Filipino-Australian movie 'First Light' chosen as Australia's Oscar entry
Filipino-Australian movie First Light, which stars Ruby Ruiz and Maricel Soriano, has been chosen as Australia's official contender for Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The 2025 drama film is the first Tagalog-language film ever submitted by the country for the Oscars. It is also the first film to be co-produced by the Philippines and Australia.
Directed by Australian-Filipino filmmaker James J. Robinson, First Light centers on an elderly nun who finds herself caught in a dangerous web of crime and corruption after the suspicious death of a young construction worker disrupts her otherwise quiet life.
Apart from Ruiz and Soriano, it also stars Kare Adea, Emmanuel Santos, Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz, Kidlat Tahimik, and Lui Manansala,
The Australian Oscar selection committee said they selected the film as it was "an impressive debut that is a shining example of Australian filmmaking."
First Light first premiered at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival, where Robinson won the Blackmagic Design Best Australian Director Award. It was later released to Philippine cinemas in June earlier this year.
The Hollywood Reporter said that the movie has been "largely overlooked in the awards conversation so far" due to the lack of a platform.
First Light serves as Australia’s 18th submission for Best International Feature Film. Should it be nominated, it will be the first Filipino film to achieve the feat in the category.
Meanwhile, the Film Academy of the Philippines has unveiled the eight films vying to be the country’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. These include 58th, All the Things I Leave You (Patawid), Filipiñana, I’mPerfect, Manila’s Finest, Quezon, Silenced Nights, and Sisa.
A total of five films will be nominated in the category, with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences set to announce the nominees on Jan. 21, 2027. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 14, 2027.