After making waves on the international festival circuit, Sunshine, the coming-of-age psychological drama written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, is finally coming home to the Philippines. The film will premiere exclusively in SM Cinemas on July 23, a year after its debut at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
Sunshine follows a young gymnast who discovers she is pregnant during national team tryouts. On her way to buy illegal abortion drugs, she meets a mysterious girl who eerily mirrors her own thoughts and behavior.
The film stars Maris Racal in the lead role, alongside Elijah Canlas, Annika Co, Jennica Garcia, Julius Gabriel Garcia, Janina Lorelei, Xyriel Manabat, and Meryll Soriano.
Jadaone shared that the film’s controversial premise—addressing unplanned pregnancy and abortion—made her uncertain about a local release. “But I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t really manifest it,” she said. When presenting the film to the MTRCB for review, she offered a preamble: “To introduce the film, what it means to me, the team, and the country. It’s not just a film, but it’s something that we feel is very important for more people to see.”
The film has since earned critical acclaim abroad, winning the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival and two major awards—the Narrative Feature Jury Award and Narrative Feature Audience Award—at the Austin Asian American Film Festival.
“This is an effort of the art industry to keep the conversation going and to contribute to the movement,” Racal said. “This one, hopefully, people will watch this. And hopefully, magalaw yung baso (the glass will move).”
“Sunshine is that kid that we are raising,” Jadaone added. “We’re all complicit in what happens to these girls. They’re just kids.”
Racal reflected on the film’s journey: “She was appreciated by other countries, so I hope she’ll be appreciated by Filipinos.”
Sunshine is rated R-16. Click here for more stories like this. You may also follow and subscribe to our social media accounts: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, and Kumu.
