MANILA -- Award-winning filmmaker Emille Joson's career emerged through her feminist themes and gritty filmmaking style.

The resurgence of her 37th Metro Manila Film Festival nominated short film, "Adivino," turned her into a bona fide filmmaker. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, she captured the hearts of Western horror fans, including internationally notable figures who began following her on social media.

Aside from making films, her family-owned agricultural foundation, Alaga Producers Cooperative, has been doing philanthropic work for over 11 years. Some of their kind-hearted donors are well-known figures, from Senators Grace Poe and Nancy Binay to Kapamilya actress Angel Locsin-Arce and more. Joson's family has also produced church events and concert shows in Bulacan, some of which were done in collaboration with ABS-CBN Star Magic management.

Throughout her success, Joson did not forget her roots in show business. She can still recall her on-the-job training days at the Kapamilya network and the positive impact that ABS-CBN employees had on her.

"I was so young when I started training at ABS (Star Cinema Adprom); Sir Mac Merla was my superior. I was a film student at the Asia Pacific Film Institute. So when I started my OJT, click agad ako sa mga katrabaho. I developed a lot of things about my craft, and especially my work ethic," Joson shared in an interview.

According to the filmmaker, her experiences with ABS-CBN brought a lot of opportunities to her chosen career.

"They've been very supportive of me too and encouraged me to rock my work in film festivals. Direk Ludwig Peralta who was doing a teleserye 'Nasaan Ka Elisa' at that time, helped me out to shoot 'Adivino' and then Mama Ogie Diaz stitched it as an opening at the premiere of his acclaimed indie film 'Dyagwar' sa U.P. So sobrang thankful ako doon. I owe them big-time talaga. ABS is one of the best things that ever happened in my career, isa yun sa napakalaking utang na loob na tinatanaw ko talaga," she said.

As she focused on making independent films right after her training days in ABS-CBN, Joson also had the chance to work with acclaimed box-office directors like Ivan Andrew Payawal, Ice Idanan, Petersen Vargas, and more.

The 32-year-old filmmaker remains in touch with her colleagues and former bosses on social media.