Writer-director Antoinette Jadaone’s (The Thing Called Tadhana, Alone/Together, Fan Girl) latest film Sunshine will have its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival under the Centerpiece Programme.

Sunshine tells the story of a young gymnast who discovers she is pregnant on the week of the national team tryouts and attempts to terminate the pregnancy. After a failed abortion, she discovers the harsh reality pregnant women of all ages and backgrounds face as they are robbed of the chance to choose for themselves.

Jadaone aims to bring to the forefront the important issues Filipina women face daily. “Sunshine represents the hundreds of thousands of girls who became pregnant in their teens. About 500 Filipino teenagers become mothers every day.”

She shares how she came to fully understand the conditions of these young women: “I interviewed poor, young mothers who contemplated abortion but decided to continue with their pregnancy. Their chilling stories mirror a reality we don’t face. The abortion ban may be protecting the unborn, but it’s killing our women too — both literally and figuratively.”

The film also aims to bring to light the struggles athletes face daily. The Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) partnered with Jadaone and the production team to ensure that the depiction of the gymnasts and the sport is accurately and fairly represented in Sunshine. With the meteoric rise of Filipinos going for gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics, now more than ever is the time to tell stories about local athletes fighting for their dreams every day.

Actress Maris Racal takes on the titular role of Sunshine. She shares her experience tackling the story and themes of the movie: “I am grateful to have played this important role especially since abortion is such a sensitive topic in the Philippines. I learned the weight that you carry when you are an athlete, the things that you have to give up and the hours that you have to dedicate to training.”

To sensitively and masterfully tell the story of Sunshine, Jadaone assembled a team comprised of the Philippine cinema industry’s best: director of photography Pao Orendain (Cattleya Killer, Almost Paradise, Maria), production designer Eero Francisco (The Missing, Leonor Will Never Die, The Woman and the Gun), editor Benjamin Tolentino (Your Mother’s Son, The Missing, Die Beautiful), and sound designer Vincent Villa (Viet and Nam, Fan Girl, Motel Acacia).

Sunshine is set to bring the reality of thousands of young women in the Philippines to the international stage — sending a sharp message about the state of body autonomy in a conservative and repressive culture that so often forgets about women.

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the biggest and most prestigious film festivals — with the Centerpiece Programme featuring titles from all over the world, honoring global cinematic achievements. The 49th edition of the festival runs from September 5 – 15, 2024.