Maris Racal’s film ‘Sunshine’ bound for North American screening

Incognito star Maris Racal’s film, Sunshine, is literally going places after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

The movie will make another festival run, this time in Taipei, Malaysia and Korea.

The movie written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone won the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival and its North American rights was acquired by Indiecan Entertainment. As part of the deal, Indiecan Entertainment has “remake rights to the film and an English-language adaptation is set to be directed by Indiecan’s Avi Federgreen, with Federgreen Entertainment and Michaelangelo Masangkay’s Sine Media Inc. producing,” as reported by Screen Daily.

“Indiecan is planning a North American theatrical and digital release in the fourth quarter of this year.

“The deal, revealed this week at Cannes, was done in collaboration with Project 8 Projects, Anima Studios, Cloudy Duck Pictures, Happy Infinite and Siné Media Inc.,” the report added.

“I am beyond honored that our film Sunshine, a film deeply rooted in the Filipino experience, has finally found its North American home. At its heart, this is a story about young women navigating a world that often denies them agency. While the film unfolds in the Philippines, its themes — reproductive justice, societal failure, the fight for choice — resonate globally. That we announce this milestone at Cannes is a moment of immense pride for the Sunshine team “ Jadaone said.

Interestingly, Racal who plays Gab Rivera in Incognito, agreed to marry Anthony Jennings’ character just so she could get her inheritance from her father.

A case against bashers 

Nadine Lustre is not taking bashing lightly as she filed yesterday a complaint in violation of Safe Spaces Act.

Probably exasperated by the “relentless attacks” on her personal, Lustre felt she has had enough of receiving enormous bashing on social media that she took the matter to court.

ML partylist which Lustre supported during the recent midterm election, fully supported the actress’ move. 

ML Partylist representative and former Senator Leila de Lima, expressed her support for Lustre.

 “We, at ML Partylist, express full support for Nadine Lustre as she files a complaint for violation of the Safe Spaces Act in response to the relentless and malicious attacks she has endured,” De Lima wrote on her social media account, stressing that the move “is a necessary step in a time when social media is being used to silence voices that speak for justice and reform.”

“Ginagamit ang mga plataporma para buwagin ang makabuluhang diskurso at palitan ito ng galit at paninira (They’re using the platform to dismantle the meaningful discourse and replace it with hatred and defamation),” she noted. 

“We believe in freedom of expression. Pero ang kalayaang ito ay hindi dapat gamitin laban sa katotohanan, dignidad at demokrasya (But this freedom should not be used against the truth, dignity and democracy). Expression becomes dangerous when it is driven by disinformation and personal malice,” she intoned, believing that many arias on social media are no longer opinions but “are part of deliberate effort to harass, discredit and instill fear.”

In the end, De Lima expresses her support for Nadine as “her case is a stand for truth and accountability.”

“Make no mistake: We will push back against this kind of behavior,” she wrote.

Fans remember Nora 

Loyal fans celebrated Nora Aunor’s 72nd birthday last Wednesday, 21 May.

There were those who visited Aunor’s Walk of Fame brass star at Eastwood, Quezon City.

At about 2 p.m., avid Noranians begun converging at the Eastwood Walk of Fame to begin the simple birthday celebration of the Superstar and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts.

Fans gathered at Aunor’s star brass littered with red roses where a rare photo of the Superstar captured by the late great cinematographer Romy Vitug, a Philippine flag and a flower name can also be seen.

Other Noranians chose to be with the Superstar on her grave at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

Still others chose to extend the celebratory mood by gracing the premiere of the tribute movie, Faney, at the Gateway Cinema.

The movie stars Laurice Guillen as Lola Bona and is directed by Adolf Alix Jr.

Aunor passed away 16 April, leaving behind an unmatched legacy in music and film.