The screening will be introduced by Joanna Kopycka from the Empowering Children Foundation, who will also host a discussion following the screening on 26 November 2025.

Film description

Talented gymnast Sunshine is the leader of the national team preparing for the Olympics. However, during a week of training, she discovers she is pregnant. With her lifelong dream and a college scholarship at stake, she considers terminating the pregnancy. On her way to meet a seller of illegal abortion pills, she encounters a mysterious girl who thinks and speaks just like her. This encounter shakes Sunshine to her core, as the girl challenges her choices and forces her to confront her fears, dreams, and the enormity of the decisions ahead.

Creators and cast

• Director: Antoinette Jadaone
• Screenplay: Antoinette Jadaone
• Cinematography: Pao Orendain
• Music: Rico Blanco
• Cast: Maris Racal, Elijah Canlas, Xyriel Manabat, Jennica Garcia, Annika Co

About the film

• Subtitles: Polish (PL)
• Age recommendation: 16+
• Duration: 91 minutes
• Philippines, 2024
• Polish premiere

A Film Scholar Recommends

Sunshine, dir. Antoinette Jadaone (Philippines, 2024). Another film from the experienced Filipino director and screenwriter of the middle generation, with an impressive portfolio and numerous awards to her name. This time, she tackles the reaction of a teenager to pregnancy, blending coming-of-age themes with sports cinema. The titular talented gymnast is fighting for an Olympic nomination, but life’s upheaval casts a shadow over her dreams.

Sounds familiar? Watch it in a different setting — the Philippines, where 80% of the population are Catholics, making social conservatism the norm and abortion strictly prohibited by the constitution. However, Jadaone doesn’t create a manifesto film; instead, she offers the audience surprises, one of the most interesting and unexpected being a move towards a kind of magical realism, crafted through stunning cinematography and music.

Accessibility for people with additional needs

• the screening will take place in Auditorium 2 with 181 seats;
• you may leave (e.g., to use the restroom) and return to the auditorium during the screening;
• before the screening you can borrow noise-cancelling headphones free of charge. You will find them at the festival box office (at the entrance to the Helios cinema);
• remember to choose seats close to the exit if you or the people you are attending with might need to leave during the screening;
• some films contain content that may be difficult or sensitive. Click the ‘Sensitive content’ link to open the file and check which sensitive content appears in this film;
• click: Architectural accessibility of the Helios cinema to learn more about the layout of both the cinema and Posnania, and how to move around them.

Festival accessibility coordinator:
Marta Maksimowicz
tel. 884 936 747
email: dostepnosc@csdpoznan.pl

Trailer

Poster