Joseph Israel Laban

Joseph Israel Laban is an award-winning Filipino journalist and independent filmmaker. He worked for the Philippine television programs The Probe Team, Front Row and Reporter's Notebook of GMA News and Public Affairs. He directed the short film Antipo and the full-length feature film Cuchera. --- Laban obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from the University of the Philippines at Diliman. He also attended New York University on a Fulbright Scholarship for his Master’s degree in Journalism with a concentration in News and Documentary. Laban produced the documentary Batang Kalakal which was awarded with the Gold World Medal for Best Human Interest Story by the 2008 New York Festivals for Television, a Silver Screen Award at the 2008 US International Film and Video Festival and an Ani ng Dangal Award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). He also directed and produced the documentary "Bente Dos" (Twenty-Two ) which won the Silver World Medal (Profiles) at the 2012 New York Festivals for Television and a citation as Best Documentary at the 2011 PopDev Television Awards. Laban was also the Head Writer of "Mga Yaman sa Basura" (Child Urban Miner) which won a Silver World Medal at NYF (Social Issues) and a the sole Finalist from the Philippines for the 2012 UNICEF Child Rights Awards.