Achim Mendoza
ALOK (2024)
Short Documentary
Directed by Alex Hedison
Filmmaker Alex Hedison sets out to showcase the multiplicity of self through a compelling portrait of her friend, ALOK, the internationally acclaimed, non-binary, author, poet, comedian, and public speaker. This thought-provoking short documentary explores the limitless expression of self, challenges societal norms, and inspires viewers to embrace personal freedom.
(0, ∞) (2026)
Short Narrative
Directed by Mar Sudac
Also credited as Post-Producer
Co-produced with Ten20 Productions.
Gus and Clark — married, late 30s — would like to apply for a mortgage. Their small but sincere hope leads them to take the Sx Test — a newly-mandated medical procedure that claims to verify sexuality for legal use. The test’s brief but brutal trial yields surprising results, prompting Gus and Clark to question the nature of attraction in their rapidly binarizing world.
STARRING: Brandon Wilson, Cheech Manohar
WINNER, Best Narrative Film (Ann Arbor Film Festival)
Be Not Afraid (TBD)
Feature Documentary
Directed by John Zafra-Haas, Tien Nguyen
A migrant Filipino family finds community after a racist attack. Made by an all-AAPI filmmaking team, our feature-length documentary is a story about hope, trauma, and the sacrifices immigrants make for a chance at a better life.
Fil-Am (2026)
Short Narrative
Directed by Ralph Torrefranca
In 2003, a 16-year-old Filipino kid from the inner city is forced to leave his old life behind for the terrifying new world of Santa Barbara, California.
Vic and His Nanay (2025)
Short Narrative
Directed by Jill Janairo
While he’s trapped in his apartment recovering from COVID, an exasperated Vic tries to evade a nosy apparition of his late mother.
WINNER, Audience Award for Best Narrative Short (DisOrient 2026)
Walk by Me (TBD)
Feature Documentary
Directed by Lisa Leeman
Filmmaker Lisa Leeman and animation artist Gabi P. reconnect twenty-five years after Leeman profiled Payn’s gender transition in the 1990 documentary Metamorphosis (Sundance Filmmakers’ Trophy/ POV). Now middle-aged, the two artists rekindle a lapsed friendship as they reckon with the past and face uncertain futures. Filmed over five years as Gabi navigates a series of crossroads in her sixties, Walk by Me weaves past and present to explore aging, art and resiliency, faith, filmmaking, friendship, and the blurred boundaries in documentary filmmaking.
Uvalde Mom (2025)
Feature Documentary
Directed by Anayansi Prado
As Assistant Editor
"Uvalde Mom" is a feature length documentary that tells the story of Angeli Rose Gomez, a farm worker and single mom who in May 2022 ran into Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX to save her two sons during a mass shooting, while nearly 400 armed officers waited 77 minutes to intervene. When a video of her running out with her sons goes viral, Angeli highlights the inaction of law enforcement that day. However, she soon faces harassment from authorities, making her vulnerable due to her tumultuous past. As Angeli's narrative unfolds, the Uvalde community demands accountability and change. Conflicting narratives emerge from authorities, and the U.S. Department of Justice launches an investigation.