TALES of death, friendship, grief, and queer love took center stage in three entries at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival — Multwoh, Patay Gutom, and Mono No Aware.
The festival featured unconventional stories that explored human connections beyond the boundaries of life and death, including two films involving ghosts — one a charming but lonely spirit in Patay Gutom and the other a queer character returning from the dead in Multwoh.
Multwoh (Patay na Patay Sa’yo), directed by Rodina Singh, stars Sassa Gurl and Joao Constancia in a haunting yet humorous exploration of friendship, unspoken affection, and queer love.
The film follows Marcel (Sassa Gurl), a queer college student who suddenly dies in a dormitory and returns as a ghost — not to seek revenge, but to confess something he never found the courage to say while alive: “I love you” to his best friend Miguel (Constancia).
Marcel must settle his unfinished business before the 40th day after his death, a significant milestone in many cultures and religious traditions that marks the end of a spiritual transition or a period of intense mourning.
Through humor and supernatural elements, the film explores life, death, the afterlife, and the emotional struggles of its characters.
Blending comedy, tenderness, and haunting moments, Multwoh portrays a love that refuses to die, using Marcel’s ghostly existence as a metaphor for queer visibility and the longing to be seen, heard, and accepted.
Both Marcel and Miguel are students at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Baguio City.
Meanwhile, Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry), co-directed by Carl Joseph Papa and Ian Pangilinan, stars Khalil Ramos and Pangilinan himself.
The story revolves around a grumpy, lonely man whose third eye is accidentally opened after he eats food intended as an offering to a charming but equally lonely ghost.
Bound together by this unusual encounter, the two gradually uncover family secrets, confront shared heartaches, and discover a connection that blurs the boundaries between life and the afterlife.
“It’s an exploration of loneliness, grief, and how opening up yourself to people can sometimes take nudging—and how it’s only by finding community that you are able to move forward from the difficult moments in your life,” director Ian Pangilinan said in an interview.
While Multwoh and Patay Gutom approach death through supernatural encounters and unexpected affection, Mono No Aware offers a more somber reflection on mortality, isolation, and the fleeting nature of human existence.
Directed by BC Amparado, the film stars Juan Karlos Labajo and Perry Dizon.
It follows a Filipino overseas worker employed as a kodokushi cleaner in Japan, highlighting the stark contrast between the isolation experienced by some people in Japanese society and the communal relationships familiar to many Filipinos.
A kodokushi, or “lonely death,” cleaner specializes in cleaning and restoring residences where individuals have died alone, often remaining undiscovered for weeks or even months until neighbors notice an unpleasant odor or an accumulation of unopened mail.
The work involves not only hazardous cleaning procedures but also the emotional burden of confronting the circumstances of people who died without anyone by their side.
Kodokushi has become a troubling social phenomenon in Japan, particularly among elderly individuals and socially isolated people. Tens of thousands of such deaths have been reported annually, reflecting the challenges of an aging population, weakened social connections, and increasing loneliness.
Against this backdrop, Ichi, the Filipino protagonist, encounters an elderly widower (Dizon) who asks him to fulfill one final favor before his death.
What begins as a simple promise gradually unfolds into a poignant exploration of grief, family relationships, and the acceptance of life’s impermanence.
Multwoh, Patay Gutom, and Mono No Aware were among the seven official full-length finalists of the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, which also featured 19 student short films.
The four other full-length entries were Wantawsan, directed by Joseph Abello and starring Joross Gamboa; Apol of My Ai, directed by Thop Nazareno and featuring Zion Cruz, Zanjoe Marudo, and Rochelle Pangilinan; Beast, directed by Lawrence Fajardo and starring John Arcilla; and Stuck on You, directed by Mikko Baldoza and featuring River Joseph and Xyriel Manabat.
Among the competing films, Mono No Aware emerged as a major winner, bagging the Best Film and International Jury awards.
Its director, BC Amparado, received the Best Director award, while Juan Karlos Labajo was named Best Actor and Momoko Kobayashi won Best Supporting Actress.
The film also dominated several technical categories, winning awards for Sound Design, Editing, Ensemble, and Cinematography.
Multwoh, meanwhile, received the Audience, Production Design, and Always Panalo awards.
Patay Gutom earned recognition for Best Story and Visual Effects, along with an Always Panalo award.
For Stuck on You, Xyriel Manabat was named Best Actress, while Reyna ng Quezon City won Best Song.
Apol of My Ai also collected major honors, with Zanjoe Marudo receiving a Best Actor award, Zion Cruz winning Best Child Performer, and the film earning the Best Musical Scoring award.
The 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival ran from September 23 to October 4 across eight venues in Metro Manila, with Gateway Cineplex 18 serving as its main venue.
Beyond the awards and cinematic achievements, these films offered compelling reflections on loneliness, grief, friendship, and love — reminding audiences that human connections can remain meaningful even in the face of death.
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“Peyups” is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com or call 0908-8665786./PN
