Filipino American Filmmaker Joshua Ortiz Reflects on His Journey and Contributing to the Viral Avengers: Doomsday Countdown Clip
Photo Courtesy of Joshua Ortiz
When the Avengers: Doomsday one-year countdown dropped, audiences didn’t just watch. They paused, replayed, shared, and even speculated about hidden messages. A week later, the clip surpassed 14 million views, becoming a viral moment picked up across major media outlets that fueled anticipation for the next chapter of the Marvel Universe.
The countdown video was the result of a collaborative effort led by AGBO and its studio partners. Supporting the marketing team as a contracted editor was Joshua Ortiz (@joshuajortiz), a Filipino American filmmaker whose career has steadily built toward opportunities to contribute to projects of this scale, alongside earlier success with the short films he has written and directed.
Ortiz’s journey into filmmaking began with a deep love for story. In 2009, while living in San Francisco and with his family based in the Philippines, he began making vlogs to surprise his parents. From there, he started filming weddings and small business commercials, which eventually led him to creating short films.
Creativity runs in his family. “My dad always carried around a big VHS camera, and I thought it was the coolest thing. Our lola was a radio voice actress in the Philippines, and we have several cousins and uncles who pursued creative careers and continue to be inspirations.”
In 2015, Ortiz gained national attention on HBO’s Project Greenlight, where Ben Affleck and Matt Damon awarded him Most Unique Short Film for his project Listen. The film helped shape his voice as a director and storyteller and featured his first actors, his siblings Joel and Monica, who now act full-time in Los Angeles. Listen was created to inspire them to never give up on their dreams, despite choosing a career path outside of the traditional Filipino medical-field trajectory.
“It showed me I had a good eye for filmmaking, but I still needed to build my skills and knowledge,” Ortiz shared.
Shortly after, in 2016, his short film Wake Up was selected from more than 1,500 entries and received a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival, establishing him as a filmmaker with artistic range and cinematic ambition on a global scale.
As he continued building his craft, Ortiz created behind-the-scenes videos for a local film school, sharpening his skill set before eventually moving to Los Angeles with his wife, Valeri. There, he landed his first corporate role at Universal Studios Hollywood, creating videos seen throughout the theme park for major intellectual properties such as Super Nintendo World and Jurassic Park.
From there, he joined Netflix, contributing to assets for projects including Blue Eye Samurai, Griselda, The Brothers Sun, and the official Season 2 release video for America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. He also collaborated with Universal Pictures on Wicked.
Currently, Ortiz serves as Head of Media at Rideback Rise, a yearlong program that supports mid-career creators of color in developing commercial film and television projects that accelerate racial equity. Through the program, he has connected with and learned from industry leaders including Jon M. Chu, Robert Rodriguez, Issa Rae, and more.
“Representation means everything to me as a Filipino American filmmaker,” Ortiz said. “I think we’re heading into a time in the film industry where we need to start making more films with culture, not just for culture.”
One of his biggest creative fears was writing and directing a story that felt too personal. “I’ve recently learned that the best stories often come from our deepest fears,” he shared. “I wrote a comedy short film about the societal pressures around what a man ‘should’ do when his partner is disrespected. It was the first time I tapped into a personal fear, and it felt like it helped me take the next step in my filmmaking journey.”
Another recent milestone in Ortiz’s career came through his collaboration with AGBO’s marketing team. It began in 2024 through No Sleep ’til Film Fest, a 48-hour film festival designed to spotlight new voices. His film The Garage received an Honorable Mention, which led to an introduction to AGBO’s marketing team.
“Tyler, an actor in the film, commented on how fast I edited, and somehow that led to me becoming a contracted editor for their marketing team,” Ortiz explained.
Supporting the marketing team on the Avengers: Doomsday one-year countdown clip marked his first contribution to the franchise. The clip served as the first asset introducing the film as part of a broader, studio-led campaign.
“These are massive IPs that have built an audience through years of masterful storytelling,” Ortiz said. “My job is to stay true to what audiences have fallen in love with. The main question we asked was, ‘What would make us super excited?’ I’m glad the fanbase felt the same.”
The clip’s reach demonstrated how even a brief piece of content can resonate globally. For Ortiz, however, the moment carried deeper meaning. “This was definitely a career milestone,” he said. “It reminded me that I’m in the right place, pursuing the right path.”
With experience spanning independent film, major studios, and global franchises, Ortiz continues to look forward. He remains drawn to stories that challenge him creatively and emotionally, whether through deeper narrative work, long-form projects, or cinematic moments that reach massive audiences.
A reminder of what happens when preparation, talent, and opportunity align, and when Filipino American creatives are given space to contribute, collaborate, and lead.