LOLOBATMAN: 5 QUESTIONS for Filmmaker
Madonna Diaz-Refugia

Tinsel & Tine’s 5 Questions for Indie Filmmakers Series continues with a film selected to screen at The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF) Running November 5 -15, 2026,

Synopsis: LOLOBATMAN (2026)

Haunted by the ghost of her movie-director grandfather, comedy writer Madonna Diaz takes a break from making scrappy, sketch comedy videos to go to the Philippines and search for his unauthorized Batman movie. After her search mission fails, Madonna returns to L.A. and goes back to making raunchy comedy content while her grandfather’s ghost relentlessly urges her to find his lost film. As she parses out the evidence she collected from interviews with his family and coworkers, as well as archival articles and movie advertisements, Madonna realizes the historical impact of his legacy and finds his lost Batman movie in the most unexpected place:
herself.

Directors Statement: My grandfather, Filipino director Leody M. Diaz, died in a movie theater before I was born. When
I learned he had made an unauthorized Batman film in 1967 (now considered lost), I became obsessed with finding it as a way of understanding him. LOLOBATMAN is both a search for that film and an attempt to connect with a legacy shaped by distance, time, and myth. Made under tight constraints that echoed my grandfather’s own filmmaking conditions, the film embraces a scrappy, personal approach to storytelling. Blending humor with longing, I wanted to explore what it means to inherit a creative identity from
someone you’ve never met and how we build belonging from fragments.

CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEO INTERVIEW –
5 QUESTIONS FOR Madonna Diaz-Refugia

Screening during PAAFF Shorts Block – Unfinished Inheritance

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026 

Time: 2pm EST

Location: Asian Arts Initiative (1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA 19107)

Tickets:  Click HERE

Questions Answered in Video:

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for LOLOBATMAN and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

T&T: Tell us a bit about the music? (Who did you work with? What did you want to convey? Or any other tidbits)

T&T: What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your
film?

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your film from an idea to PAAFF

T&T: Name 5 favorite films which influenced your desire to be a filmmaker