Maris Racal’s breakout indie film Sunshine continues to make waves internationally, winning two major awards at the Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF).
The sports drama, directed by Antoinette Jadaone, took home the Narrative Feature Jury Award and the Narrative Feature Audience Award from the AAAFF, which celebrates Asian and Asian-American voices through film and creative storytelling.
The film had its Texas premiere on June 29 as the closing night feature of the festival.
Sunshine follows the story of a teenage gymnast whose Olympic dreams are upended by an unexpected pregnancy. Clocking in at 92 minutes, the film features Maris in what many regard as her strongest dramatic role yet, alongside Elijah Canlas, Xyriel Manabat, Jennica Garcia, Annika Co, and Meryll Soriano.
The AAAFF jury praised the film for “the clarity of its storytelling, its potent sense of place, and an extraordinary lead performance by a striking new talent.”
“The energetic heart of the film keeps us gripped throughout, drawing us into the world of our lead’s complex dilemma while persuasively reminding us that life is so often about the possibilities we extract from seemingly impossible situations,” the jury added.
This latest recognition follows the film’s international success earlier this year, when it won the Crystal Bear for Best Film (Generation 14plus) at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 21.
Sunshine also premiered at last year’s TIFF on September 13, under the Discovery section. Meanwhile, the film made its European debut at the 2025 edition of the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, this April.
The film is written and directed by Jadaone, produced by Bianca Balbuena, Dan Villegas, and Geo Lomuntad, and backed by production companies ANIMA and Project 8 Projects.
Sunshine is scheduled for a theatrical release in the Philippines on July 23 and has received an R-16 rating. It will be distributed nationwide through SM Cinemas.
