Local filmmaker receives funding for third STORYHIVE project

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Local artist and filmmaker Ovvian Castrillo-Hill recently received $20,000 of funding through Telus STORYHIVE for her third documentary project, titled BAYANIHAN SPIRIT.

Castrillo-Hill received funding from Telus STORYHIVE Voices back in January of 2022 for her docuseries EX-SITU: Thriving In our New Bayan, which explores the journeys and lives of members of the Filipino community in Fort St. John.

For her latest project, a standalone documentary called BAYANIHAN SPIRIT, Castrillo-Hill said she wants to showcase the spirit of the local Filipino community by filming how they come together to work on the North Peace Filipino Canadian Association’s (NPFCA) Canada Day float.

“The theme of the documentary is to film how we come together in making the floats. From just the idea to gathering the materials to the actual making of the float and all the dynamics that happen in between,” she stated.

She explained that Bayanihan essentially means coming together for a greater good or a project.

“In the Philippines, back in the day, they would have like huts, and if they had to relocate the hut, they literally carried it on their back. So all the able-bodied people came together and lifted that hut to bring it to whatever new location it was meant to be at,” Castrillo-Hill explained.

“So that’s the graphic image of the bayanihan, and that’s kind of like the best analogy of the spirit that is a part of that effort here in Fort St. John.”

Out of all the projects the NPFCA does, she said the Canada Day float is the one that brings the local Filipino community together.

“The Philippines is an archipelago. We come from many different parts and speak different languages and different dialects, but when it comes to making the float, we do unite. It’s a wonderful feeling,” Castrillo-Hill said.

To her, the making of the float is more important than the float itself because of the unity and teamwork that goes into building it.

“Everybody puts in a little bit here and there, whether it’s providing nails or funds, or sometimes people just drop by timbits for the people working under the sun kind of thing, and many of the meals are covered usually by donation,” Castrillo-Hill explained.

“On Canada Day, a lot of people might not have helped make the float, but they like to be walking with a float and celebrating. We’re very proud and happy to be in Canada.”

She believes the community shows its pride as Filipino Canadians by celebrating alongside the rest of the nation on Canada Day.

“We like for the community to know that we’re all on the same team and that we’re happy to be here and we’re celebrating. As Canadians, this is, I think, one of the best ways that we can do it outwardly,” Castrillo-Hill said.

She said her hope for her latest project is to give Canadian Filipinos a voice and familiarize viewers with Filipino culture to help “bridge the gap.”

“I’d like for the rest of Canada and residents of Fort St. John to not think of us as strange. I think fear may often come from just a lack of exposure or knowledge about certain things. I think humanities bring us closer, as you can see with the arts, films, and information,” Castrillo-Hill said.

She adds that she hopes to represent the multicultural aspects of Fort St. John through the documentary and show how the local Filipino community is celebrated here.

Castrillo-Hill is one of just 80 content creators selected for Telus STORYHIVE’s tenth-anniversary funding in B.C. and Alberta.

While she won’t be stepping behind the camera this Canada Day, she intends to film next year’s celebration and submit the project to Telus by December 2024.