WATCH: Ruby Ruiz is a disillusioned nun in ‘First Light’

“First Light,” a feature film starring Ruby Ruiz, has released its trailer that shows her as a disillusioned nun going on a direct confrontation with Diamond Star Maricel Soriano.

The movie, directed by Filipino-Australian filmmaker James J. Robinson, is set to open in Philippines cinema on June 24, as announced by production company Clou Media Productions.

In the thriller drama, Ruiz plays Sister Yolanda, a longtime nun who’s forced to question the Catholic institution after uncovering difficult truths. The trailer does not state much about the film, but Sister Yolanda seemingly clashes with Soriano, who appears to be a patron of their community.

“Set in a remote mountain community, a young construction worker’s mysterious death disrupts the fragile balance of faith and tradition. Sister Yolanda, an elderly nun who has devoted her life to the Church, is forced to confront difficult truths, questioning the very institution she has long served, and the community she calls home,” the logline reads.

Shot in Rizal and Metro Manila, “First Light” is produced by a Filipino and Australian team, with Robinson hoping to tell a “powerful, deeply resonant narrative.”

“I was raised Catholic, and from a young age, already realizing that I was queer, it kind of set me off on this different path where my introduction to Catholicism was doubt,” the director said of the film in a Variety interview.

Aside from RuIz and Soriano, the film also stars Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz and national artist Kidlat Tahimik.

The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival and was also screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. /edv