Baltimore filmmaker Ramona Diaz (Global FWN100™ '15) recently earned the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship which are granted to artists with proven track records and exceptional promise. Ramona is best known for her documentary film, Don't Stop Believin' which chronicles Journey Filipino frontman Arnel Pineda's rise to fame. News story from Baltimore Sun.
28 year old documentary photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani was recently named BBC's Top 100 Women of 2015. Bacani has also been shortlisted numerous times for National Geographic magazine's photo competition in Hong Kong where she works as a domestic worker. Bacani's photos of everyday urban life in Hong Kong have been published in the New York Times and Vogue Italia. In an earlier feature in The Philippine Inquirer, Bacani took a personal stance to describe how photography has a political function in upending the stereotypes that OFWs face: “It’s not that I’m ashamed of being a domestic worker. In fact, I’m proud of my job. But you also can’t deny that there’s discrimination, judgment and stereotyping when you’re an OFW. So, photography for me is a protection against racism and discrimination.” Story from The Philippine Inquirer.
