Two Burnaby creators are getting a $50,000 boost from the TELUS STORYHIVE program to bring their documentaries to life.
STORYHIVE’s first documentary edition, which opened for submissions in May, saw 296 entries from B.C. and Alberta. Of those, 30 were chosen to earn the award – which gets them $50,000 to produce a 15- to 20-minute documentary, plus training and the chance to work with mentors.
Local resident Melissa Dex Guzman earned the award for Smash Forward, a documentary that will go inside the world of Vancouver’s esports community. It will tell the story of Brendan, an up-and-coming caster (host and announcer) who faces an invisible illness in the form of bipolar disorder.
“Explore the importance of this hidden gem community, what the culture means to its members, and how games are not just games - they embody the connection for many friendships, in a world of isolation caused by social media, and mobile phones,” says a write-up about the project.
Another local, Adhel Arop, earned her grant for Who Am I? Arop’s documentary will explore the young woman’s struggle to find her identity, as a South Sudanese refugee who came to Canada 16 years ago – and how that identity is influenced by the story of her mother, a former teen soldier in the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army.
“The journey of finding who we want to be requires us to know where we are from,” Arop said in a write-up about the project. “I’ve felt lost for years, and throughout trying to find myself I found my mother. This is our story.”
A STORYHIVE press release notes that chosen projects are focused on local stories that feature the diversity of B.C. and Alberta communities. Each project must include a female in a key creative role.
Filmmakers are given guidance and mentorship throughout the process, and their final projects will be available in Spring 2019 on TELUS Optik TV on Demand and on STORYHIVE online.
The two projects' pitch videos are below. For full details about the program, see www.storyhive.com.
