Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo

Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo (Dahil Sa ‘Yo: Ang Storya Ng Kilawin Kolektibo) traces the history of Kilawin Kolektibo, a pioneering collective of Filipnxs who came together in NYC in the mid-nineties. Having experienced marginalization in Filipino culture because of their queerness and in mainstream gay culture because of their race, language, and gender, the members of the group sought political empowerment and increased visibility. But above all, they sought to create a space of friendship and safety for those who found themselves suspended between cultures and identities. Above all, they sought to create a space of friendship and safety for those who found themselves suspended between cultures and identities. Kilawin Kolektibo allowed them to transform their experience of oppression into one of joy and growth. Kilawin made lasting connections with similar groups in the global Filipinx diaspora, most significantly, with Babaylan, a queer Filipinx group based in Toronto.

Culling from a treasure trove of over a quarter century’s worth of historic documentation that includes footage, photographs, interviews and ephemera, the film tells the inspiring story of members as they found each other, fell in love, and became each other’s lifeblood amidst a society that rejected them. From marching, partying, and protesting, to its oftentimes incestuous sexual politics, the film serves as an exhilarating memorial to the rebellion and nostalgia of the nineties.

Join us during LGBTQ History month, as we screen this film and hear from the directors and participants of Kilawin Kolektibo, at the City College of NY, Shepard Hall Rm 291 at 259 Convent Avenue at 140th street at 6 pm. ASL and CART provided. Free, light refreshments served. ID needed to enter the building. #1 to 137th St, ABCD to 145th street. Accessible route: #6 to 125th Street, then M101 to 140th Street.

Presented by Third World Newsreel and the Documentary Forum at CCNY and cosponsored by AAARI (Asian American/Asian Research Institute CUNY) and the CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center.

Desireena Almoradie (she/they) PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, CAMERA, EDITOR emigrated from Manila, Philippines at the age of eleven, settling in the borough of Queens, New York with her family. She graduated from NYU with a BFA in Film and a Master's degree at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). Her works explore collective history with a focus on queer and/or BIPOC lives. She was nominated for an Emmy and has won a GLAAD Media Award for her work on In the Life, the seminal LGBT news magazine that aired on PBS for two decades. She co-founded the Diverse Filmmakers’ Alliance (DFA), a collective of filmmakers from all backgrounds working to diversify the filmmaking landscape. 

Her feature documentary “The Worst Thing”, released in 2019, won the jury award for Best Documentary at the 2020 Snowdance Independent Film Festival in Landsberg, Germany, and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2020 Queens World Film Festival in Queens, NY. 

Desireena was awarded a NYC Women's Fund for Media, Prism Foundation Grant, the Barbara Hammer Experimental Filmmaking Grant, and the New York State Council on the Arts grant for their documentary Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo, a collaboration with Barbara Malaran. 

Most recently she won a 2025 Writers Guild Award for Best Promotional Writing for a series of Get Out the Vote ads for the non-profit organization Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. 

Barbara Malaran (they/them) DIRECTOR, CAMERA, MUSIC, EDITOR is an inspiring interdisciplinary artist whose creative journey is all about celebrating autobiographical stories of community through captivating video and audio narratives. Barbara adopts an adventurous approach to travel, exploring the connections that shape our understanding of home, identity, and the passage of time, while also navigating the beautiful complexities of memory. 

As a key member of Kilawin Kolektibo, a vibrant Pinay lesbian collective, active in the 90s, Barbara spent crucial years in NYC honing their filmmaking skills by capturing the heartbeat of the collective's actions—from marches and protests to joyous celebrations. Their passion led them to co-found and serve as an associate producer for Lesbian Central, the groundbreaking world's first Lesbian TV talk show on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a Public Access Television project sponsored by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. This platform focused on empowering queer-identified women artists to tell their own stories and connect with the community. Barbara achieved further successes, which motivated her to pursue a dual degree in Bachelors in Communications and Masters in Media Studies at The New School. She immersed herself in critical theory and audio/video production, benefiting from mentorships with esteemed artists such as Pia Masse, Cecilia Dougherty, and Barbara Hammer.

Today, they are the proud recipients of several esteemed grants, including the NYSCA grant, the Barbara Hammer Experimental Filmmaker Grant, and a Prism Foundation Grant, all of which aim to support their documentary "Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo," created in collaboration with Desireena Almoradie. Barbara's compelling films have graced numerous festivals and exhibitions, with previous accolades including the Open Initiative Artist Fellowship at The Kitchen in NY, the American Museum of Natural History, the Bronx River Arts Center, Longwood Arts, The Queens Museum, the Leslie-Lohman Gallery, and more recently, collaborative personal projects endured through the pandemic.

Host or Publisher Third World Newsreel and the Documentary Forum at CCNY