Born in Olongapo, Philippines, and raised in San Diego and Houston, Kayla Abuda Galang is an award-winning filmmaker whose work draws from the funny minutiae of her communities, surroundings, and memory. Her film, When You Left Me On That Boulevard, made its debut at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize. She was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2023. In 2024, she accepted an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was awarded an Ani ng Dangal from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines.