Puregold CinePanalo’s Pushcart Tales to light up the screen at Thailand’s Pattaya Film Festival

Sigrid Bernardo’s Pushcart Tales, from the inaugural Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, has been selected as an official entry to the Thailand’s Pattaya Film Festival 2025. Set to run from August 28-30, 2025, the festival has been envisioned to transform the coastal Thai city of Pattaya into a prestigious and buzzing hub for cinematic achievement in Asia.

Bernardo’s critically acclaimed dramedy stars Nonie Buencamino, Shamaine Buencamino, Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Harvey Bautista, Therese Malvar, and Elora Españo playing everyday people trapped inside a supermarket in the middle of a powerful storm.

Pushcart Tales was part of the lineup for the first-ever Puregold CinePanalo event and was one of the most awarded films at the end of the festival. It took home six trophies including Best Director, Best Actor for Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Best Actress for Shamaine Buencamino, Best Sound Design, Best Ensemble, and the Special Jury Prize.

“I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to have Pushcart Tales featured at the Pattaya Film Festival,” said the film’s director, Sigrid Bernardo. “I look forward to sharing our story with a wider audience and to connecting with other filmmakers and film lovers. It’s wonderful to know that Pushcart Tales can inspire and touch the hearts of people from different backgrounds—and thank the Pattaya Film Festival for this chance to showcase it. I am thus very excited to attend the event and share my experiences working on the film.”

Phil Dy described the film as “one of the greatest acting showcases the country has ever seen.” Jay Cruz of SINEGANG.ph also wrote that Pushcart Tales was “a story rich in form.”

Puregold’s senior marketing manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad spoke on the importance of the occasion. “We convey our congratulations to Direk Sigrid, her crew, and the wonderful cast of Pushcart Tales,” she said. “We are sure Direk Sigrid will make the most of this chance to demonstrate the ‘always panalo’ excellence of Philippine cinema at the upcoming Pattaya Film Festival.”

Pushcart Tales is just the latest from Puregold CinePanalo’s initial selection of films that continue to garner recognition beyond the festival. 2024 Puregold CinePanalo’s Best Picture Under a Piaya Moon recently received six nominations for the 73rd FAMAS Awards, which include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Joel Torre, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Production Design. Kurt Soberano also received a nomination for Best Director in the upcoming Gawad Parangal ng Bayaning Pilipino.

Meanwhile, films from the Puregold CinePanalo’s student shorts category have likewise been selected as official entries in international film festivals. Sean Rafael Verdejo’s “Dela Cruz, Juan P.” and Mark Joseph Sanchez’s “Our One and Only Bab(o)y” will be part of the Jagran Film Festival in India from September 4-November 16. Clyde Cuizon Gamale’s award-winning “Champ Green” will also be competing in the Hanyang International Shorts Awards in South Korea.

With a number of its films finding international success and recognition, Puregold CinePanalo continues to validate its role as a breeding ground for world-class, high-quality cinema.