Filipino-Canadian Documentary, “Kalinga”, Secures World Premiere

Vancouver BC, March 30, 2021 – DOXA Documentary Film Festival has confirmed the OFFICIAL SELECTION of the short documentary film, “KALINGA” for their 20th annual film festival which is scheduled for May  6-16, 2021 and is also nominated for BEST MULTICULTURAL SHORT FILM at the Yorkton Film Festival in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. 

Written and directed by Kent Donguines and produced by Aimer Films Inc., this marks the official start  to the  film’s festival circuit. Kalinga  tells  the story of several Filipino caregivers and nannies in Canada,  sharing  their  struggles  and  sacrifices  to  be  reunited  with  their  families  while  helping  filmmaker  Kent  Donguines understand why his mother left him to be a nanny at 6 years old. The film was produced with  the  support of TELUS STORYHIVE and the cooperation of CREATIVE BC just before the height of  the COVID-19 pandemic.   

ABOUT THE DOXA DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 

DOXA is presented by The Documentary Media Society, a Vancouver based non-profit, charitable society devoted to presenting independent and innovative documentaries to Vancouver audiences. The society exists to educate the public about documentary film as an art form through DOXA Documentary Film Festival, a curated and juried festival comprised of public screenings, panel discussions, public forums and  

educational programs. (www.doxafestival.ca) 

ABOUT THE YORKTON FILM FESTIVAL 

The YORKTON FILM FESTIVAL began in 1947 as the Yorkton Film Council. Its mandate was to act as a volunteer distribution agency for the National  Film Board (NFB). Jim Lysyshyn, field man for the NFB, suggested a film festival. When the Council rejected his proposal, he came forward with a more audacious  proposal – an international festival. The Council accepted the new idea and organized the first festival in the fall of 1950. In its current form the festival continues to be dedicated to the promotion of the best  screen based media content. (www.yorktonfilm.com) 

ABOUT KENT DONGUINES – DIRECTOR/WRITER 

Kent Donguines is a Filipino-Canadian narrative and documentary filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. He produced the award-winning CBC short documentary, THE INK RUNS DEEP, which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. He also wrote, directed, and produced the Telus Storyhive short film KALINGA (Care), a documentary about the sacrifices Filipina nannies make to work in Canada. Kent is one of five Canadian producers selected for the prestigious 2020 Canadian Film Centre Producers Lab. He was a finalist in the 2017 Whistler Film Festival Power Pitch Competition. He’s also an alumnus of the Telus Storyhive-Banff Fellowship  and  HotDocs Doc Accelerator programs. Kent has worked  for production  companies in Canada and the Philippines, including Cedar Island Films Inc., Black Cap Pictures (Ten17p), Viva Entertainment, and Star Cinema.