LIZA DIÑO is the president and CEO of Fire and Ice Media and Productions, a Philippine-based entertainment company with an international reach that takes Filipino creativity to the next level. She is passionate about celebrating the global Filipino talent and creativity through innovative, collaborative executions that bring together diverse and unique perspectives for the world to experience. "Chair Liza" as she was fondly called, recently finished her term as the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the country's national film agency. During her 6-year stint, she made it her mission to bring Philippine cinema to the world stage and be at the forefront of global collaboration. During her time, landmark programs and initiatives were launched and implemented that positioned the Philippines to be more globally competitive and ready to work with international stakeholders. In 2020, amidst the pandemic, the Philippines' launched its first global film incentive program, the FilmPhilippines Incentives, promoting the Philippines as a filming destination and a coproduction hub for foreign productions. One of its unique support schemes is the ASEAN Coproduction Fund (ACOF), a regional public funding grant that provides financial incentives to Southeast Asian filmmakers partnering with a Filipino producer. FilmPhilippines have supported around 35 international coproduction projects with an estimated 2.5 billion pesos in local spending in the last two years.

To further Liza's goal to strengthen collaboration within the Southeast Asian region and help Filipino filmmakers bring their films to the global stage, she partnered with Matthieu Darras of Full Circle Lab to conceptualize, create, and launch Full Circle Lab Philippines, a Southeast Asian project and talent development program which aims to nurture and develop Filipino and Southeast Asian projects for global potential. The Lab, initiated in 2019, has reached numerous achievements with notable films like Ajoomma directed by He Shuming, which is part of this year's BIFF, Autobiography by Makdul Mubarak, which recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and Stone Turtle Woo Ming Jin, which had its world premiere in Locarno Film Fest among its participants. In the Philippines, "Leonor Will Never Die" by Martika Escobar, which won a Special Jury Prize in this year's Sundance, Fan Girl by Antoinette Jadaone, which premiered in Tokyo and Tallin Film Fest last year, "Hayop Ka! (You Animal!" by Avid Liongoren, the first animated feature film to compete in Annecy Film Festival, as well as John Denver Trending by Arden Rod Condez which competed in BIFF 2020 were also alumni projects of the Lab. The Lab has supported over 75 film projects and mentored 160+ participants from the Philippines and Southeast Asia in its 4 years of existence.