Sunshine Women's Choir, a Mandarin prison drama from director Gavin Lin, now holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing Taiwanese film at the domestic box office. According to reports, the film has grossed more than $17 million from theatres in Taiwan. The 2008 film Cape No. 7 held the record before it.
The film stars Judy Ongg, Chen Yi-Han, Amber An, Chung Hsin-Ling, and Sun Shu-May. It follows the birth of a girl child at a female prison, something which a group of inmates with painful pasts welcome with both hands. The arrival of a rebellious woman at the prison, initial clashes pave the way for friendships. The prisoners form a choir at the facility to make the child's stay there memorable after she gets diagnosed with a health issue. Inspired by Harmony, Kang Dae-kyu’s 2010 Korean film, and stories from real life, the film offers a mix of humour and music and explores redemption as one of its core themes.
Sunshine Women's Choir hit theatres in Taiwan on December 31 last year. It rose to the top of the box office by January 12, taking over the position occupied by James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash. It has hit theatres in Malaysia and Singapore as well. Meanwhile, it has had previews in Hong Kong, with the makers aiming to release it there on March 05, Thursday. They are also targeting a March release in additional locations such as Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, and North America, as well as a Vietnam release in April.
Director Gavin Lin also gained commercial success and international acclaim for his 2018 film More Than Blue, which earned a nomination at the 2019 Golden Horse Awards. Some of his other titles are Welcome to the Happy Days and A Trip with Your Wife.