A schoolboy, seriously smitten. A beloved music teacher. And a tricky situation: his crush may be falling for his father.

This delightfully complicated setup drives “Apol of My Ai,” the upcoming Puregold CinePanalo feature starring Zanjoe Marudo, Rochelle Pangilinan, and rising child actor Zion Cruz in his first major big-screen role.

Directed by Thop Nazareno, the film follows Apolinario “Apol” Medina Jr., a grade school kid who asserts that he knows exactly what love feels like.

And for Apol, love looks a lot like Ma’am Ai.

Played by Pangilinan, Ai is the warm-hearted music teacher behind the Quiapo Elementary Chorale. She shares Apol’s passion for music and quickly becomes the object of his infatuation, a feeling he takes with utter urgency.

Then Tatay Poli enters the equation.

Played by Marudo, Poli is Apol’s single father, best friend, and partner in everyday life. Together, they run the family’s Kundimall Vintage Surplus Shop, their relationship shaped by the kind of easy closeness that comes from having only each other.

But when Apol senses that something may be developing between his father and Ma’am Ai, his harmless little crush unexpectedly takes a serious turn.

What follows is not simply a story of juvenile jealousy.

As Apol joins the Quiapo Elementary Chorale and discovers his own voice through kundiman, domestic changes begin testing the bond between father and son. A decision by Poli threatens to create distance between them, forcing Apol to confront emotions much bigger than his young heart can take.

ZION CRUZ STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

At the center of the story is Zion Cruz, a rising young actor to watch.

As Apol, Cruz delineates a role that swings from innocence to the painful realization that growing up sometimes means accepting choices you do not understand.

The project reunites the young actor with director Thop Nazareno, who, after their earlier collaboration in “Ang Himala ni Niño,” gives him a longer leash for him to show what he can do.

Cruz has earned recognition for his acting, including Child Performer of the Year at the PMPC Star Awards for Television and Child Star of the Year at the Platinum Stallion National Media Awards. He also appeared in “The Kingdom.”

With “Apol of My Ai,” Cruz gets the chance to take center stage together with two established screen personalities—and introduce himself to a potentially wider audience.

ZANJOE MARUDO PLAYS THE DAD CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE

Marudo has spent years acting in romcoms and family drama, and has even taken on heavier dramatic roles, but “Apol of My Ai” required particularly sensitive acting on his part.

As Tatay Poli, he plays a father whose world revolves around his son, even as his own choices begin redefining their relationship. Poli clearly wants what is best for Apol. But as the boy starts forming his own ideas about love, family, and where he belongs, he and Poli find themselves confronting feelings neither of them can easily put into words.

Marudo brings considerable acting talent to the role. His past commendations include a Gawad Urian Best Actor nomination for “Malaya” and an International Emmy Awards nomination for his performance in “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”

This time, however, the emotional conflict moves closer to home: how does a father pursue his personal journey without ‘losing’ his son along the way?

ROCHELLE PANGILINAN RETURNS TO MUSIC—WITH A TWIST

For Pangilinan, “Apol of My Ai” brings music back to the center of her screen life.

Long before she was a familiar figure in television dramas such as “Encantadia,” “Onanay,” and “Lolong,” Pangilinan gained wild popularity through the SexBomb phenomenon.

Now she plays Teacher Ai, the woman who introduces Apol to a deeper appreciation of singing and kundiman—and unwittingly becomes part of his very first romantic dilemma.

To Apol, she is the teacher who understands his love for music.

To Tatay Poli, she may be something more.

And that is where the film’s sweetest and most awkward moments begin.

A LOVE STORY—JUST NOT THE ONE APOL EXPECTS

“Apol of My Ai” has all the makings of a charming coming-of-age romantic comedy: an earnest childhood crush, an embarrassingly awkward father, a beloved teacher, and a boy who is absolutely certain that the adults around him are out to ruin everything.

Scratch the surface, however, and find something sweet and tender.

The film explores the many shapes love can take—first love, parental love, romantic love, and the difficult kind of love that sometimes means allowing someone you care about to grow and change.

Music becomes the thread that ties all these emotions together, with kundiman giving Apol a chance to vent feelings he may still be too young to understand.

As Cruz steps into one of his most important roles yet, “Apol of My Ai” promises a mix of humor, music, kilig, and family drama built around one very relatable youthful discovery: Sometimes your first heartbreak happens before your first romance even begins.

“Apol of My Ai” is one of seven full-length films competing at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, running from September 23 to October 4 at Gateway Cineplex 18, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and Market! Market!

Tickets are priced at ₱250, with a discounted rate of ₱200 for PWDs, senior citizens, students, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Perks cardholders. A ₱2,000 festival pass gives moviegoers access to all seven full-length films and 19 student shorts.

Festival passes will be available starting September 22 at Gateway Cineplex 18, and from September 23 onwards at Gateway Cineplex 18 and TriNoma.