CinePanalo team launches Teatro Panalo to champion new Filipino plays

The team behind the CinePanalo Film Festival is expanding its support for Filipino storytellers with the launch of Teatro Panalo, an inaugural theater festival for original one-act plays and musicals.

Produced and organized by Wishbone Collective, Inc., Teatro Panalo aims to discover and develop new works by Filipino playwrights by providing selected entries with dramaturgical support, production resources, and opportunities to be staged before live audiences.

Twelve original works—eight straight plays and four musicals—will be selected for full production as part of the festival. Each chosen playwright will receive P100,000 in financial compensation.

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Following the festival, one straight play and one musical will also receive full-length development grants, giving the works an opportunity for further artistic development and eventual commercial production.

Festival director Vincent de Jesus said Teatro Panalo seeks to give playwrights a platform to develop their stories with the help of experienced theater practitioners.

“We’re looking for authentic voices, fresh perspectives, and stories that deserve to be seen on the stage,” de Jesus said. “The next great Filipino play may be waiting behind an unopened script.”

The festival is open to amateur and professional Filipino playwrights aged 18 and above. Entries may be written in Filipino or English and must be original one-act works intended for approximately 35 to 40 minutes of stage performance.

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Adaptations, translations, and AI-generated creative works will not be accepted. Submissions may come from different genres, styles, and theatrical forms.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. on September 11. Interested playwrights can check the complete festival mechanics, eligibility requirements, and application details through the Teatro Panalo submission form.

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A shortlist of 16 straight plays and eight musicals will be announced on October 6. Shortlisted playwrights will then present their works to the Selection Committee from October 14 to 16, with the final lineup of eight straight plays and four musicals to be announced on October 16.

The selected playwrights will undergo a professional incubation program that includes dramaturgical guidance and production support. The inaugural Teatro Panalo festival is scheduled to take place from February to March 2027.

Meanwhile, Teatro Panalo comes as the CinePanalo Film Festival enters its third year, which runs from September 23 to October 4, featuring seven full-length films and 20 student short films.

The seven full-length entries are “Wantawsan” by Joseph Abello, “Mono No Aware” by BC Amparado, “Apol of My AI” by Thop Nazareno, “Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry)” by Carl Papa and Ian Pangilinan, “Beast” by Lawrence Fajardo, “Stuck on You” by Mikko Baldoza, and “Multwoh” by Rodina Singh. /edv