Astrid Agbayani is a Filipino-Canadian journalist, filmmaker, and communications professional.
Born in Manila, raised in Mindanao, and a young adulthood spent in Canada– she embodies an evolving identity, with a unique worldview shaped by many lives inhabited in one lifetime. Her lived experience as an immigrant working her way from mopping floors at McDonald’s to upselling designer scarves, and writing stories in a newsroom, has both humbled and shaped her, choosing to approach life with curiosity and compassion.
Astrid started her film studies at the University of the Philippines Film Institute and proceeded to study at the British Columbia Institute of Technology where she graduated with distinction from two programs– Digital Design + Web Development and Broadcast and Journalism.
Her strength lies in crafting impactful stories through both the written word and visual imagery. Rooted in her multicultural background, she aims to contribute to a diverse Filipino identity in the diaspora, offering insightful perspectives into the human experience.
She has interned at the CBC Newsroom and Blink Media Agency, worked as a Web Editor and Reporter for CityNews Vancouver, and contributed as a writer for Vancouver Magazine, BC Living, and Western Living.
Easy-going and playful, but with a contained determination and discipline to produce the best work–she brings a calm energy to any team she works with. Astrid values true collaborative work and loves to be hands-on. Rarely seen in BTS photos, you will often find her working comfortably behind the scenes, documenting everyone else.