MARIS Racal’s coming-of-age movie “Sunshine” continues to make waves in the international scene, as it is set to be screened at the Taipei Film Festival and the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF).
Fresh from its US premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in California in April, “Sunshine” is heading to the international film festivals in New York and Taiwan on July 23, production outfit Project 8 Projects announced on its social media platforms.
The film will be screened in Taiwan cinemas on June 21, 23, and 28 at the Spot Huashan Cinema and Vie Show Cinemas Taipei Hsin Yi, respectively. A question-and-answer session with Racal, Jadaone, and co-producer Bianca Balbuena will be held soon after.
Meanwhile, “Sunshine” is one of the Filipino films at the NYAFF, as well as the Mikhail Red-helmed “Lilim” and the Lawrence Fajardo-helmed “The Hearing,” as seen on the festival’s official website.
Joining Racal in the film are Xyriel Manabat, Elijah Canlas, Meryl Soriano, and Jennica Garcia. Making a special appearance is Piolo Pascual, who will star as Padre Jaime, according to the production company.
“Sunshine” tells the story of an accomplished gymnast named Sunshine (Racal) who discovers she is pregnant on the day of tryouts for the national team. She is then faced with the difficult decision to either terminate her pregnancy or keep her baby.
In an October 2024 interview, Jadaone explained that the production decided to submit “Sunshine” to international film festivals before bringing it to the Philippines. It has since earned rave reviews from critics and bagged the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025. (Hannah Mallorca © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
