Director Maria Diane Ventura earns international recognition for bringing the story of the iconic Filipino band to a wider audience
The Eraserheads’ story has traveled far beyond the Philippines — and now, the filmmaker who brought that story to the screen is being recognized on an international stage.
Maria Diane Ventura has received the Best International Director Award at the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) Music Documentary Film Festival in New York for Eraserheads: Combo On The Run, the acclaimed documentary tracing the legacy, music, and cultural impact of one of the Philippines’ most influential bands.
The recognition came following the film’s screening at the annual festival on September 27, 2026, which was followed by a special post-screening conversation featuring Ventura and Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia.
For Ventura, the award carries significance beyond another addition to the documentary’s growing list of international distinctions. At the heart of Combo On The Run is a Filipino story — one deeply connected to the country’s music, culture, and collective memory — that Ventura believes can also resonate with audiences far beyond its home country.
“Every recognition Combo on the Run receives still feels a little surreal to me,” Ventura said. “We made a film that is deeply rooted in our culture, our music and our collective experience as Filipinos, so to watch it continue to travel and connect with audiences outside of home is incredibly meaningful.”
That journey speaks to the enduring reach of the Eraserheads themselves. Their music has long occupied a particular place in Philippine popular culture, with songs and albums becoming part of the soundtrack of multiple generations. By bringing the band’s story to international audiences, Combo On The Run places that cultural history in a broader context — allowing viewers unfamiliar with the Eraserheads to encounter not only the band, but the world that shaped its music.
Ventura sees that exchange as one of the documentary’s most meaningful outcomes.
“More than the award itself, I’m grateful that the film continues to create space for our stories and our artists on an international stage,” she said. “I’ve always believed in the power and brilliance of Filipino talent.”
That belief has become increasingly visible in the documentary’s journey. Following its theatrical run in the Philippines, Combo On The Run has continued its international screenings, carrying the Eraserheads’ story to audiences outside the country and demonstrating how a distinctly Filipino music story can find broader points of connection.
The LIMEHOF recognition also places Ventura’s work within the wider conversation around music documentaries as a way of preserving cultural memory. For a band as deeply woven into Philippine pop culture as the Eraserheads, documenting its story is not simply an exercise in revisiting a celebrated career. It is also a way of examining the people, music, and cultural moment that made that career matter.
Produced by DVent Productions, Eraserheads: Combo On The Run continues to extend that story beyond the Philippines, while Ventura’s latest recognition underscores the film’s growing international footprint.
DVent Productions has likewise expanded its work into live entertainment. The company recently co-produced the Ely Buendia and Chito Miranda concert in Dubai with Live Nation and Tiana, which drew a sold-out audience at Coca-Cola Arena on August 30, 2026.
For Combo On The Run, however, the journey continues on screen — carrying a distinctly Filipino story into new rooms, new audiences, and new conversations around the world.
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