TELUS STORYHIVE launches inaugural Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition: Applications open April 1
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Honour your heritage through film with a $20,000 production grantCheung captures the chef at Orchard YYC creating unique dishes for his project Chef Stories. Photos credit: Quin Cheung.
TELUS STORYHIVE is calling all Pan-Asian creatives who value the importance of sharing community stories from local points of view for the first-ever Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition. STORYHIVE is for those with big ideas but limited means for transforming those ideas into a visual reality. The program is offering $20,000 in production funding, customized online training sessions, professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) and distribution to an audience of over 1 million viewers on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel.
This program is a reflection of the rich diversity of narratives from Pan-Asian creatives in Canada. STORYHIVE’s aim is to be inclusive of the breadth and depth of experiences of new and emerging filmmakers in B.C. and Alberta who are of Asian descent from across all regions of continental Asia.
In that spirit, visual artists Dave and Quin Cheung were selected for the STORYHIVE Anniversary Documentary Edition back in 2023 to bring their love of food alive. In 2024, the husband and wife duo directed, produced, and filmed Chef Stories. The film features four southern Alberta chefs whose hands have crafted some of the region’s finest cuisine and whose hearts are revealed in a touching documentary.
Want to tell your own story? Apply for the Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition. Photo credit: Quin CheuChef Stories is beautifully filmed to capture chef’s plates created with care and artistic flair. What stands out is that these are no mere cooks; they are chef-artists with a keen sense of appealing to both the eye and palate. The film follows the chefs through the preparation process and interviews each one in a manner that allows them to share both their approach to food and their personal values. Chef Stories succeeds in revealing the passions and the pains that are taken to achieve culinary excellence.
“I’ve been a creative for the last 25 years, but 20 years was being a photographer, and then I kind of transitioned from that into video, mostly doing commercial work,” said director and cinematographer Dave Cheung. “This was the first time where I wanted to do a bigger documentary project, and that’s when I applied for TELUS STORYHIVE.”
With Chef Stories, Cheung said, “I wanted to share both the excellence and diversity of what we have here in Calgary and area. When I ate food that was just spectacular, there was some kind of generosity on the plate, and I wanted to know more about the chef.”
David Cheung films content for his and his wife’s STORYHIVE project Chef Stories. Photo credit: Quin Cheung.
The Cheung team created a film that looks great on screen and captures the human touch behind artful cooking. Cheung praised the support he received in working with TELUS STORYHIVE.
“They’ve been such a great partner in this, because they give us full creative control, they give us more resources to make it as strong as possible,” he said. “They actually partner with us through the production process. So, if we have any questions, we ask them. So that was invaluable. They support you and help you create the best piece you can.”
It’s not a stretch to say that the production quality of Chef Stories has the same aesthetic touch that the film’s chefs put on display.
“Representation is crucial in shaping cultural identity, especially for the Pan-Asian diaspora whose stories in Canada span multiple generations impacted by migration and cultural adaptation,” says Kent Donguines, TELUS STORYHIVE Program Manager. “Our goal with this program is to uplift untapped unique voices and authentically portray the depth of Pan-Asian Canadian experiences that resonate across Western Canada and beyond.”
$20,000 production grant opportunity
Applications for the TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition open on April 1, 2025 and the deadline is before May 8, 2025. If your story idea (fictional or non-fictional) is selected, you will receive $20,000 in production funding, training, and professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) to produce a narrative short film or documentary. Additionally, exposure includes access to over one million new viewers on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and over 162,000 subscribers on STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel. Please refer to this program’s Submission Rules and FAQ.
Join us for a Filmmaker Chat with Wesley Chan of Wong Fu Productions on March 27
In the meantime, don’t miss a special opportunity to join TELUS STORYHIVE for an exclusive Filmmaker Chat with Wesley Chan, co-founder of Wong Fu Productions, trailblazers in independent filmmaking and Pan-Asian storytelling.
From their early filmmaking days in 2003, before the launch of YouTube, to becoming a leading voice in Asian American culture, their storytelling has pioneered authentic portrayals of Pan-Asian stories. For more than 20 years, their work continues to inspire generations of storytellers. The conversation will cover everything from what drives Wong Fu Productions to keep creating, to advice and words for emerging Pan-Asian filmmakers to find their voice and insights for the upcoming Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition.
Moderated by Natasha Jung, founder, CEO & executive producer of Cold Tea Collective and a STORYHIVE alumni. Tune in March 27 from 4-5 p.m. PT on TELUS Optik TV channel 9 and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel. Register for the event here.
For more information on the Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition, visit storyhive.com. Applications open on April 1, 2025!
Since 2013, TELUS STORYHIVE has helped to empower a community of thousands of local content creators across British Columbia and Alberta, providing over $66.9 million in production funding and creating a safe space for storytellers to hone their skills and bring the projects they care about to life. It is inclusive of all communities in B.C. and Alberta, and its goal is to encourage folks from smaller, rural communities to share their stories. No experience is required.
