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| (Image Source: Starmometer/Puregold Price Club Inc.) |
Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival is bolstering its support for Filipino filmmakers by introducing — for the first time ever — the new Panorama Shorts Section, which will feature previously completed short films from both professional and student filmmakers. Set apart from the festival’s grant categories, where selected filmmakers receive production funding to create new films, the Panorama Shorts Section is designed as a curated showcase of finished works. The initiative will allow more filmmakers to join the festival even if they did not participate in its production grant program.
The new section will feature ten never-before-shown Filipino short films, each marking its national premiere during the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival. The selected films will be screened at Gateway Cineplex 18 and select Ayala Cinemas on September 23-October 4, 2026. “The Panorama Shorts Section is yet another way for Puregold CinePanalo to continue expanding opportunities for Filipino filmmakers. Every year, we see more deserving stories and more exceptional talent that deserve to be discovered. Through the Panorama Shorts Section, we’re granting another platform where these Filipino voices can reach audiences on the big screen,” said Puregold Price Club Inc. Senior Marketing Manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad. The Panorama Shorts Section is open to Filipino filmmakers who are at least 15 years old, including students, emerging filmmakers, independent creators, and industry professionals. Eligible entries must be completed short films with a maximum running time of 20 minutes. Films must have finished production between January 1, 2025 and July 30, 2026 with all music and other creative materials in either original form or properly cleared for commercial use. To preserve the excitement of discovery, selected films must be making their Philippine premiere. Student thesis films that have only been screened within their respective academic institutions remain eligible.
Submissions are open until 11:59 pm on August 15, 2026. Applicants must complete the online application form which requires a screener link to the finished film, a synopsis and logline in either Filipino or English, the director’s résumé with links to previous works, and two recent photographs. The official selection of ten Panorama Shorts Section films will be announced on August 23, 2026. Although the Panorama Shorts Section is a non-competition showcase, one selected film will receive the Best Panorama Short Film award along with a ₱100,000 cash prize to be presented during the annual Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival Awards Night. Hayagan-Piedad encourages filmmakers from across the country — whether students, emerging storytellers, or experienced creators — to submit their completed films and become part of Puregold CinePanalo’s growing celebration of Filipino cinema.
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CCP Opens Applications For Its Kabataang Gitarista Program Batch 14 On August 2026
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| (Image Source: Cultural Center Of The Philippines) |
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), through its Artist Training Division under the Arts Education Department, once again opens applications for Batch 14 of the CCP Kabataang Gitarista (KG) Program until August 25, 2026. An initiative designed for young musicians, the program provides FREE weekly classical guitar training that fosters understanding of the instrument and its repertoire. Open to public high school students in the National Capital Region (NCR), the CCP KG program seeks aspiring classical guitarists in Grades 7, 8, or 9 who are eager to develop their skills. Applicants must be willing to commit to weekly training sessions on Saturdays at the CCP Annex Building and to dedicate time to self-practice on weekdays outside regular training hours. They must also be able to bring a nylon-stringed guitar to the lessons.
Interested applicants may complete and submit the online application form (through https://tinyurl.com/ApplicationFormB14) on or before August 25, 2026 at 5:00 pm. They are expected to attend the onsite auditions on August 29, 2026 at 1:00-3:00 pm at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, CCP Complex. Walk-in applications will also be accommodated on the day of the auditions. Applicants who successfully pass the onsite auditions will be invited, together with their parents and guardians, to attend an orientation and lecture on September 5, 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm, at the CCP Annex Building. Now in its 14th year, the CCP KG Program has provided young guitar players with quality classical guitar lessons and performance opportunities. Members of the ensemble have also performed across various CCP venues, selected public and private schools, outreach concerts outside Manila, and private engagements. Several members have likewise distinguished themselves in local and international competitions, earning recognition for their schools and bringing pride to the country through their achievements. More than technical training, the program aims to develop a performing classical guitar ensemble and provide young musicians with opportunities to explore their musical potential.
For inquiries regarding the CCP Kabataang Gitarista Program, interested applicants may visit https://linktr.ee/kabataanggitarista.official or contact the CCP Artist Training Division via email at kabataanggitarista.official@gmail.com. For updates and additional information, visit the official CCP website (https://culturalcenter.gov.ph/) and follow the CCP Arts Education Programs and CCP Kabataang Gitarista Facebook pages.
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Award-Winning Documentary Film “58th” Heads To Cinemalaya For PH Premiere
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| (Image Source: Daily Guardian/GMA Network) |
Continuing its impressive run on the international festival circuit, GMA Public Affairs and GMA Pictures' award-winning animated documentary film “58th” is set to hold its Philippine premiere at the 2026 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Carl Joseph Papa, “58th” will screen on August 13, 2026, 8:30 p.m. at the Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Premiere Theater & Cinema 1 as part of this year's Cinemalaya lineup.
“58th” honors the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre — widely regarded as the deadliest attack on journalists in history — and brings renewed attention to the story of Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay whose body was never found and who continues to seek official recognition as the massacre's 58th victim. Blending animation with archival footage, “58th” revisits one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history through a compelling visual language that resonates with younger viewers and international audiences alike. The film explores themes of press freedom, election violence, fragile democracies, impunity, accountability, and the continuing pursuit of justice. The animated documentary also serves as the final film performance of the late Ricky Davao who portrayed Reynaldo Momay. Leading the cast is Glaiza de Castro alongside Mikoy Morales, Marco Masa, Zyren Dela Cruz, and Biboy Ramirez. The film's inclusion in the 2026 Cinemalaya follows an impressive international festival journey. Earlier this year, “58th” made its world premiere at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), becoming the first GMA-produced film to be screened at the prestigious festival. It was later named one of the festival's Top 10 Audience Choice Films, reflecting its powerful impact on audiences worldwide. The film was also selected for the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France under the Contrechamp Feature Films category, making history as the first GMA Network film to screen at the world's most prestigious animation festival.
Most recently, “58th” won the Facing the Edge Award at New Zealand's 2026 Doc Edge Festival, an Academy Awards-qualifying documentary festival. The award recognizes films that challenge audiences to confront questions of justice, humanity, technology, and social change. Produced by GMA Public Affairs and GMA Pictures, “58th” is creatively produced by Public Affairs Senior Assistant Vice President for Documentaries Johnson Tam, together with Program Manager Ian Simbulan. The film reflects GMA's commitment to producing socially relevant and innovative stories that resonate with audiences both in the Philippines and abroad.
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Filipino Singer-Producer JMKO Launches New Era With “Malibu”, A Cinematic Reflection On Memory, Identity, And Finding Home
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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Corporation) |
Known to millions through his viral “Popcorn Duets” series on TikTok, JMKO has spent years building his voice both online and off, evolving from a reality singing competition winner in the Philippines to a songwriter, producer, and performer, ultimately refining his craft in Los Angeles. Now, with “Malibu”, he offers his most personal release yet.
Written by JMKO and Ryan Antooa and now available worldwide on major digital music streaming platforms, “Malibu” explores how certain places become attached to the people who once occupied them. Blending cinematic pop production with emotional R&B influences, the track captures the feeling of revisiting a place and realizing it still carries the emotional weight of someone who was once deeply important to you. It’s a song about memory, longing, and the quiet ways places can preserve moments long after they’ve passed. “Malibu is about how places can hold pieces of people. Sometimes you think you’re remembering someone else, but you’re really remembering a version of yourself that existed during that time. That’s what this song feels like to me,” says JMKO. The release also marks JMKO’s first major project under ABS-CBN Music International which signed JMKO as one of the first artists under its newly launched international initiative dedicated to expanding the reach of Filipino music worldwide. With a renewed creative vision and a body of work shaped by years of personal and artistic growth, JMKO enters this next chapter with greater clarity, confidence, and intention than ever before.
As the lead single from his upcoming EP, “Malibu” serves as both an introduction and an invitation, a first look into an artist who is no longer just finding his voice, but fully stepping into it. He says, “More than anything, I hope people see themselves in these songs. We’re all trying to make sense of where we’ve been, where we’re going, and who we’re becoming. If my music can help people feel a little less alone in that, then I’ve done what I set out to do.”
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Rising P-Pop Group DNA Celebrates Individuality In Self-Titled Debut Album
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| (Image Source: Starmometer/Puregold Price Club Inc.) |
Promising Kapamilya P-Pop group DNA puts self-expression and resilience at the forefront in their newly dropped self-titled debut album under ABS-CBN’s StarPop label. The trio, made up of sisters Julia, Tasha, and Ezri Mitra, takes listeners through different emotions and experiences — from self-confidence and friendship to love, anxiety, and personal growth.
During their album showcase, the group shared, “DNA as an album, you’ll see there’s a lot of variety in it. It’s us just exploring and experimenting to find what our sound is. It’s something everyone can relate to because everyone has a time in their life when they’re still figuring themselves out.” The album features eight tracks comprising of “DNA”, “Don’t Ask Me Why”, “Spider”, “Speeding Ticket”, “Lessons”, “BINGO”, “Glow Up Diary”, and “Gala To The Max” with all of the members contributing to conceptualizing and writing the tracks. Meanwhile, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid produced the track “Glow Up Diary”. Serving as the album’s key track, “Spider” explores the quiet battles many people face within themselves, touching on overwhelming thoughts and the hope of finding light even in life’s darkest moments. ABS-CBN Music creatives, content, and operations head Jonathan Manalo produced and co-wrote the song with Robert Pereña.
DNA first stepped into the music scene late last year with the empowering anthem “Don’t Ask Me Why” which has earned more than 100,000 Spotify streams and was featured in the iWant original series “Miss Behave”. The group followed it up with the bright, feel-good single “BINGO” and later lent their voices to the official SM Supermalls’ summer anthem “Gala To The Max”, further showcasing their versatility and credibility as performers.
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BGYO Kicks Off ‘On Demand’ Nationwide Tour Across SM Supermalls
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| (Image Source: Business Mirror/SM Supermalls) |
Popular P-Pop boy group BGYO is bringing their latest extended play (EP) “On Demand” closer to fans nationwide through the “On Demand” SM Supermalls Tour, creating a maxed-out experience filled with music, entertainment, and special moments at their most-loved malls. Following the successful launch of the “On Demand” EP at SM Mall of Asia last June 6, BGYO has already kicked off the “On Demand” SM Supermalls Tour with successful stops at SM City Telabastagan and SM City Novaliches. The tour continues at SM City Sto. Tomas on July 26, SM City La Union on August 1, SM City Baguio on August 2, and SM Southmall on August 8. Through SM Supermalls, BGYO’s fandoms across the country can continue to look forward to exciting performances, interactive games, photo sessions, and other special surprises designed to bring them closer to the group.
“On Demand” features seven tracks, including the lead single “Fresh”, an upbeat anthem that celebrates authenticity, confidence, and self-expression. The EP also includes “Forever Tonight”, “Life’s Too Short”, “Mean Girl”, “Raindrop”, “Trono”, and “Sinta”. The release marks BGYO’s third EP following “BGYO” and “Headlines”, both of which were released in 2025. Known as the “Aces of P-Pop”, BGYO comprises Gelo Rivera, Akira Morishita, Mikki Claver, JL Toreliza, and Nate Porcalla. The group entered the local music scene with their debut single “The Light” in 2021, which surpassed 100,000 Spotify streams within 2 weeks of its release. Since then, BGYO has continued to make its mark on the local and international music scene. The group has released two studio albums, “The Light” in 2021 and “Be Us” in 2022, and has earned recognition from both local and international award-giving bodies for its contributions to music. Among its notable achievements, BGYO won Brazil’s BreakTudo Awards for Song by a New International Artist for “Patintero” and received multiple AWIT Awards recognitions including the People’s Voice Favorite Group Artist award. In 2024, BGYO became the first P-Pop act to perform at the prestigious LA Fashion Week, further cementing its growing presence on the global stage.
Fans can catch BGYO live and celebrate the release of “On Demand” with fellow fandoms at SM Supermalls where music, entertainment, and unforgettable fan experiences come together for a truly maxed-out experience.
