Kathleen Lei Limayo is a documentary filmmaker, photographer & visual anthropologist based in the Philippines. She focuses on visually documenting the impacts of the climate crisis and covers stories on the intersections of environmental issues with human rights and indigenous rights.
She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film & Audio-Visual Communication from the Film Institute, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman. She is currently finishing her Master of Arts in Philippine Studies with specialization on Socio-Cultural Studies at the Asian Center, UP Diliman.
Her documentary film Sa Rikaw was nominated at the 34th Gawad Urian Film Festival under the Best Film Documentary Category. She is a story grantee of the Internews’ Earth Journalism Network for her multimedia documentary story Toil in the Heat: Impacts of climate change on health of farmers & fisherfolk in Dingalan, Aurora which was featured in Rappler.com. In 2018, she was the runner up winner of the Cambridge Climate Frontline Programme for her multimedia documentary story Ah’ah Laot: People of the Sea – Climate Change Impacts to the People of Tigtabon Island.
Her works have been featured at ABS-CBN News, Philppine Daily Inquirer, GMA News, and ANC Talk Back. She has done photo and video documentation for several organizations like 350.org, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, Sulong CARHRIHL, Terres des Hommes Netherlands, Lilok Foundation and Far East Broadcasting Company Philippines to name a few.
She currently serves as the Asia & Pacific Video Producer for 350.org, an international climate movement working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.
Follow her on social media: Instagram
EDUCATION
2013- Ongoing. Master of Arts in Philippine Studies (Socio-Cultural). Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman
2008-2012. Bachelor of Arts in Film and Audio-Visual Communication. Cum laude. Film Institute, College of Mass Communication. University of the Philippines Diliman
NOMINATIONS, AWARDS & GRANTS
2019. Story Grantee. Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. Asia-Pacific Health-Related Climate Change Story Grants. “Heat-related illnesses: Health impacts of climate change to farmers & fisherfolk in Dingalan, Aurora”
2018. Runner up. Cambridge Climate Frontline Programme. Grant for multimedia documentary project “Ah’ah Laot: People of the Sea – Climate Change Impacts to the Tigtabon Island”
2013. Nomination for Best Documentary Film. 36th Gawad Urian Film Festival. Nomination for film “Sa Rikaw: Ang Huling Kanta ng Iraya Mangyan ng Magnot”
2012. Honorable Mention for Documentary Thesis “Sa Rikaw: Ang Huling Kanta ng Iraya Mangyan ng Magnot”
AFFILIATION
2019-2020. Member. Ugnayang Pang-Aghamtao, Inc. (Anthropological Association of the Philippines)
2020. Member. Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines, Inc.
RESEARCH INTERESTS AND SPECIALIZATION
Documentary filmmaking and photography
Philippine indigenous peoples and culture
Intangible cultural heritage and traditional knowledge system and practices
Visual anthropology and multimodal ethnographic research
Intercultural studies
Climate change impacts to indigenous peoples
EXHIBITS AND SCREENINGS
2020. Lupa, Bundok at Dagat (Land, Mountain and Sea): Indigenous Communities and Environment Protection. Online Photo Exhibit
2012. UP Film Institute Student Thesis Screening. Cine Adarna, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.
2011. Coffee Art Painting Exhibit. ROX Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City
2008. disCOLOR: Black and White Photography Exhibit. UP Film Center, Quezon City
CONFERENCE & PRESENTATIONS
November 2019. Paper Presenter. Ah’ah Laot (People of the Sea): Climate Change Impacts to the People of Tigtabon Island. 41st UGAT Annual Conference, Visayas State University, Leyte
October 2019. Paper Presenter. Protecting Sierra Madre: Articulating Indigenous Identity and Rights through Forest Protection and Climate Change Mitigation Practices by Dumagat Forest Rangers in Norzagaray, Bulacan. Philippine Sociological Society Annual National Conference 2019
October 2019. Paper Presenter – Panel. Transforming Research Results into Advocacy. Philippine Sociological Society Annual National Conference 2019
March 2017. Paper Presenter. The Church as Agents of Transformation: We are Witnesses! Asian Theological Seminary 2017 Theological Forum
February 2016. Paper Presenter. Face-to-face and Online Interfaith Dialogue: Two Case Studies of Peace-building for Christians and Bangsamoros in the Philippines. Asian Theological Seminary 2016 Theological Forum
