded “Champ Green” with the equipment in order to support the development of young Filipino filmmakers such as “Champ Green” director Clyde Cuizon Gamale.

In the full-length category, another Hiligaynon film “Tigkiliwi” nabbed seven trophies including Panalong Karangalan Mula sa Hurado and Panalo sa Kwento for its writer-director Tara Illenberger. The charming film about a community of misfits swept the acting awards categories including Panalong Aktres for Ruby Ruiz, and Panalong Pangalawang Aktor for Jeffrey Jiruma.  

In an interesting turn of events, two ties were declared during the awards night. The Panalong Aktor trophy was shared between JP Larroder as “Tigkiliwi’s Tata,” and Khalil Ramos as the titular Olsen in “Olsen’s Day” while both “Journeyman” and “Olsen’s Day” were declared the winners of the Panalo sa Cinematography category. Meanwhile, JP Habac of “Olsen’s Day” bagged the Panalong Direktor award. 

“Journeyman” by the sibling-tandem of Christian Paolo and Dominic Lat took home a total of six trophies namely: Panalo Sa International Jury, Panalo sa Cinematography (tie with “Olsen’s Day”), Panalo sa Film Poster, the MTRCB Special Award for Responsableng Paglikha, Panalo sa Brand Intrusion, and the Puregold Always Panalo Film which it shared with the romantic-comedy film “Fleeting” by Catsi Catalan. 

For the student shorts, “Uwian,” directed by Panalong Direktor winner Vhan Marco Molacruz of Colegio de San Juan de Letran crushed the competition, winning five different awards including Panalong Direktor, Panalo sa Musical Scoring, Panalo sa Production Design, Panalong Aktres for Geraldine Villamil, and Panalong Pangalawang Aktres for Uzziel Delamide. 

Other notable entries to the student shorts category included Sean Rafael Verdejo’s absurdist dramedy “Dela Cruz, Juan P.,” which took home Panalong Karangalan Mula sa Hurado; as well as Ira Corinne Esguerra’s coming-of-age sibling story “SamPie,” which took home the Puregold Always Panalo Film award.

Each award was deliberated upon by an impressive lineup of qualified judges, including Festival Director Christopher Cahilig, Festival Chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, and Republic Creative Creations, Inc. representative Sonny Bautista, each of whom sat on both the student shorts and full-length jury panels. Joining them on the students shorts panel were directors Emmanuel Dela Cruz and Victor Villanueva, as well as film critic Lito Zulueta. The full-length jury panel, on the other hand, consisted of Cahilig, Hayagan-Piedad, and Bautista, as well as directors Jeffrey Jeturian and Mae Cruz-Alviar, writer and producer Moira Lang, and Estonian filmmaker Tiina Lokk, the festival director of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

This year’s CinePanalo saw increased grants for all entries, with P3,000,000 grants for full-length entries, and P150,000 grants for student shorts. The festival was also supported in large part by its partner organizations Terminal Six Post, CMB Film Services Inc., Gateway Cineplex 18, MFP Rentals, the MTRCB and the Mowelfund Film Institute.

“The Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival will always be fueled by a deep love for the art of cinema, and an even deeper ambition to show what Philippine talent and passion has to offer,” said Festival Chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad. “With the CinePanalo having reached a successful second edition, the possibilities are now endless. We can’t wait for all the wonderful films yet to grace the Puregold CinePanalo in all the years to come.”

“Salum,” “Champ Green,” and all the other full-length and student short films of the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival 2025 will continue to screen exclusively at the Gateway Cineplex 18, Cubao, Quezon City until the closing of the festival on March 25. Regular tickets are P250, with discounts available for students, PWDs, seniors, Tindahan ni Aling Puring, and Perks Card members for P200. Meanwhile, festival passes for the entire experience cost P2,000, granting holders entrance to all official movie entries.

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