Exclusive: American Documentary Honors PJ Raval With Creative Visionary Award

Today, American Documentary (AmDoc) announced that award-winning independent filmmaker PJ Raval, known for directing stories of queer and Filipino communities, will receive the organization’s second Creative Visionary Award. AmDoc produces the independent PBS strands POV and America ReFramed, their robust educational and community screenings, and a suite of artist development activities. Last year, AmDoc’s inaugural awardee was producer Darcy McKinnon.

Raval is a POV and America ReFramed alum with the GLAAD Media Award–nominated Before You Know It (2013) and Call Her Ganda (2018). The latter was featured at Getting Real ’18 as a potent case study of cultural expertise within the producing team, exploring the imperialist context behind the murder of a transgender woman in the Philippines.  voice and visibility to traditionally marginalized and LGBTQ+ communities.

A first-generation Filipino American from California's Central Valley, Raval’s outsider status as a queer youth in a deeply conservative community shaped his filmmaking practice. His most recent feature, the festival favorite Who We Become (2023), presents an intimate, participatory story told through the lens of three young Filipino women coming into political consciousness as they seek kapwa (Tagalog for togetherness) with their families during COVID-19 lockdowns. The film was acquired by ARRAY and is available on Netflix. 

Alongside a host of prestigious artist and filmmaker fellowships, Raval is also a member of the Producers Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he has served on the Academy Documentary Branch Executive Committee and is currently Co-Chair for the Asian Affinity Group. He holds an MFA in Film and Media Production from the University of Texas at Austin where he is currently an associate professor at their Moody College of Communication. His community work includes being a co-founding member of Queerbomb, a radically inclusive, non-corporate counter to the city’s Pride celebration; and OUTsider, a transmedia nonprofit celebrating the creative work of LGBTQ+ communities working across visual, cinema and performing arts. A longstanding member of Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc), he is actively involved on the Steering Committee and serves as the Impact Initiative Project Co-lead.

“On behalf of American Documentary, we are proud to recognize PJ Raval with our Creative Visionary Award,” said Erika Dilday, executive director of American Documentary and executive producer of POV, via a press release. “PJ continues to make an indelible mark on nonfiction filmmaking and is a shining example of how documentary films can be powerful and enlightening vehicles for empathy and community healing. PJ’s contributions to independent filmmaking along with his community organizing on the ground, in classrooms, and board rooms are inspiring to all of us in the field who are both champions as well as fans and his commitment to social justice work. His impact is immeasurable and, lucky for us, he’s got a long road ahead of him.”

“I have long admired the contributions and impactful programming of POV and American Documentary,” said Raval. “Throughout my career, AmDoc has served as a model for my filmmaking, as I strive to create work that resonates with public media viewers. I’m deeply honored and thrilled to receive this award, which holds such personal meaning. It inspires and encourages me to continue sharing vital, yet often overlooked, stories from my communities.”

AmDoc’s second annual GalaFest 2024 is an organizational fundraiser that’s become a stop on the fall film events circuit. Aside from honoring Raval, the evening includes a VIP cocktail reception and “festive activities” to experience with funders, sponsors, filmmakers, and representatives from other film non-profits in AmDoc’s orbit.