Ramona S. Diaz is a

Filipino-American Filipino Americans () are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos in North America were first documented in the 16th century and other small settlements beginning in the 18th century. Mass migration did not begin until after the end of the Sp ...

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

film director and producer best known for creating "character-driven documentaries". Her notable works include the 2012 film '' Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey'', featuring the band Journey and its new lead vocalist

Arnel Pineda Arnel Campaner Pineda (born September 5, 1967) is a Filipino singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the Philippines during the 1980s and internationally in 2007 as the lead singer of the American rock band Journey. Early life Arnel ...

, which won the Audience Award for the 2013–2014 season of PBS's ''

Independent Lens ''Independent Lens'' is a weekly television series airing on PBS featuring documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of ''Independent Lens'' were hosted by Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrenc ...

''; and the 2003 film '' Imelda'', about the life of

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitación Trinidad Romuáldez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who was First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power after her husband Ferdinand ...

, former

First Lady of the Philippines The first lady or first gentleman of the Philippines () is the courtesy title given to the host or hostess of Malacañang Palace, the residence of the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The title is traditionally held by t ...

.'Imelda': Don't Cry for Her
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''. Published on July 16, 2004. Retrieved on January 8, 2014.For a Regal Pariah, Despite It All, the Shoe Is Never on the Other Foot
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. Published on June 9, 2004. Retrieved on January 8, 2014. Three of Diaz's films have screened at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

: ''Imelda'', a biographical documentary about Imelda's beginnings as a beauty contest winner to the wife of rising politician and eventual President of the Philippines,

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

. ''Motherland'', a documentary set at an overcrowded and under-resourced maternity hospital in Manila; and most recently '' A Thousand Cuts'' a profile of Nobel laureate

Maria Ressa Maria Angelita Ressa (; born Maria Angelita Delfin Aycardo on October 2, 1963) is a Filipino and American journalist. She is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler. She previously spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in ...

, a journalist working in the Philippines, released in 2020. ''Motherland'' received a Special Jury Award at Sundance in 2017 and premiered the same year at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

. Diaz served as a Documentary Competition Juror at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Diaz's most recent feature documentary, ''And So It Begins'', was selected to premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was chosen by the Film Academy of the Philippines as the Philippines' entry to the

97th Academy Awards The 97th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the gala, the AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly r ...

. In 2019 Diaz received a

United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...

(USA) Fellowship.

Filmography

* 1997 ''Spirits Rising'' * 2003 ''Imelda'' * 2011 ''Give Up Tomorrow'' (as Executive Producer) * 2011 ''The Learning'' (episode in P.O.V.) * 2013 '' Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey'' (episode in

) * 2017 ''Motherland'' * 2020 '' A Thousand Cuts'' * 2024 '' And So It Begins''

Awards

References

1962 births Living people American documentary filmmakers American people of Filipino descent {{US-film-bio-stub