June 23, 2026 · At the vernissage of First Light on June 22, Clou Media Productions and Sustina announced that they are taking the film’s impact campaign internationally, starting with New York Climate Week in September 2026.
Directed by James J. Robinson, First Light tells the story of Sister Yolanda, played by veteran actress Ruby Ruiz, a nurse and nun whose quiet life is upended when a young construction worker dies under suspicious circumstances. The film also stars Maricel Soriano, Rez Cortez, Kidlat Tahimik, and Kare Adea.
The film celebrated its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2025, where Robinson was awarded the Blackmagic Design Best Australian Director Award. It will be shown in select Philippine theatres starting June 24.
Beyond the screen, and beyond Manila
In First Light, themes of grief, nature, and systemic corruption are routinely tackled, mirroring the realities of the climate crisis today. This leads to the bigger question of what one is willing to give up in order to protect something they love.
To answer that question, Clou and Sustina launched an impact campaign for the benefit of award-winning conservation site Masungi Georeserve. Block screenings of First Light will directly fund watershed protection at Masungi Georeserve in Rizal, where part of the film was shot.
Clou Media Produdction is the producer of the film First Light. Sustina is a sustainability partner for the impact campaign, with the role of ensuring authentic measurement and reporting.
“Filmmaking in the Philippines, and everywhere else, has to stop treating sustainability as an afterthought,” said Christelle Lou Dychangco, Clou Media Productions CEO.
“First Light shows what’s possible when a film is built to leave something behind, not just box office numbers, but a place that’s actually better protected because the film existed. That’s the standard we want the industry to hold itself to, here and everywhere this story travels next.”
At the launch held at Ayala Museum, the team behind First Light‘s impact campaign unveiled plans to take it global—broadening its call to protect a threatened conservation site in the Philippines. The first stop will be at New York Climate Week, from September 20–27, with more international stops planned in the months ahead.
“This impact campaign was always meant to protect watersheds like Masungi Georeserve, and it needs to extend beyond the Philippines because the climate crisis is bigger than us,” said Anna Reyes, Sustina Executive Director.
“The Philippines remains one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, and this campaign is one way we make sure that reality reaches a global audience. At New York Climate Week, the goal is to make sure those making climate decisions have heard our story.”
Clou Media Productions is an amplification partner of Sustina. Sustina is the official sustainability partner for the impact campaign, responsible for measurement and reporting.
Amplification partners support reach and distribution. Sustina’s coverage is completely free from paid content.
