A Karaoke Space Odyssey

In the hopes of getting a green card, Stella, a young undocumented Filipino immigrant, goes on a karaoke date with the eccentric Joe, who turns out to be an alien from outer space. Now, the odd pair must avoid the feds as they find a way for Joe to escape the planet. It turns out, however, that the way out is for Stella to activate a teleportation device through what she does best: singing.

Directed by Achim Mendoza
Produced by Sayali Upadhye and Bobbie Green

Director’s Bio: A queer ex-Filipino-soap-opera-translator-turned-filmmaker, Achim’s passion for film started in his teens, when Marilou Diaz-Abaya, a renown Filipino director and National Artist, offered to mentor him. He has directed musical shorts “Connection” and “A Karaoke Space Odyssey” which have screened in prestigious festivals. He also edited “Alok,” a short documentary that had its world premiere in Sundance 2024. In his spare time, Achim likes to perfect his family’s longsilog recipe.

Plays in

Make It Pop

When you have a brilliant idea or when something stands out in the midst of a crowd, those are the moments when you… make it pop. This curation of short films utilizes the magical combination of music and moving image to tell stories of laughter, loss, and love.

Award Nominated Shorts