WHY US

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Michele’s newest documentary, Food Roots, follows Fil-Am celebrity restaurateur Billy Dec as he journeys to the Philippines to discover ancestral recipes and reconnect with his cultural heritage. The film has been featured at notable festivals including the Chicago International Film Festival and Newport Beach Film Festival, and won both the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival and the Spirit of the Fest Award at the Riverbend Film Festival, among other festival awards.

Beyond her filmmaking, Michele is a dedicated advocate for diverse storytelling and emerging artists. She has served as a juror for several film festivals, including the inaugural Fil-Am Creative Film Festival, and has been invited to speak at the White House, the Philippine Embassy, on national television programs such as The View, and across numerous film panels and podcasts. Her written work has appeared in Indiewire, The Huffington Post, and The New York Times Upfront.

An alumna of the American School in Switzerland (TASIS) and Emerson College, Michele remains deeply engaged with both institutions—actively contributing to the TASIS alumni community and mentoring Emerson students pursuing careers in film. She is a 2022 delegate of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), a prestigious network of next-generation leaders working to advance the interests of the Filipino and Filipino American communities. In 2025, she was honored by The Outstanding Filipino Awards (TOFA) as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinos in the World.

In addition to her creative work, Michele is the co-owner of Para Sa’Yo, a curated online retail space and beloved community presence at Filipino events across Southern California and the Bay Area. Para Sa’Yo uplifts the talents of Filipinx artists, artisans, and small businesses by showcasing handcrafted and culturally rooted gift items.

MICHELE JOSUE - DIRECTOR

Michele Josue is an Emmy Award-winning Filipino American documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Her acclaimed feature debut, Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine, garnered 10 Best Documentary and Audience Awards from film festivals around the world and holds a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film earned the 2016 Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Special Class Special."

A deeply personal and powerful chronicle, Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine explores the life and legacy of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man whose brutal murder became one of the most infamous hate crimes in U.S. history. The film has screened at prestigious festivals including IDFA, DOC NYC, and Mill Valley, and has been featured at notable venues such as the Washington National Cathedral and the U.S. Department of State. In partnership with the U.S. State Department, Michele has presented the film in Washington D.C., Moscow, and St. Petersburg, Russia, fostering international dialogue on LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion. She has also worked closely with advocacy organizations like The Matthew Shepard Foundation, PFLAG, GLAAD, The Trevor Project, and the Human Rights Campaign in amplifying Matthew’s story.

Michele served as Executive Producer, Director, and Lead Editor of Happy Jail, a Netflix Original documentary series that offers an unprecedented look inside the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center—home of the world-famous "Dancing Inmates." The series, which won the 2021 Silver Telly Award for Best Documentary Series on Television, examines the facility’s inner workings while also contemplating the broader implications of President Duterte’s controversial Drug War.

Her most recent feature documentary, Nurse Unseen, spotlights the untold stories of Filipino nurses who have long been the unsung backbone of the U.S. healthcare system—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Produced by Jo Koy, the film weaves together personal narratives and historical context to honor the resilience and humanity of this essential workforce. Nurse Unseen has received multiple accolades and was supported by the Center for Asian American Media’s Documentary Fund grant. Michele was also named a Film Independent Fast Track Fellow for her work on the film.

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CARLO VELAYO - PRODUCER

Carlo Velayo is a Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated Producer, a Berlinale VFF Talent Highlight Awardee, and was the inaugural San Francisco Film New American Fellow.

Carlo has also produced two narrative features, including Isabel Sandoval's LINGUA FRANCA (Venice Days), which was released theatrically in France through JHR Films and streamed on the Criterion Channel. The film was nominated for the Film Independent John Cassavetes Award in 2021 through Ava DuVernay's ARRAY Releasing. Carlo made his debut as a p.g.a. Producer and 1st A.D. on Jessica M. Thompson's THE LIGHT OF THE MOON, which received the Audience Award for Narrative Feature Competition at SXSW in 2017.

Carlo is a Producer on Isabel Sandoval's upcoming feature film, TROPICAL GOTHIC, which the pair launched at the Locarno Open Doors Hub in 2020. In 2021, they pitched the project at the Berlinale Talent Project Market, where Carlo received the VFF Talent Highlight Award. In 2022, Michael B. Clark boarded the project as Producer for Big Beach (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, THE FAREWELL, LOVING), with Coco Francini from Dirty Films also producing.

In the documentary space, Carlo was an Associate Producer on Cheryl Furjanic's Emmy-nominated film BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS (2014). In 2016, Carlo spent two months filming at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) and is Senior Producer on Emmy Award-winning, Filipino-American Michele Josue's Netflix Original documentary series HAPPY JAIL (2019), which is available in 190+ countries. Carlo is collaborating again with Michele on the Oscar-qualified documentary feature NURSE UNSEEN, which looks at the history and humanity of Filipino nurses in the United States. The film received the Global Health Competition Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival and Audience Awards at the CAAMFest in San Francisco, the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City and the Boston Asian American Film Festival.