Antoinette Jadaone is opening a new chapter in Philippine filmmaking with the launch of Ilaya Ilaya, a new production outfit she established with longtime collaborator and producer Reign Anne De Guzman.

At its heart, Ilaya Ilaya is built around women-centric filmmaking, creating space for stories that center women, their experiences, and their perspectives. The company also aims to champion Filipino stories, underrepresented genres, and filmmakers whose projects often struggle to find support outside traditional studio and festival funding systems. Its slate will span films, television, and immersive theater.

Leading the lineup are some of the country’s most recognizable actresses, including Angelica Panganiban, Kaila Estrada, Eugene Domingo, and Maris Racal, each attached to projects that explore very different stories and genres.

Jadaone herself is returning to the director’s chair with “Boldstar,” a dark comedy starring Angelica Panganiban. The project, which will be produced by Bianca Balbuena, has been in development for several years after previously winning the CJ Entertainment Prize at the Asian Project Market in 2019 and being selected for the Berlinale European Co-Production Market in 2020.

Meanwhile, Kaila Estrada is set to lead “Birdsong,” a found-footage horror film directed by Pam Miras and written by Glenn Barit, with Irene Villamor serving as creative producer. The story follows an ornithologist who travels to a remote mountain in search of a mythical bird while dealing with the disappearance of her partner years earlier.

For Eugene Domingo, it’s supernatural comedy territory. She will headline “Chandra Catacutan And The Curse Of The Fuchsia Moon,” directed by Tim Rone Villanueva. Domingo plays the eldest daughter of a manananggal, with the story centering on a family reunion after their supernatural mother suffers a stroke mid-air and fails to return to her lower body.

Maris Racal, meanwhile, is bringing “Sunshine” back to life in a completely different format. She will reprise her role as Sunshine in an immersive stage adaptation of Jadaone’s Berlinale award-winning film, marking her stage debut. Xyriel Manabat and Elijah Canlas are also set to reprise their respective roles from the film.

The Ilaya Ilaya slate also includes “Crème de la Crème,” a coming-of-age whodunnit directed by Irene Emma Villamor and written by Glenn Barit from a story by Natts Jadaone. The film is partly inspired by a 2006 incident at Philippine Science High School.

Beyond the big screen and theater, Ilaya Ilaya is also moving into television. Jadaone will serve as showrunner for an upcoming untitled romantic-comedy series for Netflix Philippines, co-written with Fatrick Tabada. Details about its story and cast remain under wraps.

Ilaya Ilaya is a space where Filipino filmmakers can develope+ stories that center women’s voices while exploring genres and perspectives that may not always fit within the traditional studio mold.

From dark comedy and found-footage horror to supernatural comedy, immersive theater, and television, Ilaya Ilaya puts women and their stories at the heart of its new creative chapter in Philippine entertainment.

PHOTOS: Cornerstone Entertainment, Ilaya Ilaya, Angelica Panganiban, Kaila Estrada, Eugene Domingo, Maris Racal (via Facebook)