16 films shortlisted for CinePanalo; SB19-Bini collab planned

From left: Mes de Guzman, Baby Ruth Villarama and Dolly Dolu are three of the 16 finalists —CINEPANALO/FACEBOOK

Sixteen full-length features from over 140 entries have been chosen as finalists of the 2nd CinePanalo Film Festival. From the lineup, seven filmmakers will each receive a P3-million grant and will compete during the festival run in March 2025.

“The festival has gone bigger and bolder. We’re scaling up things for CinePanalo,” said filmmaker and festival director Chris Cahilig. “In terms of grants, we gave P2.5 million to six filmmakers last year. I hope that the additional fund this time will get somewhere. As for the student filmmakers, we fulfilled the dreams of 25 of them with a grant of P100,000 each. This year, we will give P150,000 each to 25 short film students.”

The seven winning pitches will be announced on Aug. 24.

The following are the Top 16 finalists: Rafael Mina’s “Ahon,” Jill Singson Urdaneta’s “Co-Love,” Sigrid Polon’s “Dopamine,” Catsi Catalan’s “Fleeting,” Baby Ruth Villarama’s “Food Delivery,” Christian Paolo Lat and Dominic Lat’s “Journeyman;” JP Habac’s “Olsen’s Day,” TM Malones’ “Perlas sa Silangan,” Julius Alfonso and Eric Cabahug’s “Princess Maryam,” Rod Marmol’s “Reel Boyz,” Mes de Guzman’s “Sepak Takraw,” Dolly Dolu’s “Si Sol at si Luna,” Reeden Fajardo’s “Stuck on You,” Tara Illenberger’s “Tagsibol,” Noel Escondo’s “Waiting Shed,” and BC Amparado’s “Washing Machine.”

The festival will continue to carry the theme “Mga Kwentong Panalo ng Buhay.” It is the only festival that focuses on producing inspirational films. “We welcome films that are family-oriented, inspiring and wholesome. We are also open to comedy, drama, romance, historical, sports and even action. This year, we will be accepting animated films because there will be enough time to make them, as well as sci-fi, adventure, musical and, yes, even documentary films. We’re ready for more genres, except for horror and sex-themed projects,” Cahilig said.

Best of the best

For the short film category, only campus-based students are allowed to join, he added. The top 25 finalists will be announced on Sept. 26. Contenders for both shorts and full-length will have a formal press presentation on Jan. 24. The festival will run from March 14 to 25, 2025, and the awards ceremony will be on March 19.

“We often get asked, ‘Are we allowed to join international film festivals? Yes, we encourage that. In fact, we have a specific person tasked to help send our films to these events. We want to see these films shine, especially abroad,” Cahilig declared.

CinePanalo festival director Chris Cahilig –MARINEL CRUZ

“While we’re taking baby steps in the festival, it will be even bigger this year. Looking at the entries, we saw filmmakers who are considered the best of the best,” he said.

Production period

One of the biggest issues raised last year was the lack of time to make the films. When Inquirer Entertainment asked how this would be addressed for this edition, Cahilig said that from a three-month production period, the finalists will now be able to work on their films for seven months. “This will be from September to February, but knowing the filmmakers, they will push for the March deadline. It’s also good for them in terms of casting because a lot of the filmmakers last year failed to book the actors they wanted to work with because of the limited production time. With a better timeline, this would be possible now,” he pointed out.

Bini —BINI/FACEBOOK

Meanwhile, Cahilig hinted that famous pop groups SB19 and Bini, ambassadors of the grocery chain which is funding the festival are working on a “festival-related surprise.”

He explained: “All I can say about it is that, if you are fans of these artists, expect something explosive. I hope it will push through because a lot of us in the team like this particular project. It’s a collab between the groups and the festival as a special feature. A lot of the details are still being ironed out. It’s going to be amazing.” INQ