Puregold CinePanalo Student Shorts winners to receive full scholarships, tuition discounts from APFI

In a recently forged partnership, the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival and the Asia Pacific Film Institute (APFI) committed to providing full scholarship grants and tuition discounts for winners and participants in the Festival’s Student Shorts Category. These benefits are on top of the Festival’s creative grant of P200,000 per Student Short.

Entering its third year, the Puregold CinePanalo has firmly solidified itself as one of the most prestigious film festivals in the country. This is in no small part due to the festival’s unwavering support for aspiring filmmakers. Since its inception, the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival has endowed them with hundreds of thousands worth of grants, a largesse that is likewise extended to student filmmakers.

This year, through the tandem of Puregold CinePanalo and the Asia Pacific Film Institute, not only will the student participants receive funding to create the movies of their dreams, but they will be given the resources to achieve their academic aspirations as well.

Under the partnership, the APFI will award three full scholarships to the winners of the major awards in the Student Shorts category, namely the Best Film, Jury Prize, and Best Director. In addition, the APFI shall provide a 100% scholarship for specific subjects chosen by the organization, including courses in Advanced Cinematography, Production Design, Scriptwriting, Acting, Editing, and Sound Design.

The APFI will also provide a 10% tuition discount on selected subjects for all students, crew, and members of each participating film, whether in the Student Shorts category or Full-Length category. On top of all this, the APFI will organize Career Talks during the Festival, which will help student filmmakers translate their artistic aspirations into sustainable career paths in the film and media industry.

Puregold CinePanalo Festival Director Christopher Cahilig, APFI General Manager Russel Frederick Oledan and Festival Chair Ivy Hayagan-Piedad affirm their new partnership with a handshake, a step that strengthens scholarship grants for young, aspiring filmmakers.

According to APFI, the Puregold CinePanalo’s advocacies in supporting the dreams of young filmmakers totally align with its own mission as an independent, self-sustaining, and industry-focused film school.

“The participants of Puregold CinePanalo have already proven themselves as talented storytellers with the potential to succeed,” says Russel Frederick Oledan, general manager of APFI. “Asia Pacific Film Institute is thus honored to support their journey by providing the mentorship, training, and platform to refine their craft.”

Mr. Oledan further affirms that the partnership reflects APFI’s vision of nurturing young storytellers who will shape the next generation of Philippine cinema. “It is a dream we share with the folks at Puregold,” he states.

Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold senior marketing manager, agrees and believes the shared passion of Puregold and APFI will bring the CinePanalo to heights it has never seen before.

“CinePanalo just keeps growing. We’re seeing even more institutions rally behind the cause. Partners like the Asia Pacific Film Institute remind us that uplifting Philippine cinema is a shared mission, one that starts by investing in the next generation of storytellers,” said Ms. Hayagan-Piedad.

The festival proper will be held at the Gateway Cineplex 18 and select Ayala Cinemas. Seven full-length films and 20 student Shorts will make up the festival lineup. To date, a number of Puregold CinePanalo alumni films have been showcased — and won awards — at both local and international film festivals.

For more information on the Puregold CinePanalo, you may stay updated through the official Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/puregoldcinepanalo.