Featured image courtesy of A24via Lunchbox.
MANILA, Philippines — In a recent announcement, independent entertainment marketing agency Lunchbox shares news of securing rights to the Philippine theatrical distribution of A24’s American queer comedy-drama Club Kid, off the film’s runaway Cannes success.
This move sets the table for Lunchbox’s shift from pioneering independent Filipino movie marketing outfit to a full-course player in the film industry, hot on the heels of its top-prize sweep at the recent 2026 Kidlat Awards, noted for its campaign for Petersen Vargas’ queer indie film Some Nights I Feel Like Walking.
The acquisition also marks the Manila-based agency’s solo debut in distribution after successfully co-distributing Antoinette Jadaone’s Berlinale-winning sports drama film Sunshine in a handholding capacity.
Production still courtesy of A24 via Lunchbox.
Written and directed by American internet comedy sensation Jordan Firstman, in his feature debut, Club Kid is set in the pulsing New York City club scene. Firstman himself stars in the film as a gay 30-something party promoter whose wild lifestyle turns around when a 10-year-old son he never knew existed suddenly arrives at his doorstep.
Premiering to a six-minute standing ovation in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section before screening at Telluride Film Festival with early Oscar buzz, the film is exactly the kind of complete meal Lunchbox looks to serve up for Filipino moviegoers, said filmmaker and Lunchbox founder Carl Chavez.
“Even if it’s a foreign film, it can still find a home here in the Philippines,” Chavez shares in a press statement. “It’s about the importance of families in whichever form it may be— stories I think we Filipinos relate to in general.”
Chavez led Lunchbox’s dynamic marketing campaigns for gritty Filipino titles Filipiñana, and box-office hit The Loved One.
Behind-the-scenes image courtesy of A24 via Lunchbox.
Acquiring the local rights to Club Kid is like gambling for a dream, the Lunchbox founder furthers, taking a shot at reaching out to A24 after the film resonated with Lunchbox’s vision. Stirred by an appetite for risk, Chavez noted that Lunchbox will now go all in to spice up its winning ways by bringing marketing and distribution together on the same plate.
No stranger to international features, Lunchbox previously handled the local marketing for A24 titles like Priscilla and The Smashing Machine. They are now stepping up to bring the critically acclaimed film to Philippine cinemas.
“It’s a big investment for us since we’re a small company. For big companies, it’s probably loose change, but for an independent boutique agency, it’s a big gamble,” he noted. “But I like taking risks. We will make this one count.”
And what’s the gamble for? To crack the right distribution recipe — a feat Chavez seeks to achieve by leveraging Lunchbox’s marketing flair.
“I know this is a foreign film, but it’s also a test for Filipino audiences. The dream is when we crack something out of it, we could apply that to Filipino films in general,” he continues.
Delivering on its signature gritty, immersive campaign style, Lunchbox vows to cook up that recipe with its unconventional taste leading up to Club Kid’s local theatrical release in November.
“Our objective is not just to distribute Club Kid, but to market it by breaking traditions,” Chavez said. “It will be a full experience for the audience.”
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