Thop Nazareno and the art of forgiving yourself

(Seven Filipino filmmakers, each receiving a record ₱5 million grant from Puregold CinePanalo 2026, recently sat down with the radar Entertainment team for an exclusive interview.)

In “Apol of My Ai,” Thop Nazareno turns a playful premise—a father and son falling for the same teacher—into a tender meditation on love, family, and the quiet courage it takes to forgive.

When Thop Nazareno describes his new film, he does it with the same understated charm that defines his work. “It’s about Apol, a kid who falls in love with his teacher,” he says. “But the twist is that his father also falls in love with the same teacher.” 

The story, equal parts comedy and heartbreak, unfolds in that strange, sweet space where innocence meets reality… where people are forced to confront love not as fantasy, but as a mirror.

Nazareno, known for his sensitivity to small, human moments, joins Puregold CinePanalo 2026 for the first time with “Apol of My Ai.” He admits he was overwhelmed when he found out he’d made it to the shortlist. “There were over 200 submissions,” he recalls. “Just to be part of that group, with friends, with well-known filmmakers, it’s something else.” For him, the experience feels less like a contest and more like a reunion of storytellers weathering the same storms.

“It’s great that there’s another platform like CinePanalo,” he says. “Especially now, when the industry is struggling with streaming and with piracy. It’s hard. So it’s good that there’s still a venue for filmmakers to show their work.” There’s a calm gratitude in his tone, that of a director who’s been around long enough to know how fragile the act of making films can be.

At its heart, “Apol of My Ai” is about connection, but it’s also about forgiveness… of others and of oneself. “It’s about love,” Nazareno says simply. “It’s about forgiving not only other people, but forgiving yourself as well.” That might be the secret to his storytelling: a refusal to judge, even when his characters stumble into the absurd or the uncomfortable. In his cinema, kindness isn’t a weakness… it’s the only way through.

And in a film landscape often defined by cynicism, “Apol of My Ai” feels like a quiet act of rebellion… a reminder that to love, to err, and to forgive are all parts of the same messy human grace.