Fil-Canadian artist gets grant for film on Filipinos in Peace Region

Ovvian Castrillo Hill’s project, EX-SITU: Thriving In Our New Bayan, will try to create a conversation about the Filipino community, which is the largest group of immigrants in the Peace Region. YOUTUBE

Artist Ovvian Castrillo Hill of Fort St. John, Canada, is one of 91 artists being funded through Telus’ inaugural STORYHIVE Voices program for emerging content creators.

Castrillo Hill will receive $10,000 to document the history of the Filipino community in the Peace region.

Her project, EX-SITU: Thriving In Our New Bayan, will try to create a conversation about the Filipino community, which is the largest group of immigrants in the Peace Region. Filipinos have come as spouses or live-in caregivers, or to work in the oil and gas industry.

Ex situ means living and thriving in a place that’s not one’s natural habitat. Castrillo Hill will produce eight episodes as part of her documentary, and notes that Filipinos who have settled here come from all over the Philippines, according to the Alaska Highways News.

“It will share their challenges and personal stories, as well as their contributions to the area and to Canada,” according to a press statement. “The variety of stories will include the many manners of immigration experienced by the individuals and highlight what being Canadian means to them.”

Castrillo Hill curates the annual EX-SITU exhibit for local Filipino Canadian artists at Peace Gallery North, and was a runner-up for the Culture Award at the city’s 2020 community awards. Her public artwork can be seen at the new festival plaza at Centennial Park, where she designed one of the four fire obelisks outside the plaza, and she was recently selected by the city to design a new plaque for the community award program.

Castrillo Hill first came to Fort St. John in March 2009, and later immigrated in June 2011. She has a background in journalism and interior design from studying at the University of the Philippines.