Mandy Qua is a Filipina creative, storyteller, and environmental advocate from Manila, Philippines. Shaped by her global upbringing and background in Sociology, she enjoys listening deeply to people’s lived experiences and is drawn to exploring how systems influence culture, ecology, and inequality. Her passion for Filipino heritage, environmental stewardship, and community-based advocacy has guided her work—from choreographing an original dance work with an all-Filipino cast to practicing farming and seed saving with partners from around the world. HASIK is her first film, weaving together her creative, academic, and personal interests.

Marissa Mejia is a biracial Filipina American and intersectional environmentalist from Chesapeake, Virginia. While advocating for climate justice, Mejia has launched a variety of multimedia environmental campaigns, using graphic design, dance, and film to amplify the voices of Indigenous, female, and socio-economically marginalized conservationists from across the globe. As a longtime hobbyist filmmaker, Mejia was thrilled to buy her first professional camera and combine her passions for storytelling and environmentalism through the production of her debut feature film, HASIK.

After graduating from Princeton University in 2023, Qua and Mejia embarked on a 14-month journey across all three regions of the Philippines as recipients of the inaugural Princeton ReachOut Herbert C. Paschen, Jr. ‘56 Fellowship for public service. Rooted in their shared interest in agricultural sustainability and Filipina heritage, the first-time filmmakers collaborated closely with Indigenous and traditional Filipino seed savers to share the farmers’ stories and advocacy through HASIK.