Meet Ky Hanitijo | Filmmaker, Dancer and Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ky Hanitijo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ky, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I think being persistent and always looking to learn more were, and still are very important to help me grow. Success doesn’t come overnight, it really comes over time. It’s also good to be curious and have an open mind to trying new things as well.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a multi-faceted and multidisciplinary creator and filmmaker, I really take pride in that.

Over the years, I’ve realized I really enjoy experimenting across different mediums, spaces, skills and creativity. Aiming to be “all-styles” or “jack-of-all-trades” if you will, there’s always space to grow and learn.
I always knew the general direction of short to medium format content/industry were the creative spaces I wanted to be in so I always look for opportunities like that.

I started making Youtube videos in 2012, at first it was just for fun but over time, it really fostered my passion in filmmaking and I continued my studies in media production in university. During my last semester of school, I interned and got hired at an advertising agency as a production assistant and learnt the ropes of many different roles through that. I learnt my strengths and weaknesses, and when COVID hit, I dove deeper into one of my strengths which was editing. So now I’m working as a full-time freelancer that’s known for editing but can also be creative as well, whether it’d be through forms of video, photography or dance.

I’m very grateful and fortunate to be able to thrive in what I’m passionate about and do it for a living.

I want to continue to create fun, passionate, creative and genuine content for myself and the world. I hope to also inspire other to do the same and represent the voices of queer Asian people, especially in media.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Toronto and I love heading down King/Queen/Dundas/Bloor West. It’s so fun with many cafes, thrift stores and random shops that are just great to explore. For food I love going to Chinatown/Kensington and also near Wellesley, I love my Asian bites! Catch a special screening or two at TIFF Lightbox or a cinema, catch a dance event, or a vogue ball if there’s any going on to feel empowered by passionate BIPOC queer people.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to thank my little sister for being my biggest fan since the beginning and helping me over the years, they’ve been nothing but a gem to my growth and I appreciate them so much. I’d like to also thank my dance friends from all walks of life, especially my kpop dance friends, I had my first group opportunities with them and they are family. They always come through for me! I’d also like to thank my mentors and peers for all their guidance and opportunities they have provided me with. And now I’d like to thank my besties and friends that are in my newly founded creative collective and dance team – PriXm. I hope we continue to push and grow together to create beautiful things both for ourselves and our careers.

Website: mhanitijo.com

Instagram: @oneofakynd27

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhanitijo

Twitter: @oneofakynd27

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/KytheCreator27

Other: Bilibili: https://space.bilibili.com/341272499?share_medium=android&share_source=copy_link&bbid=XUD402DD007BE954C4D06260EDF0761706820&ts=1667578380691 Tiktok: @oneofakynd27 Douyin: @oneofakynd27

Image Credits
Pat Ryder, Madeline Hanitijo, Charlotte Carbone, Yi Shi, Kathriel Rivera, Taija Grey, Sadiel Gomez