Joan made her first documentary film "Respite" in 2003 while she was a Communication Arts student. This won a Gawad CCP for Alternative Film and Video Award. She has since been working in the advertising, film and digital video production circuit.
In 2004, she was selected as one of only 30 writers to undergo an advanced film and TV
writing workshop under Filipino screenwriting great Ricky Lee (writer of acclaimed Filipino films "Himala," "Brutal," "Moral" among others). She was songwriter and musical scenes co-writer for 2005 Cinemalaya Film Festival finalist "Saan Nagtatago si Happiness?" by Real Florido.
In 2013, Joan along with three other industry practitioners co-founded and continues to run The Jumpcat Experiment Inc., a production company. Under Jumpcat she has produced, written, and directed numerous TV and digital commercials, series and short films. She has also managed post production work for films such as "Mga Mata sa Dilim," "Memoirs of a Teenage Rebel," "Mercury is Mine" and the latest, "Bukal" (Wellspring) directed by Epy Quizon which won in the Cannes World Film Festival 2021 as Best Short Film.
SUBSCRIBE is Joan's first full-length film project at the helm both as Director and Writer, and also as co-producer. This year 2023, it was one of only 3 films selected in Asia at the Full Circle Lab Philippines - First Cut Lab, a capacity building and mentorship grant for films to push their international potential.
She currently co-directs and heads concept development and creative work for the Filipino children's travel show--the first of its kind in the Philippines--entitled "Mang Lalakbay" (which means, 'traveler,' or 'a fellow who travels'), and runs a creative production company, The Jumpcat Experiment Inc.