About this Event
FILIPINX CREATIVES PANEL TALK
In Conversation with RISE Tribe: Hyphenated - Filipinx Creativity Across Film
Moderated by Martina Ortiz Luis - Performer, Actor & Singer
Martina Ortiz Luis is a dynamic Filipina-Canadian performer recognized for her work on stage and on screen. She made history as the first official anthem singer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a role she held for six seasons.
On television and film, she is best known for her recurring role as Rachel Valdez in Wynonna Earp (Syfy) and most recently guest-starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro in the second season of FUBAR (Netflix). Her additional screen credits include SkyMed (CBC/Paramount+), Unwrapping Christmas: Lily’s Destiny (Hallmark), and Juliet & Romeo (Briarcliff Entertainment).
On stage, Martina was most recently seen in the Toronto cast of Disney’s The Lion King, during its momentous run this past year at the historic Princess of Wales Theatre.
Panelists:
Rhia Alcantara, Immersive Experience Producer
Diane Vallesteros is a Filipina-Canadian, SOCAN Foundation award-winning composer based within the GTA. She has scored numerous short and feature length films that have screened across various film festivals, such as, VIMFF, RIFF, BANFF, VAFF, and IFFSA. Recognizing her passion for storytelling through music, many of her musical contributions underscore projects that explore real-life stories and human experiences. Diane has composed for award-winning films, such as: Me+Her, Ahon, and SCRAPS. Some of her recent credits include dramatic narratives: Deux moments de vie and Sorry, It’s A Girl, and documentary films: How She Dares and Outsiderness. She has also contributed additional music to feature films, such as: Call Me Crazy (Amazon Prime US, Tubi), Lady Parts, and Butter Bandits.
In 2022, Diane took part in the Screen Composers Guild of Canada’s Mentorship Program and mentored under award-winning, Montreal-based composer, Evan MacDonald. In the same year, she was a selected participant in SOCAN Foundation’s Screen Music Lab and mentored under award-winning composer, Steph Copeland, and award-winning director, Rich Williamson (Compy Films). In 2025, she was a selected composer participant in the Women in Post program, presented by Netflix through The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
Diane’s musical journey began as a classically-trained pianist studying under the Royal Conservatory of Music. She earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Music at York University with the initial focus in classical performance. She then pursued further studies in Sheridan College’s Music Scoring for Screen and Stage program. Prior to film and media composition, Diane performed as a pianist for the Mississauga Ballet Association, and dabbled in the world of musical theatre as a pit musician with On Its Way Musical Productions’ Next to Normal (2019), and York University’s Vanier College Productions’ Shrek the Musical (2019).
Her instrumental EP, Astro Reveries, is now available on all streaming platforms.
Kent Donguines, Narrative & Documentary Filmmaker
Kent Donguines is a Filipino-Canadian narrative and documentary filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. He is the CEO of Aimer Films Inc. and has produced the award-winning CBC short documentary, This 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. The short documentary had its World Premiere at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival and won the Kathleen Shannon Award from the Yorkton Film Festival. 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. His short film, funded by Harold Greenberg Fund, BC Arts Council, Canadian Film Centre, CreativeBC, and the National Film Board of Canada, Paco received the Grand Prize in this year’s Stage32 Annual Film Contest and has secured a broadcast license with CRAVE. He just finished his feature documentaries, Canadian Adobo, now streaming on TELUS OptikTV and Treasure of the Rice Terraces which premiered at the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival and is now streaming on Knowledge Network.
IG: @kentdonguines
Aldrin Bundoc, Physical Theatre Creator, Actor & Producer
Aldrin Bundoc is a Filipino-Canadian actor, physical theatre creator, and producer, born in Manila and based in Toronto. He trained in classical theatre at George Brown College and is a graduate of the CBC/Canadian Film Centre Actors Conservatory.
His screen credits include Schitt’s Creek (CBC), Glamorous (Netflix), The Boys (Amazon), Beacon 23 (AMC), and OMNI’s Abroad, a satirical sketch comedy series about the Filipino-Canadian immigrant experience. He is a Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee and a Canadian Screen Award nominee as part of ensemble recognitions for his work.
His recent leading role in “Brief Somebodies” was an official selection at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, and he can also be seen in the short film “Inang Reyna/Queen Mother” at this year’s Sine Film Fest at TIFF.
In addition to performing, Aldrin is stepping further into filmmaking, focusing on writing and producing stories that reflect the nuances of his LGBTQ+ and Filipino-Canadian immigrant experience.
IG: @buzzaldy
ABOUT THE PANEL
For many diasporic Filipinx, “hyphenated” takes on many meanings, including being hyphenated-Canadians and wearing many hats. Often known for being multidimensional, multitalented and multipassionate, Filipinos weave the ethos of diskarte (ingenuity/creativity) and the value of kapwa (interconnectedness) in their life and art. This panel will explore how the “hyphen” shows up in creative practice and identity. Through the lenses of cinematography, composition, and acting/directing, panelists will share how being multifaceted shapes the way they create, collaborate, and lead.
Event Details:
Siné Institute Industry Conference is an all-day event holding six masterclasses from industry veterans and three free panel talks from Filipinx lens through the eyes of their Filipinx industry members to support film makers on their journey. As part of the Siné Institute Industry Conference, this free panel talk will start the day off at George Brown College’s Waterfront Campus, on March 5th between 5pm and 630pm.
Why attend the free panel talk:
- Network in person with fellow film industry professionals, our expert panelists in the music composition for the media, The Rise Tribe Team and the Siné Institute team
- Engage in conversations regarding our panelists' pathways, insights, experience and ask questions most important to you
- Contribute to the event’s success with your insights and opinions
Also check out our other free panel talks:
https://screencomposersguildofcanada-paneltalk.eventbrite.ca
https://canadiansocietyofcinematographers-paneltalk.eventbrite.ca
https://filipinxcreatives-paneltalk.eventbrite.ca
Also check out our Business Stream & Creative Stream Masterclasses:
https://sineinstitute-internationalmarketingdistribution-businessstream.eventbrite.ca
https://sineinstitute-filmdevelopmentandfinance-businessstream.eventbrite.ca
https://sineinstitute-insuringyourfilm-businessstream.eventbrite.ca
https://sineinstitute-documentaryfilmmaking-creativestream.eventbrite.ca
https://sineinstitute-performanceforlens-creativestream.eventbrite.ca
https://sineinstitute-cinematography-creativestream.eventbrite.ca
Discord Community:
For updates, promos, and communications on the day of the conference, please join our Discord. https://discord.gg/jt7nPPMw
ABOUT RISE TRIBE
RISE Tribe is a home base for Filipinx-Canadians to feel at home—in themselves and with each other. It’s a space where people can show up as they are, feel welcomed and supported, and explore identity without pressure or expectation. There’s no single way to be Filipinx here. Based in Toronto, RISE Tribe brings together youth and millennials to build real relationships, share experiences, and stay connected over time.
In 2016, over adobo and sinigang, a group of young Filipinx-Canadian professionals came together to leverage their networks and make it a mission to inspire the next generation of Filipinx-Canadian youth to reconstruct a more positive image that reshapes, reimagines and what it means to be Filipinx in Canada.
@rise_tribe
risetribe.ca
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
George Brown College - Waterfront Campus, 51 Dockside Drive, Toronto, Canada
CAD 0.00
