Writer-director Angelina Cantada, who won the $10,000 Omni Television Diversity in Cultures Award at the Leo Awards in Vancouver on Saturday (June 5), will document the struggles of Filipino immigrants in her film Pinoy Vote: The Emerging Filipino Voice in B.C. (Pinoy is a colloquial term in Tagalog for Filipino.)

“It’s going to start off with the very successful election of Mabel Elmore, the very first Filipino MLA in British Columbia. The Filipino community is very happy about that, that they finally have a voice in the legislature," Cantada explained. "Because of that pride in having someone represent them, I think the Filipino community is now getting a little bit more active in politics and issues concerning them in their communities, specifically issues around temporary foreign workers, [and] the accreditation of foreign credentials. I just feel like I’ve seen great pride in the community since the election and a lot of involvement now in issues concerning Filipinos.”

Cantada, who moved to Canada in 2008, previously made “Let’s Play Boccia!” about the Canadian Paralympic Boccia team.

“Even now, I’m doing a lot of videos still for the disability community and helping to educate people around what it is they can do given the right support,” she said.

She was also chosen to make the wistful dramatic short “Sikat”, about a Filipina nanny in Canada who longs to reunite with the husband and son who she left behind in the Philippines, for the Crazy 8s filmmaking competition in March.

While Cantada says that she likes to give a voice to those who may not normally be heard, she also recognizes the power of media to motivate audiences. “I also like telling stories that inspire people. That’s my goal—to inspire people through my films.”