Nowhere is the worldwide erosion of democracy, fueled by social media disinformation campaigns, more starkly evident than in the authoritarian regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Journalist Maria Ressa places the tools of the free press—and her freedom—on the line in defense of truth and democracy. Produced, written, and directed by Ramona S. Diaz (IMELDA, MOTHERLAND).
RAMONA S. DIAZ: DIRECTOR // WRITER // CO EDITOR // PRODUCER
Ramona S. Diaz is an award-winning Asian American filmmaker whose films have screened at Sundance, Berlin, Tribeca, SXSW, IDFA, HotDocs and many other top-tier film festivals. Her first film IMELDA, about the former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, premiered and won an award at Sundance and screened worldwide. Her most recent film, Motherland, also won an award at Sundance in 2017 and had its international premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. It was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary and a Peabody Award.
Ramona is both a Guggenheim Fellow and a USA Fellow – prestigious awards given to artists with singular visions who have significantly contributed to the arts in this country. She was just named a 2021 Film Fellow by the American Academy in Rome.
Ramona was also inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) in 2016, and in 2017 received a Women at Sundance Fellowship, a Creative Capital Award, and a Chicken & Egg Pictures Filmmaker Award. Ramona is a graduate of Emerson College and holds an MA from Stanford University.