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A teenager in an all-girls school reluctantly joins the school volleyball team, but unexpectedly falls for the captain.

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Part of Queer East Festival 2025

Content Note

Contains distressing themes and scenes of sexual assault.

Director: Samantha Lee
Runtime: 94 Mins
Year: 2023
Country: Philippines

Ace is a tall, awkward teenager who moves to an all-girls Catholic high school in the Philippines. The volleyball coach spots Ace on her first day, and invites her to try out for the team. She is initially no good at the sport and socially ostracised, but things begin to change when she falls for the highly motivated team captain, Jana, who dislikes her because she sees her as a threat. But the girls and their teammates must nonetheless join forces: not only to successfully compete in competitions, but also to face up against a more disturbing, insidious threat. Powered by authentic performances, Samantha Lee’s heartfelt film captures the resilience of the young athlete as she struggles for acceptance, and the strength of female solidarity in a society rigged against women.

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Samantha Lee

Samantha Lee is a filmmaker from the Philippines who advocates for better representation of women and the LGBTQ+ community in cinema. Her films Baka Bukas and Billie and Emma won various awards domestically and abroad, most notably winning the Emerging Talent Award at Outfest in 2017.

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