Diane Paragas

{{Short description|American film and television director}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Diane Paragas

|image = Diane Paragas.png

|caption = Paragas in Brooklyn 2019

|occupation = Filmmaker

|alma_mater = University of Texas at Austin

| children = 1

|yearsactive = 2005-present

}}

Diane Paragas is a Filipino-American documentary and narrative film and commercial director. She is best known for writing, directing and producing the 2020 film Yellow Rose. Yellow Rose was Paragas' debut narrative feature.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/immigration-drama-yellow-rose-wants-diversify-asian-american-stories-hollywood-n983651|title=Immigration drama 'Yellow Rose' wants to diversify Asian-American stories in Hollywood|website=NBC News|date=20 March 2019 |access-date=2019-07-03}} The film was selected as the Opening Night Film of the 2019 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/lea-salonga-eva-noblezada-diane-paragas-yellow-rose-la-asian-pacific-film-festival-opening-night-visual-communications-1202577184/|title=Lea Salonga & Eva Noblezada Immigration Drama 'Yellow Rose' Set As LA Asian Pacific Film Festival Opening Night Film|last=Ramos|first=Dino-Ray|date=2019-03-18|website=Deadline|access-date=2019-07-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/festivals/asian-pacific-film-festival-women-filmmakers-1203178572/|title=Asian Pacific Film Festival Spotlights Women Filmmakers|last=Gray|first=Tim|date=2019-04-02|website=Variety|access-date=2019-07-03}} Yellow Rose won Grand Jury Prizes at LAAPFF,{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/awards/yellow-rose-asian-pacific-film-fest-1203211721/|title='Yellow Rose' Takes Grand Jury Prize at Asian Pacific Film Fest|last=Gray|first=Tim|date=2019-05-11|website=Variety|access-date=2019-07-03}}{{Cite web|title='Yellow Rose,' starring Eva Noblezada wins in LA film fest|url=https://festival.vcmedia.org/2019/2019/05/12/yellow-rose-starring-eva-noblezada-wins-in-la-film-fest/|access-date=2021-04-01|website=2019 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival|language=en-US}} Bentonville Film Festival,{{Cite web|url=https://bentonvillefilmfestival.com/2019/05/12/bff-2019-announces-festival-winners/|title=BFF 2019 Announces Festival Winners|last=Bartlett|first=Carese|date=2019-05-13|website=Bentonville Film Festival|access-date=2019-07-03}} CAAMFEST37,{{Cite web|url=https://www.asianjournal.com/magazines/mdwk-magazine/yellow-rose-an-honest-visceral-exploration-on-the-complicated-definition-of-american/|title=Fil-Am coming-of-age immigration drama "Yellow Rose" awarded Grand Jury Prize at three film festivals in a row|date=2019-05-15|website=Asian Journal News|access-date=2019-07-03}} and Urbanworld{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Photo-Flash-YELLOW-ROSE-Starring-Eva-Noblezada-Wins-Big-at-23rd-Annual-Urbanworld-Film-Festival-20190922|title=Photo Flash: YELLOW ROSE Starring Eva Noblezada Wins Big at 23rd Annual Urbanworld Film Festival|author=|website=BroadwayWorld.com}} where it also took the Audience Award. The film also won the Audience Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival.{{Cite web|date=2019-11-21|title=YELLOW ROSE and THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM Win Audience Awards at 2019 Hawai'i International Film Festival|url=https://www.vimooz.com/2019/11/21/yellow-rose-and-the-australian-dream-win-audience-awards-at-2019-hawaii-international-film-festival/|access-date=2021-04-01|website=VIMOOZ|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=HIFF eNews: HIFF39 Audience Awards presented by Hawaii News Now Winners Announcement / HIFF39 on Maui, Kauai & the Big Island from November 21–24 / Free advance sneak peek of DARK WATERS star|url=https://app.robly.com/archive?id=3c50cffe633253821b270815e60b5238&v=true|access-date=2021-04-01|website=Robly Email Marketing|language=en-US}}

Her 2011 documentary film Brooklyn Boheme{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2012/02/showtimes-brooklyn-boheme-and-mtvs-i-just-want-my-pants-back-reviewed.html|title=Showtime's Brooklyn Boheme and MTV's I Just Want My Pants Back explore Brooklyn|last=Patterson|first=Troy|date=2012-02-02|website=Slate Magazine|access-date=2019-07-03}} was about the African Arts movement{{Cite web|date=2012-08-02|title=Brooklyn Boheme {{!}} BlackStar Film Festival|url=https://www.blackstarfest.org/brooklyn-boheme/|access-date=2021-04-01|language=en-US}} that documented the careers of Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Branford Marsalis, and Rosie Perez, and more.{{Cite web|title=BROOKLYN BOHEME|url=https://www.docnyc.net/film/brooklyn-boheme/|access-date=2021-04-01|website=DOC NYC|language=en-US}}{{Citation|last1=George|first1=Nelson|title=Brooklyn Boheme|date=2012-03-13|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1601463/|type=Documentary|others=Rhonda F. Cowan, Spike Lee, Branford Marsalis, Rosie Perez|publisher=Civilian Studios, Urban Romances|access-date=2021-04-01|last2=Paragas|first2=Diane}} It was the opening night film for the 2011 Urbanworld Film Festival{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/09/8-films-to-see-at-urbanworld-film-festival-52340/|title=8 Films to see at Urbanworld Film Festival|last=Mumin|first=Nijla|date=2011-09-13|website=IndieWire|access-date=2019-07-03}}

and premiered on Showtime. The film won the Black Reel Outstanding TV Documentary Award.{{Cite web|url=https://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/critics-wild-about-beasts/|title=Critics Wild About "Beasts!"|date=2013-02-08|website=The Black Reel Awards|access-date=2019-07-03}}{{Citation|title=Brooklyn Boheme (2011) - IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1601463/awards|language=en|access-date=2021-04-01}}{{Cite web|date=2016-02-21|title=BRAs Winners|url=http://blackreelawards.com/past-winners/|access-date=2021-04-01|website=The Black Reel Awards|language=en-US|archive-date=2016-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226112208/http://blackreelawards.com/past-winners/|url-status=dead}} Paragas co-directed the film with Nelson George as well as serving as a producer, editor and cinematographer.

Paragas is currently developing a feature documentary The Three Lives of David Wong, which was selected for Sundance Creative Producing Lab{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/sundance-institute-unveils-creative-producing-program-fellows/5120414.article|title=Sundance Institute unveils Creative Producing Program fellows|last=Kay|first=Jeremy|date=July 28, 2017|website=Screen|access-date=2019-07-03}} and won the CAAM Documentary for Social Change grant.{{Cite web|url=https://caamedia.org/blog/2019/03/25/caam-is-supporting-14-new-documentary-films-and-a-new-podcast-in-2019/|title=CAAM is Supporting 14 New Documentary Films and A New Podcast in 2019|date=2019-03-25|website=CAAM Home|access-date=2019-07-03}}

Paragas was selected as a 2020 Creative Capital Awardee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.artforum.com/news/2020-creative-capital-award-recipients-announced-81871|title=2020 Creative Capital Award Recipients Announced|website=www.artforum.com|date=15 January 2020 }} In March 2021, the Philippine Consulate General honored Diane Paragas with a Distinguished Filipino Women in New York award.{{cite web |title=Philippine Consulate General Honors Distinguished Filipino Women in New York |url=https://newyorkpcg.org/pcgny/2021/03/24/philippine-consulate-general-honors-distinguished-filipino-women-in-new-york/ |website=Philippine Consulate General of New York, USA|date=25 March 2021 }} In 2022 she was named a United States Artists (USA) Fellow.{{Cite web |title=United States Artists » Diane Paragas |url=https://www.unitedstatesartists.org/fellow/diane-paragas/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |language=en-US}}