Over the past decade, Antoinette Jadaone has become one of the most prolific female directors in the local film industry. Not only is she responsible for several box office hits, but she’s also been lauded for creating women-centric stories that touch upon timely topics and feature multi-dimensional women. For her latest project, she’s doing just that, and also looking bigger, not just with another movie, but with the launch of a new production company that puts women and underserved stories at the center.
Ilaya Ilaya Studios will be spearheaded by Jadaone and her longtime collaborator and producer, Reign Anne De Guzman, and will span films, TV, and theater, making for a studio whose impact goes beyond multiple aspects of the entertainment industry.
The production outfit’s main goal is to support, develop, and spotlight stories, genres, and narratives that may not get the appreciation and funding from more mainstream studios, platforms, and film festivals. In an industry that unfortunately is still male-dominated, it’s nice to see another women-led local studio make space for women and other underrepresented communities in local entertainment and add more variety to Filipino film and TV.
Already, Ilaya Ilaya Studios is walking the talk with an upcoming slate of movies, a TV show, and even an interactive stage play in the works for 2027, and has assembled a talented roster of actresses and female creatives for women-led stories that hold much promise. Get to know more of the studio’s debut projects below.
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The Movies, Shows, and Plays to Watch for From Ilaya Ilaya Studios
Ilaya Ilaya Studios doesn’t limit itself to certain genres. Birdsong is proof of that, as it is a found-footage horror film whose cast and crew are enough to get your attention. Pam Miras will serve as the director, while Glenn Barit, who wrote and directed one of the best Filipino movies of the 21st century, Cleaners, will write the script, and Irene Villamor will be its creative producer.
It stars Kaila Estrada as an ornithologist who travels to a remote mountain in search of a mythical bird, while also seeking closure over her partner’s disappearance a decade earlier. Birds are set to play a major part in its mystery as viewers are left to ponder what exactly happened.
Aside from Birdsong, Irene Villamor and Glenn Barit will also be working together on a coming-of-age whodunit directed by Villamor and written by Barit from a story by Natts Jadaone, who is Jadaone’s sister. The film is partially inspired by a real-life incident from 2006 when two male students from Philippine Science High School laced a classmate’s water jug with mercury nitrate, preventing her from attending the graduation march.
The ever-iconic Eugene Domingo will be joining Ilaya Ilaya’s debut lineup as she’s the star of the supernatural comedy Chandra Catacutan And The Curse Of The Fuchsia Moon. It comes from director Tim Rone Villanueva, who scored an indie hit with his 2025 Cinemalaya entry Child No. 82: Anak ni Boy Kana, which also inspired Jadone to work with Villanueva. The movie tells the story of the children of a manananggal who reunite when their mother suffers a stroke mid-air and fails to reunite with her lower half and must work together to find it.
Antoinette Jadaone isn’t just leading the studio, but she’ll also be directing her next movie under it with Boldstar, which serves as the long-awaited reunion between the director and her muse, Angelica Panganiban. This dark comedy, which has been in development for years, is finally heading into production and is taken from the same anti-misogyny cloth as some of Jadaone’s other work like Fan Girl and Sunshine.
The film will follow a former sexy star, played by Panganiban, who finds her chance at redemption when her sex tape goes viral on social media. However, problems arise when the actual woman behind the video, who is much younger than Panganiban’s character, arrives to take the fame for herself.
Aside from movies, Jadaone will also be heading to TV as a showrunner of an eight-episode romcom series, a genre responsible for some of her most memorable projects. Not much is known about the show yet, aside from the fact that Jadaone co-wrote the project with Fatrick Tabada and will be made in collaboration with Netflix Philippines, making it her return to the platform following the show Replacing Chef Chico.
Finally, arguably Ilaya Ilaya Studios’ most intriguing project on their lineup is a return to the world of Sunshine. But it’s not a sequel or spin-off, but a stage play. Directed by Mikko Angeles, who most recently did Bar Boys: The Musical, and written by Mikaela Regis, the project will see Maris Racal reprise her role from the movie in her stage debut, where she will be joined by Elijah Canlas and Xyriel Manabat, who will also be reprising their roles for the stage play.
It’s billed as an immersive stage adaptation of Sunshine, almost like a choose-your-own-adventure where audiences will have a more intimate look at the movie’s stories, themes, and characters and even influence how it goes. To that end, the format won’t be a typical stage with an audience, but instead will be told in various rooms. How exactly that will be executed, we’ll have to wait until sometime in mid-2027, but already, it will be interesting to see how Sunshine will be adapted on stage with interactive elements.
Featured Image: MEGA Archives, June 2026, Eugene Domingo and Maris Racal photographed by JERICK SANCHEZ, MEGA Archives, MEGA Stories The Philippines Most Iconic 2017, Angelica Panganiban photographed by MARK NICDAO, MEGA Archives, December 2025, Kaila Estrada photographed by JHARWIN CASTAÑEDA
Photos: MEGA Archives, June 2026, Photo by JERICK SANCHEZ, MEGA Archives, December 2025, Photo by JHARWIN CASTAÑEDA
Frequently Asked Questions
Ilaya Ilaya Studios is a women-led production company launched by director Antoinette Jadaone and producer Reign Anne De Guzman. It spans films, TV, and theater, and aims to support women and stories that mainstream studios and festivals may overlook.
The slate includes the found-footage horror film Birdsong, a coming-of-age whodunit, the supernatural comedy Chandra Catacutan And The Curse Of The Fuchsia Moon, Jadaone’s dark comedy Boldstar, an eight-episode Netflix Philippines rom-com series, and an immersive Sunshine stage play.
Kaila Estrada stars as an ornithologist searching for a mythical bird while seeking closure over her partner’s disappearance. Pam Miras directs, Glenn Barit writes the script, and Irene Villamor serves as creative producer.
Boldstar is a dark comedy directed by Antoinette Jadaone and starring Angelica Panganiban as a former sexy star. Her chance at redemption comes when her sex tape goes viral, until the much younger woman actually in the video arrives to claim the fame.
An immersive stage adaptation of Sunshine, directed by Mikko Angeles and written by Mikaela Regis. Maris Racal reprises her role in her stage debut, with Xyriel Manabat and Elijah Canlas, and audiences move through various rooms. It’s expected sometime in mid-2027.
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