CAPE is excited to partner with Diaspora, Cinema Sala, and FilAm Creative to spotlight Filipinx/a/o American directors! Join us for a panel featuring on-the-rise filmmakers Geena Rocero, Dante Basco, and Rain Valdez, moderated by DIASPORA Founder Dino-Ray Ramos.

Geena Rocero is an award-winning producer, director, model, writer, public speaker, trans rights advocate, and television host. She is currently directing and executive producing CARETAKERS, a four-part original documentary series with PBS/WNET featuring stories of Filipino American frontline healthcare workers that premiered on October 8, 2021 as part of the celebration of Filipino American History Month.

Dante Basco is well known for his voice acting roles in AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, AMERICAN DRAGON: JAKE LONG, and CARMEN SANDIEGO, as well as his performance in live-action HOOK. He made his feature directorial debut with family comedy THE FABULOUS FILIPINO BROTHERS, which made its world premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival and was picked up by 1091 Pictures to make its debut on digital platforms in February 2022.

Rain Valdez got her start playing COCO in season 2 of TV Land’s Lopez and doubling in Amazon's TRANSPARENT as Miss Van Nuys on screen and a producer behind the scenes. She has been named one of Outfest LA's Next Generation of Filmmakers and is Inside Out Pitch Please! Contest 2019 winner. Rain just received her first Primetime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series” for her lead role in RAZOR TONGUE, which she created, crowdfunded and produced.

Dino-Ray Ramos is a journalist and founder of DIASPORA, a news platform covering multicultural film, TV, media and culture in the entertainment industry. Ramos is also the co-host and creator of the New Hollywood Podcast, which champions people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and other underrepresented voices in film and television.