BIOGRAPHY
ABOUT ME
Blackouts, military rule, and a childhood spent at a funeral home under martial law taught me two things: imagination and resourcefulness.
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My ethos is centered on crafting compelling story narratives that understand the nuance of gender, culture, and diversity of thought. My international career is an eclectic mix of film (features & shorts), TV (HBO, Discovery, NatGeo), women's rights, LGBTQ rights, fiction+essay writing, and media education in NYC and Auckland, with a brief stint at the UN as a journalist. As a community manager and educator in New York, I organized and taught workshops in video production+editing, social media, studio production, and podcasting to the Brooklyn community, including after-school programs in underrepresented areas with histories of gang-related violence.
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After doing a BA in Broadcast Communications at the University of the Philippines on a scholarship, I went on to receive a study grant for filmmaking in New York City. I also hold a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University in New York with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa. This led to launching a transmedia anti-sexual harassment campaign in Egypt in partnership with a local women's rights NGO.
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As a storyteller, my work has won multiple awards in Asia and in Europe and has been screened in international film festivals (Austin film fest, BAFTA-qualifying, IDFA, etc.). This has allowed me to live and work in different parts of the world. Currently, I am exploring the world of narrative design in gaming.
FILMOGRAPHY
TRAFFICKERS
HBO Originals
Three countries, three drugs, three traffickers. A trilogy of true crime stories from the most notorious drug hotspot in Asia - the Golden Triangle.
This is a story of three incredible crimes and the international manhunt that followed.
ANAK (CHILD)
Feature Film
The Child (Anak) is a Filipino family drama film directed by Rory Quintos starring Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto.The film was critically acclaimed by film critics. It was the Philippines' submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
MILK - A NZ Short Film
Festival Circuit
January 1945: on a lonely farm in coastal New Zealand, a young widow confronts two crewmen from a German submarine who have come ashore on a secret mission – to get fresh milk.
MEGASTRUCTURES
National Geographic
Floating on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, is the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Designed by star architect Jean Nouvel, this Arabic-inspired museum is built is association with the Louvre Paris to house over 400 priceless masterpieces.
CROSSINGS | JOHN WOO
Discovery
Crossings: John Woo starts with Woo’s emotional homecoming to Hong Kong in 2004 to promote his latest blockbuster Paycheck. It leads you through his teen years where he made avant garde films, his apprenticeship with Shaw Brothers’ martial arts director Chang Che, his coming of age as a director directing slapstick Hong Kong comedies through the 70s and 80s.
OUTBACK TRUCKERS
Season 5
Outback Truckers is an Australian factual television series which looks at the Australian road-transport industry. It focuses on selected drivers and interesting personalities and shows the problems tackled by some sectors.
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DISCOVERY+QUEST EUROPE
ASTRA AWARDS 2014
MOST OUTSTANDING FACTUAL PROGRAM
Discovery Channel: "Abalone Wars"
ASIAN TV AWARDS 2002
BEST SPORTS PROGRAM
World Sports TV: "Football Asia"
CMMA 2000
BEST FILM
Star Cinema: "Anak" (Child)