Maris Racal took to social media to express her gratitude to those who attended the special advance screening of her upcoming film Sunshine, held in Manila ahead of its Philippine release.
"SUNSHINE IS HOME ☀️ Had an intimate advanced screening of SUNSHINE with friends and colleagues a month before its playdate," Maris posted.
The actress admitted she became emotional over the overwhelming support she received during the event.
"Your support for the director and I is so heartwarming. We can feel your love for the movie! and thank you so much for your beautiful and heartfelt reviews, huhu!" she stated.
Among those present at the screening were Dolly de Leon, Daniel Padilla, Jolina Magdangal, and Julia Barretto, among others.
Sunshine is set to be released in SM Cinemas on July 23.
The movie follows the story of "a young gymnast who discovers she is pregnant on the week of the national team tryouts. On her way to a seller of illegal abortion drugs, she meets a mysterious girl who eerily talks and thinks like her," as per IMDb.
Back in February, the movie won the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.
The trailer ahead for its Philippine release achieved over 18 million views across platforms as of June 19.
"It's amazing! It's amazing, very unexpected that the trailer is so popular. People's reactions are funny. They already felt the gravity of the film, even though it's just one minute and 20 seconds long. That's a big deal for us, for the entire production and I really hope people watch it," she said.
"If in 'Incognito' I was a soldier, here I am a rhythmic gymnast, I also trained for gymnastics. Honestly, it's almost two or three years of hard work and we're hoping for the success," the actress added.
In an interview in 2024, Maris shared that she trained for a year for her role in the film.
"I really pushed my limits and trained for it. Even though it was hard, I pushed," she shared. "It was made through blood, sweat, and tears. We really worked hard. The script is from 2020. It made me very emotional because I trained for a year. I saw the movie, the trailer, and other things that were familiar to me. It's a great story."