Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, MARIE JAMORA is a genre-agnostic director who finds joy in storytelling, performance, and craft. In her first two years of the DGA, she directed episodes for Ava DuVernay’s award-winning QUEEN SUGAR (OWN), Seasons 1 and 2 of THE CLEANING LADY (FOX), GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES (Paramount+), THE RESIDENT (FOX), GOOD SAM (CBS), and both seasons of FIRE COUNTRY (CBS). Prior to that, the musician-director was named one of “Five Visionary Asian-American Female Filmmakers” in Kore Magazine’s ‘New Hollywood’ issue. Her short film FLIP THE RECORD screened at over 30 festivals worldwide, winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at Urbanworld and St. Louis and shortlisted for the 90th Academy Awards. Her debut feature WHAT ISN’T THERE (ANG NAWAWALA) premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and is considered a cult classic coming of age film in the Philippines. Her narrative work tends to highlight music as a form of expression for those who historically and socially have no voice.
Marie became the first Filipino director to be accepted into AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, where she wrote and directed HARANA, which won the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Narrative Short at the Sarasota Film Festival. Marie was also part of the Warner Bros. Television Directors’ Workshop, the Lifetime Director Shadowing Program, a semi-finalist for NBC’s Female Forward, and the DGA Women’s Steering Committee Squad where she was mentored by Karyn Kusama.
In 2023, Marie was the Producer-Director for Ava DuVernay’s untitled limited series on Starz, starring Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff. Most recently, she directed Academy Award and Emmy winner Kathy Bates in the MATLOCK reboot for CBS, which premieres in Fall 2024.
Marie began her career directing music videos during the golden age of the Philippine rock scene, where she directed over 50 music videos. She graduated from Columbia University with an MFA in Film and returned to Manila to direct commercials and television. After immigrating to Los Angeles with a desire to amplify Filipino stories, Marie founded CINEMA SALA, a non-profit organization that showcases Filipinx artists in film and the performing arts through programming, distribution, and education. Cinema Sala has since partnered with ARRAY, CAPE, Outfest, Gold House, and AFI Fest and is supported by the Sundance Institite, Cinereach, and the California Arts Council.
After two decades of filmmaking and teaching in the Philippines, she has taught at the American Film Institute and Sundance Co//ab, is one of the leaders of the DGA WSC Squad mentorship program, a Board Member for the Slamdance Foundation, a member of the Television Academy, and proudly one of the few Filipinos in the Directors’ Guild of America.
PRESS
VARIETY
“Meet the 42 Women Directors of 'Queen Sugar’ and How They’re Taking Over Hollywood”
LA STYLE MAGAZINE
“Marie Jamora: The Filipino Director Bringing Diversity To The Main Screen”
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“AFI Directing Workshop for Women Reveals Class of 2020”
ASIAN JOURNAL
“Filipina Filmmaker Marie Jamora On Directing Queen Sugar, Cultivating A More Inclusive Filmmaking Community”
RAPPLER
“Filipina directors Marie Jamora, Ida del Mundo make an impact behind the lens in the US”
ABS-CBN NEWS
“Marie Jamora is now a member of the Director’s Guild of America”
EMMY MAGAZINE
“Marie Jamora’s Meaningful Direction”
DEADLINE
“DGA Woman’s Steering Committee Announces Second Class Mentees And Filmmakers For WSC Squad Mentorship Program”
ASIAN JOURNAL
“(Marie) is building for herself a great body of work. She’s very genuine and pays attention to what you have to offer,” Elodie Yung said. “Marie was someone who would take the time, we met before and we discussed where she was coming from. I’m just so happy to be surrounded by so many diverse and very clever women.”
RAPPLER
“[Only IN Hollywood] Director Marie Jamora’s journey from ‘Eat Bulaga!’ to Hollywood”
ASIAN JOURNAL
“Episode 6 was directed by Marie Jamora. (Martha) Millan describes her as amazing and working with her is a real honor. ‘She communicates with the actors in a very nurturing way and it allowed me just to be safe and comfortable to explore all sides of the scenes whenever we’re working.’
LOS ANGELES TIMES
“The Slamdance Film Festival is moving to Los Angeles with its next edition… (Marie) also began producing original content for the festival, served on a jury in 2021 and is currently on the Slamdance board.”
RAPPLER
“The distinguished Manila International Film Festival judges are Marie Jamora (head of the jury)”
A BOOK OF
“A luncheon, spearheaded by Chris Quintos Cathcart of Unapologetic Projects, Sundance programmer Irene Soriano of I See You MC, and DGA director Marie Jamora of Cinema Sala, brought together key players in the Filipino filmmaking community.”
VARIETY
“Oprah Winfrey Shares the Greatest Lesson She Took From Her 25-Year Talk Show: ‘We Want to Know We Matter’ ”
GMA NEWS
“Filmmaker Marie Jamora makes her mark in Hollywood”
DEADLINE
“WBTV Sets 2020 Television Directors’ Workshop Participants”
