A little bit about me

I immigrated to the United States from the Philippines when I was 5, and grew up in Moreno Valley, California (aka a place passed by on the freeway). In 2020, I graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Cinema and a minor in Drama.
By using compassionate observation to explore queer romance, family ties, and friendship, my work aims to illustrate intimacy and beauty amongst conflicted contexts of class, race, and sexuality. With all the destinations my work has arrived at, from short films to TV shows to prose, what I strive for are not necessarily fixed answers, but rather feelings and images of possibility - ones that propose new ways of living and connecting.

“If you don’t show it, then it can be erased. And it was so great.”

- michaela coel

My work has always been my attempt to show reality as I know it, no matter how delusional (which comes in varying degrees…). Because of this, the opportunities I’ve had and the places I’ve lived in have shaped all the stories you’ll see here.

I wanted to spotlight some of them in order for you to get a greater scope of who I am in this particular moment of time.

creative opportunities that I’m grateful for

ARRAY Liberated Territory Fellow

One of 15 fellows selected for Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Masterclass with filmmaker Haile Gerima to create art that informs and disrupts (2021).

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Lambda Literary Writer's Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ+ Voices

One of 12 Screenwriting Fellows selected for a week-long retreat to develop writing craft and form community at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2023).

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BAVC Media Serial Storytellers Fellow

One of twelve writers selected to develop an Episodic Fiction series. Serial Storytellers is a 10-week intensive artist development program from Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) for diverse emerging writers and future showrunners between the ages of 18-25 (2021).

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8th International MINA Film Festival

One of five of Swinburne University’s ‘Experimental Film Production’ students selected for the festival in Melbourne, Australia (2018).

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Detester Magazine Interview

One of four creators selected to be featured in Detester Magazine’s Pride Month spotlight (2021).

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Creating a New Normal: Artist Portrait Series

One of 8 creatives spotlighted in Loisse Ledres’ series on building new and liberated paths forward after the pandemic (2021).

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San Francisco State University Guest Lecturer

Facilitated a presentation for Asian American Sexualities class about storytelling and queer Filipina identity (2022).

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Tagalikha Workshop: Challenging Norms in Storytelling

Led discussion and activity for Filipinx creatives about challenging traditional narrative models (2022).

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a life in 500 words

places that have left a mark on me

Manila, Philippines

This is where I was born. The Philippines is my ancestral homeland and will always be a part of me no matter where I am in the world. I’m incredibly proud to be a Filipina.
Though my connection to this place has weakened, it still represents my childhood and my roots. I’m now trying to bridge that gap and reconnect with the lost years.
Moreno Valley, California

This is where I came of age. From age 5 - 17, this is what I called home. It was where I mingled with other immigrants and made my first film. I always wanted to leave this place because it felt too slow, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate its humility and community.
All said and done, this is the place that has made me who I am.
San Francisco, California

This is where I grew into myself. SF was the first place I became independent and took on experiences without worrying about a curfew. I made films with creative people, embraced my culture and sexuality, and ate lots of good food.
The living costs unfortunately made it impossible to stay. But it would be a dream to live here again.
Melbourne, Australia

This is where I began again. I decided to study abroad because I wanted to go somewhere where no one knew who I was - a reset of sorts. I was scared as hell but the result was more than I imagined. I felt at ease and for the first time in a long time, very happy. My worldview changed significantly as I met people from all over the world.
Australia is now another home for me. It has shown me how much more there is of the world to explore.