Michele Josue is an Emmy award-winning Filipino-American director.
Michele Josue is an Emmy award-winning Filipino American documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Her critically acclaimed feature debut MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE about Matthew Shepard is the winner of 10 Best Documentary and Audience Awards from festivals worldwide and boasts a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film won the 2016 Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Special Class Special.”
MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, the personal story of the gay young man who was tortured and murdered in one of the most notorious hate crimes in U.S. history, has screened at film festivals around the world including IDFA, DOC NYC and Mill Valley and at special event screenings at the Washington National Cathedral and U.S. Department of State. In her travels with the film, Michele has also represented the United States government overseas as a U.S. State Department Speaker and presented the film in Washington D.C., Moscow, and St. Petersburg, Russia. She has partnered with several educational and advocacy organizations such as the Los Angeles LGBT Center, PFLAG, GLAAD, the Trevor Project, and the Human Rights Campaign in sharing the story of Matthew Shepard’s life and legacy.
Michele is also the Executive Producer, Director, and Lead Editor of HAPPY JAIL, the Netflix Original documentary series about the Filipino jail that is home to the world-famous “Dancing Inmates.” The winner of the 2021 Silver Telly Award for Series Documentary for Television, HAPPY JAIL takes an unprecedented look into the inner workings of this unique facility, the inmates that inhabit it, and by extension, the impact of President Duterte’s Drug War.
Michele’s latest feature documentary entitled NURSE UNSEEN explores the little-known history and humanity of the Filipino nurses risking their lives on the frontlines of the pandemic while facing a resurgence of anti-Asian hate in the streets. This multi-award-winning documentary unearths the colonial ties between the Philippines and the United States that have led to Filipino-American nurses becoming the unsung backbone of the United States healthcare system. Michele was selected as a 2021 Film Independent Fast Track Fellow with NURSE UNSEEN.
Michele’s latest film FOOD ROOTS is currently on the film festival circuit and has screened at the Chicago International Film Festival, Newport Beach International, Seattle International Film Festival, and won the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival, Vero Beach Film Festival, and the “Spirit of the Fest” Award at River Bend Film Festival. FOOD ROOTS follows Fil-Am celebrity restaurateur Billy Dec as he journeys to the Philippines to learn his ancestor’s recipes and deepen his connection to his Filipino identity.
In 2022, Michele was selected by the Philippine Embassy and the Ayala Foundation as a delegate of the Filipino Young Leaders Program, a network of high-performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries.
Michele has served as a juror at several film festivals and participated as a speaker and guest on various film panels, podcasts, and TV shows. Her essays have been featured in Indiewire, The New York Times Upfront, and The Huffington Post. A graduate of Emerson College, Michele also serves as an alumni mentor to Emerson undergraduate students working towards a career in the film industry.
Films
FOOD ROOTS
Documentary Feature Film
In FOOD ROOTS, Emmy-Award winning Chicago Restaurateur Billy Dec adventures through his mother’s native 7,641 Islands of the Philippines to learn recipes from his last living elders, while uncovering culinary and cultural treasures and family secrets.
NURSE UNSEEN
Documentary Feature Film
NURSE UNSEEN explores the little-known history and humanity of the unsung Filipino nurses risking their lives on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a resurgence of anti-Asian hate in the streets. This personal documentary unearths the colonial ties between the Philippines and the United States that have led to Filipino-American nurses becoming the unsung backbone of the United States healthcare system.
happy jail
A Netflix Original Documentary Series
The Philippine jail known for a viral Michael Jackson dance video comes under the management of a former convict, sparking controversy and criticism.
matt shepard is a friend of mine
Feature Film
MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE explores the life and tragic death of Matthew Shepard, the gay student brutally murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in one of the most notorious hate crimes in U.S. history. Framed through the personal lens of friends and family, it’s a story of loss, love, and courage in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
Awards & Honors
For MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, a film by Michele Josue
American Library Association's Award for “2017 Notable Videos for Adults” - 2017
Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Special Class Special" - 2016
Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival’s Audience Award for Favorite Documentary - 2015
Outview Film Festival’s Jury Award for Best Documentary - 2015
Emerge Film Festival’s Best Documentary Award - 2015
Side by Side LGBT International Film Festival’s Bobik Award for Best Film - 2014
Out on Film-Atlanta LGBT Film Festival’s Jury Award for Best Documentary - 2014
North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Documentary - 2014
Kansas City LGBT Film Festival’s Celebration of Courage Award for Documentary - 2014
Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Documentary - 2014
Cleveland International Film Festival’s Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film - 2014
Cleveland International Film Festival’s Greg Gund Standing Up Award - 2014
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) Top 20 Audience Favorite - 2013
For FOOD ROOTS, a film by Michele Josue
River Bend Film Festival’s Spirit of the Fest - 2024
Vero Beach Film Festival’s Audience Award - Documentary Feature - 2024
Nashville Film Festival’s Spotlight Nashville Audience Award - Documentary Feature - 2023
For nurse unseen, a film by Michele Josue
Boston Asian American Film Festival’s Audience Choice Award - Documentary Feature - 2023
Asian American International Film Festival’s Audience Award - Documentary Feature - 2023
CAAMFest Audience Award - Documentary Feature - 2023
CAAM Documentary Fund Awardee - 2023
Cleveland International Film Festival’s Global Health Competition Award - 2023
For happy jail, a netflix documentary series directed by Michele Josue
Silver Telly Award for Series Documentary for Television - 2021
HAPPY JAIL selected for IFP’s Project Forum: Spotlight on Documentaries - 2017
For Michele Josue
Selected as a delegate of the Filipino Young Leaders Program - 2022
Selected as a Film Independent Fast Track fellow with NURSE UNSEEN - 2021
Selected for International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam’s World Documentary Exchange filmmaker program - 2013
The Reel Affirmation Film Festival’s Keith Clark & Barry Becker Filmmaker Award - 2011
