Filipino actor Ruby Ruiz, best known for the Amazon Prime Video series Expats, has signed up for James J Robinson’s first directorial venture titled First Light, according to a Variety report. A collaborative venture between Australia and the Philippines, First Light also stars Maricel Soriano, Kidlat Tahimik, Rez Cortez, and Soliman Cruz. The film follows Ruby Ruiz's elderly nun character as she is made to face the muddled ethics of the organisation she has committed a lot to following a construction employee's demise. Robinson's screenplay explores a profoundly personal tale where faith, institutional power, and duty intersect.
“Developing ‘First Light’ over the past two years has been an incredibly profound journey into the heart of pre-colonial Filipino philosophy,” stated Robinson. “To be able to tell a story by bringing together artists from Australia and Philippines, and witness this cultural exchange in real time, will be one of the most enlightening experiences of my life; and reflects a deeper journey within myself to define my identity and ancestry as a mixed-race artist.”
Gabrielle Pearson is producing the film through her Majella Productions banner, along with Christelle Dychangco of Clou Media Productions and well-known Filipino producer Jane Pe Aguirre. Executive producers comprise Virginia Whitwell and Nick Batzias of GoodThing Productions. The Film Development Council of the Philippines, Screen Australia, Clou Media Productions, VicScreen, and the Melbourne International Film Festival Premiere Fund are backing the project.