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PJ Raval

Location:
United States
Languages:
English
Issues:
LGBTQIA+, Racial Injustice, Mass Incarceration & Criminal Justice Reform, Democracy, Power & Governance, Human Rights
Expertise:
Consulting
Cultural/racial identity:
Queer Filipinx American
Self identification:
Male

Bio

PJ Raval is a queer, first generation Filipino American filmmaker who examines social justice issues through the voices of queer and marginalized subjects. Named one of Out Magazine’s “Out 100,” PJ’s films include TRINIDAD (Showtime) and BEFORE YOU KNOW IT (WORLD Channel), lauded as “a crucial new addition to the LGBT doc canon” by indieWIRE. PJ’s most recent documentary, CALL HER GANDA, chronicles three women as they seek justice for Jennifer Laude, a Filipina trans woman who was brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine. GANDA received over a dozen awards and was nominated for both a GLAAD Media Award and a Philippines Academy Award for Best Documentary. After broadcasting on POV (PBS), it also won the 2020 NLGJA Association of LGBTQ Journalists Excellence in Documentary Award. PJ is a co-founder of the queer transmedia arts organization OUTsider, and is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He serves on the leadership team of the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) and is a Guggenheim Fellow, Firelight Media Fellow, Soros Justice Fellow, and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.