Antoinette Jadaone’s drama film 'Sunshine' to star Maris Racal
Antoinette Jadaone's upcoming drama film Sunshine is set to be co-produced by her own film production outfit Project 8 Projects and ANIMA, the Filipino studio behind award-winning films On The Job 2: The Missing 8 and Leonor Will Never Die.
According to a report by Deadline, the film will follow Sunshine, a young gymnast who discovers she is expecting a baby on the week of the national team tryouts. As she heads to a seller of illegal abortion drugs, she encounters a mysterious girl who appears to eerily talk and think like her.
The film will have Maris Racal in the lead role, marking her third time working with Jadaone. They previously worked together for the comedy-drama show Simula Sa Gitna and the comedy series The Kangks Show.
Sunshine serves as a follow-up to Jadaone’s 2020 film Fan Girl which starred Paulo Avelino and Charlie Dizon.
The Filipina filmmaker told the news outlet that she aims to shed light on women’s reproductive rights in the Philippines to international audiences through her upcoming project.
"Sunshine represents the hundreds of thousands of girls who became pregnant in their teens," Jadaone said.
"These topics have always been taboo in the Philippines because of our deeply conservative roots, but when cases of teenage pregnancy and self-induced abortions rise every year, it is imperative that these stories be told," she continued.
Meanwhile, ANIMA's Head of Studios Bianca Balbuena highlighted that they are excited to work on Sunshine as the film is "of paramount importance in a world that constantly hinders women’s freedom over her own body.
"One of ANIMA’s goals is to support content that not only entertains but also challenges the status quo. I always advocate for women’s voices in cinema, and as a long-time fan of Antoinette Jadaone’s works, we are proud to be part of Sunshine, after our collaborations on critical and commercial darling Fan Girl, and the series Simula Sa Gitna," Balbuena said.
ANIMA's On The Job 2: The Missing 8 managed to win the Volpi Cup for Best Actor Award at the 2021 Venice Film Festival while Leonor Will Never Die was recognized for a Special Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Jadaone's Project 8 Projects, which she co-founded with her fiance and fellow filmmaker Dan Villegas, is known for Alone/Together and The Missing (Iti Mapukpukaw).
