We are the trailblazers in cutting-edge filmmaking of the Filipinx experience.
Indie Pop Films is a film and TV production collective committed to telling stories about the Asian and Asian-American experience, with a specific lens on Filipinx culture.
The Team
Marie Jamora / Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, MARIE JAMORA is one of the first Filipinos in the DGA, having directed episodes of QUEEN SUGAR (OWN), FIRE COUNTRY (CBS), THE RESIDENT (FOX), GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES (PARAMOUNT+), and both seasons of THE CLEANING LADY (FOX). She was an executive producer and the director of both seasons of FAMILY STYLE (HBO Max). She produced and directed her films, FLIP THE RECORD and HARANA, which won the Grand Jury Awards for Best Narrative Short at Urbanworld and the Sarasota Film Festival respectively, as well as her feature WHAT ISN’T THERE (ANG NAWAWALA), which internationally premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival. Marie began her career directing music videos during the golden age of the Philippine rock scene and founded Indie Pop Films in 2004 as a result. After graduating from Columbia University with an MFA in Film, she returned to Manila to direct commercials and television. In 2013, she immigrated to the U.S. and with a desire to amplify Filipino stories and as a champion of Philippine cinema, Marie founded CINEMA SALA, a platform showcasing Filipinx work in film and the performing arts, now supported by The Sundance Institute and the California Arts Council.
ig @marie_jamora / twitter @mariejamora
Jason McLagan / Chief Executive Officer
JASON McLAGAN is an award-winning producer, director, animator, and cinematographer. He is the Executive Producer and Animation Director for Warner Bros./Stage13’s FAMILY STYLE (HBO Max). He produced the short films NIAN for Hulu’s Bite-Sized Halloween program, AFI’s HARANA (Grand Jury Prize, Sarasota Film Festival 2021), FLIP THE RECORD (Grand Jury Prize, Urbanworld 2017, shortlisted for the 90th Academy Awards), and HOOK UP 2.0 (Tribeca Film Festival 2019). As the Animation Director for the LEGO® brands’ hit web-series THE BUILD ZONE, Jason oversaw 90 episodes with over 100 million views worldwide. His stop-motion short, AN ELEGY FOR EDEN, won “Best Short Film” at the AM/FM International Film Festival, and was in competition at Slamdance. For the 2022 California Midterm Elections, Jason produced and directed the animated GET OUT THE VOTE Campaign for the Asian American and Pacific Islanders For Civic Empowerment Education Fund (AAPI FORCE-EF). Jason is the Co-Founder and Advisory Board Member of Cinema Sala, a screening and workshop series dedicated to the promotion of films and the performing arts of the Filipino diaspora. His cinematography work can be seen in Netflix’s MAKING A MURDERER, Showtime’s THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN LIVES; WHAT HAPPENED?, and the award-winning documentary, MIXED MATCH.
ig @jacesonic
Bianca Catbagan / Head of Development
BIANCA CATBAGAN is a Filipino director & photographer based in Los Angeles. She is the Head of Development at Indie Pop Films. She also volunteers her time at Cinema Sala, a platform that showcases Filipinx work in film and the performing arts. Her screenplay, 2AM in Tokyo, has been chosen as one of the projects for the Torino Film Lab's Next Feature program. She was a Cinematography Fellow at the CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy and a participant at the Reykjavik International Film Festival’s Talent Lab where her film was nominated for a Golden Egg. She won a production grant from the inaugural Cinematografo Film Festival where her film premiered as a festival centerpiece, screening to a sold out audience in San Francisco. She was most recently the Audio Series and Originals Coordinator of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. She received her MFA in Directing and Screenwriting from Columbia University.
ig @bcatbagan / work bia-film.com
Gino Jose / Head of Production
GINO JOSE is a videographer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Before joining Indie Pop Films, Gino self-produced and directed his work. His short film BASAAN competed in Outfest 2017 and was part of the Cannes Court Metrage in 2015. His short WAIVERS was awarded a Harvest of Honor Award from the Philippines’ National Commission for Culture & the Arts in 2017 and selected Best in Storytelling in the Angaelica Film Festival 2017. His latest short film, THE INTERVIEW, was awarded the Festival Favorite at the Cinema Diverse Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2022 and selected by Queerx Film Festival 2022 and Desperado LGBTQ Film Festival 2022.
Commercially, Gino has worked with brands such as Honda America, Toyota America, Tandm Surf, and the NBA. Gino’s central themes in his films are compassion, kindness, and empowerment.
ig @lightwarrior08 work lightnomadfilms.com