The movie did many things right, including low ticket price, early promotion and support from filmmaking community.
Filling up seats in SM Cinemas these days is “Sunshine,” a drama starring Maris Racal about a gymnast who discovers she is pregnant as she is trying to prepare for the national team tryouts. In spite of the R-16 rating, the recent typhoons and going against “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” not to mention a controversial lead star, the film sparks hope in drawing the Filipino audience back to the theaters.
According to a post on the Asian Inquirer Facebook page on July 25, 2025, “Sold-out screenings in SM North EDSA and SM Manila prove early interest is strong, with director Tonet Jadaone confident that word-of-mouth will carry the film even further. Rains and typhoons didn’t stop fans from showing up, and for Maris, that love and support made the one-year wait for ‘Sunshine’s’ release worth it.”
Watching movies in the cinemas used to be the most popular pastime of Filipinos. But higher ticket prices, inflation, the competition posed by streaming platforms and lifestyle changes have changed that. It’s become a situation that must be addressed by filmmakers, theater owners and movie industry stakeholders if they want cinemagoing and all its supporting industries to survive and thrive.
This is a reality not only in the Philippines. According to the study entitled “Habits and Preferences of Filipino Viewers of Local Films in Metro Manila Philippines” by De La Salle University, “The steadily diminishing rate of cinemagoing audience is a felt global phenomenon aided and exacerbated by advancements in media and communications technology, and the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Film industry stakeholders have observed that the problem continues unabated post-pandemic in the Philippines.”
Thus, the success of “Sunshine” in the theaters is a very welcome development. But the people behind this film did certain things right.
Lower ticket prices
The price of the ticket to see “Sunshine” ranges from P240 (in the provinces) to P280 in Metro Manila. Although there were reports of some SM Cinemas charging P330 per ticket, the cost is still way below the usual P400-450 range. Affordability is really a factor. Other local producers and theater chains should seriously consider adjusting the price so that people would not think twice about watching in the theaters right away, instead of waiting for the movie to be shown on Netflix.
Very early promotions
It was around this time last year when “Sunshine” was announced as an entry to the Toronto International Film Festival where it had its world premiere. From then on, the film went to various festivals, such as the Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Crystal Bear Award, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Taipei Film Festival and New York Asian Festival. Drumming up excitement for a local film by bringing it to various filmfests is common. For “Sunshine,” this move generated buzz for the project and goodwill for the makers, especially for lead star Maris who was challenged with the “screen shot” scandal in late 2024.
A wonderful poster by Justin Besana
“Sunshine” was introduced to the public through an awesome poster created by Justin Besana. This was a certainly a case of a “poster drop” that captured attention and curiosity. The image of an unraveling gymnastics ribbon to create the face of Maris a.k.a. Sunshine is apt and very symbolic. “I adore ‘Sunshine’s’ bravery,” Justin told Santelmo Magazine. “Because the film deals with a delicate subject, I had to use my creativity to convey it in a more elegant and appropriate way. The entire idea is similar to entering Sunshine’s head.”
Support from the filmmaking community
On social media, praise continues to pour in from netizens and particularly from filmmakers who are more than happy for director Antoinette Jadaone, actress Maris Racal and the rest of their team. At a time when courage is a rarity, the boldness of “Sunshine” resonated with viewers who responded encouragingly. Everyone — from Angelica Panganiban and producers Bianca Balbuena, Nessa Valdellon, Monster Jimenez to directors Quark Henares and Roman Perez, Jr. even government officials and more — is affirming “Sunshine” as a ray of light. Perhaps no other Filipino film this year, or in recent months, has been able to get this kind of support.
