Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival Winners Bared: Interview with Character Actor Rani Caldoza

Some of the winners in the recent Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival this 2026 Awards Night

After seeing several movies and shorts during the Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival this 2026, I was looking forward to see if my personal favorites would get the accolades that they deserve come awards night. True enough, both Mono No Aware, JK Labajo, and Shorts Limlim took the major prizes that evening.  

Full Length Category

Mono No Aware won Best Picture, Picked by International Jury, Best Director BC Amparado Best Supporting Actress Momoko Kobayashi and Best Actor Juan Karlos Labajo. 

Xyriel Manabat won Best Actress for their film Stuck On You. The awarding for that category was epic since they did a pageant like act during the announcement. It was versus Sassa Gurl.

Zanjoe Marudo won Best Supporting Actor for his role of the father in the movie Apol of My Ai. While Zion Cruz took Best Child Performer for the role of the kid in the same movie. He looked like a real life cherub, no joke!

Student Short Films

In the Student Shorts, I watched Set A and felt an inkling to the short film called Limlim because of its unexpected twists and turns. It also talked about a very heavy subject which they wanted to put out into conversation. They also won Best Director tied with the one from Kung Hain, Bisan Diin. 

Dark horse Alumahan got the Jury Award and Brand Intrusion. They also got Best Film Poster for the movie. Starfish was called several times as they got Best in Visual Effects, and Best Supporting Actress. I still need to see that. Technical Awards went to When Heaven Inched Towards Earth (Film Promotion), Multwoh for Brand Intrusion, and Alumahan for the same category.

We also got to talk to one of the stars of Kung Hain Bisan Diin and Bum Tak Sara Ti Nuangen, a personal friend, very visible character actor Rani Caldoza who's been in several films in past Cinepanalo entries, commercials and shows. This year, it was doubly hard for the chap since he is doing regional languages as part of the two short films, we asked if that proved a hindrance to do the role since he's not much of a native speaker. He says "Being a part of a film is always a new learning for me. Whether feature-length or a short film, I treat them like vessels that will teach me something. Each film is an opportunity to grow, to learn more about myself. Making them would mean I'd subject myself in a whirlwind of emotions. "Bumtak Sara Ti Nuangen” and “Kun Hain, Bisan Diin” resonated with me because of my roots as a Caldoza. I have family that are Ilocano and Waray. Doing this taught me a lot more than it just being work."

He adds "The Caldoza’s are hailed from Batac, Ilocos Norte and Hindang, Leyte. Solid Ilocano and Waray! I haven't met much of my relatives in Ilocos, this goes the same with my Waray clan. I have not met my Grandparents either from Leyte, but I'd like to change that. It brings me so much pride to me to be a part of these projects. Family milestones remind me how the simple things can turn into memorable experiences. While I still consider myself a newcomer in the film industry, I am trying to learn to recognize every moment as something worthy of being filmed. I am yet to learn, but I cannot wait to tell stories of life, love, and family. There is more to come from Rani Caldoza."  

I am so proud of you buddy! I've been seeing him almost everywhere and I'm glad that in a way, we get to work in the same industry and didn't even know it LOL. This is what the Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival is doing, bringing more opportunities for people in entertainment, behind the camera and recognizing them too. They also have been able to put forward very nice Filipino films and short films and have it available for folks to watch in cinemas, expose them to an entirely different audience every year! Here's hoping for more international accolades for the films this year, because I'm sure, they'll go places!