Achim Mendoza

A queer ex-Filipino-soap-opera-translator-turned-filmmaker, Achim's passion for film started in his teens, when Marilou Diaz-Abaya, a prestigious Filipino director, offered to mentor him. As a teenager, Achim would fly back and forth between his hometown of Davao and Manila to attend her classes. Back in the Philippines, he helped create “Stages Sessions,” a YouTube channel that focuses on indie Filipino musicians and poets. His 2021 musical short “Connection” was screened at the 38th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short at the 3rd Rock the Shorts Festival. He edited ALOK, a short documentary featuring gender non-binary superstar Alok Vaid-Menon, and premiered in Sundance Film Festival 2024. His works often reflect the radical power of joy to change the world--particularly the joy experienced by queer Filipinos like himself. 

 

In his spare time, Achim likes to perfect his family’s longsilog recipe.