Episode 174: Joella Cabalu

Joella Cabalu is a documentary filmmaker and producer based in Vancouver. Since making her directorial debut in 2016 with It Runs In The Family (a deeply personal documentary feature film that highlighted queer stories from the Philippines and the diaspora, including that of her own brother), Joella has helped bring the stories of a staggering array of remarkable people to the screen, including that of an eccentric biker from Vancouver Island (Biker Bob’s Posthumous Adventure), a trans activist challenging social media censorship policies (Do I Have Boobs Now?), a family saying goodbye to their 40-year-old Japanese restaurant (Koto: The Last Service), Filipino seafarers (Ode to a Seafaring People), and a trio of determined pro mountain bikers (On Falling). Joella’s compassion, curiosity, and commitment to craft and collaboration haven’t gone unnoticed by critics and award bodies – she won the Emerging Filmmaker Award from Bloomington Pride Film Festival, and Best Documentary Short at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival – and she’s also an in-demand panellist, moderator, and consultant. In this riveting and thought-provoking episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Joella speaks with Sabrina about her commitment to authenticity, what a collaboration between a documentary producer and director should look like, and the responsibility she feels towards the people who populate her films. Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment