New TELUS STORYHIVE filmmaking program aims to help elevate Pan-Asian Canadian voices

By Henna Mann,
Special to The Post

For Kent Donguines, the struggles of Filipino nannies and caregivers working abroad, being separated from their own children and families has always been close to his heart.

Donguines’ own mother left the Philippines when he was only six years old, joining the approximately 15 million other Filipinos forced to work overseas due to lack of work opportunities back home. One in seven Filipinos today have migrated abroad for employment, from where they then remit money back home to family in the Philippines.

For Donguines, those difficult lived experiences of being apart from his mother would eventually inspire his directorial debut, a documentary called Kalinga (Care), a film featuring Filipino caregivers and nannies in Vancouver. Listening to and capturing their stories helped Donguines understand what his mom had to go through when she left him at age six.

TELUS STORYHIVE was the funding partner for Donguines’ 2019 passion project. His experience with STORYHIVE has led him to continue working with the organization where today he is a Program Manager.

Donguines was inspired to apply to STORYHIVE because of “its welcoming nature and its ability to make underrepresented communities feel seen and heard.”
“I knew that if I received funding from STORYHIVE, it was more than just the funding that I would be receiving; it also included a mentorship opportunity that allowed me to explore and push my ideas further with the help of our mentor,” Donguines explains.

TELUS STORYHIVE has been supporting underrepresented storytellers in British Columbia and Alberta for over a decade, and now it’s announcing the launch of its latest focused Edition, the TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition.

This new intake is an exceptional opportunity for new and emerging filmmakers of Pan-Asian heritage to bring their unique stories to the big screen. The program aims to showcase Pan-Asian-Canadian perspectives that have often been excluded or misrepresented throughout history, creating a platform for filmmakers to take the lead in telling the authentic stories from their own communities.
The selected applicants will receive $20,000 in production funding, training, professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) to produce a narrative short film or documentary.

Once the films are completed, they will be featured across TELUS platforms, including TELUS Optik TV with over one million viewers, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel

With the generous support of Creative BC, the B.C.-based filmmakers will also receive top-up funding.

For anyone considering applying, Donguines offers simple advice: “just do it.” He adds, “Don't let fear stop you from exploring this opportunity. If you're still brainstorming ideas, don't go too far. Write what you already know and bring your passion into it to experience the magic of the whole process.”

This call for applications is open not only to new filmmakers but also to past eligible applicants and alumni who identify as part of the Pan-Asian heritage and have not had access to the Canadian Broadcasting system. STORYHIVE’s goal is to honour and celebrate stories across the Pan-Asian diaspora.

If you are a new and emerging filmmaker with a story to tell, don’t miss the opportunity to apply for the TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition by May 8th, 2025. For more details and to apply, visit www.storyhive.com/apply.