6 Local Content films to watch for International Women’s Day

Hi there! Amanda Wong here. I lead the Program Office for the Local Content Team, managing all things marketing, events, digital, deliveries, merchandising and more.

Something I love about working on this team is knowing that the place I work for aligns with my values on equity. I’m proud that our team designed our programs and our work for inclusion. I also have the honour of working alongside incredibly talented and passionate women who inspire me on a daily basis.

Whether it’s TELUS original documentaries or STORYHIVE program funded projects, the Local Content team always makes sure to spotlight and include women in all of their productions.

Did you know that to qualify for a STORYHIVE Edition grant, you must have at least one of three key creative roles occupied by a woman or non-binary person? 

Similarly, the TELUS originals contract requires producers to employ a female in one or more key creative roles. Furthermore, in our recent slate of TELUS original productions, nearly 50 per cent of producers and directors are women. 

That’s just one of the ways we strive to achieve gender parity in the content we fund and make available via our TELUS original and STORYHIVE channels.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we have a plethora of content on our channels that either centres women’s stories or is created by a woman. 

Here are a few of my favourite films, available to watch on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ or the STORYHIVE and TELUS originals YouTube channels.

“Precious Leader Woman” | TELUS originals 

For a limited time, watch Precious Leader Woman on the TELUS originals YouTube channel from now until March 19, 2023. For TELUS Optik TV subscribers, the film is available anytime on Channel 8. 

With powerful and talented women in front of, and behind the camera, Precious Leader Woman tells the story of Spencer O'Brien who was on her way to becoming the best female snowboarder in the world when rheumatoid arthritis set in. Forced to return home, she connects with her Indigenous culture, helping her regain the strength to reenter the sport and defy all odds.

“Eye of the Storm” | TELUS originals 

Three women from Edmonton experience the ups and the downs of chasing storms while being trained meteorologists with a deep passion for weather events.

“Who Am I” | STORYHIVE

‘Who Am I’ tells the story of Canadian model Adhel’s quest for identity as she reconciles with her mother’s past as a child soldier in South Sudan.

“Mary Mackagonne” | STORYHIVE 

Mary Mackagonne canoed alongside her mapmaker husband Peter Fidler and helped build HBC forts while delivering and caring for their 14 Metis children.

“Small Town Queer - Senior in Transition” | TELUS originals

After a lifetime of living in the shadows of a small Alberta town, 68-year-old Karen has come out as a transgender woman.

“MS’ed with the Wrong Girl” | STORYHIVE

Exhausted but never tired, a feisty woman living with MS pushes from one activity to another wondering daily if life can ever be normal.

Happy viewing! To our content creator and filmmaker community, we are so grateful to work with so many amazing women. Looking for more content? Explore a variety of women-led content on TELUS Optik TV Channel 345. Happy International Women’s Day.