LYKA GONZALEZ

L Y K A G O N Z A L E Z - C O L O Q U I O is a Filipina documentary filmmaker and emerging social work professional based in Naarm/Melbourne.

As a creative, Lyka believes in using stories as a force for good. She integrates her strengths in visual journalism with social justice to drive action on today’s advocacies. Lyka has worked with the Australian Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, GRID Magazine, the AIDS Society of the Philippines, and SPARK Philippines. She was a United Nations Youth Advisory Board (UNYAB) member, representing the youth in the creative arts and informal sector. Through meaningful collaborations and storytelling, intersectional issues affecting marginalized communities are brought to light.

Lyka directed Agos: the Manila Dream (2015), a short film about the diaspora of Filipina migrants which premiered at the 68th Festival de Cannes - Court Métrage. This was followed by screenings at the World Premieres Film Festival Philippines, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, Victoria Film Festival, and Australia Immigration Short Film Festival, among other festivals worldwide. The film received Best Cinematography and Best Musical Score at the España Cine Abierto, and Best Picture at the Loyola Film Festival.

She has presented her work to global platforms such as TEDx and high-level forums such as the She for She: Gender Equality Forum and the She for She: Women in Cinema Forum hosted by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, and the International Women’s Day Summit in 2019.

Lyka holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication from the Ateneo de Manila University, a Diploma in Visual Journalism from the Asian Center for Journalism, and a Project Development and Management certificate from the UP Center for Policy and Executive Development. In 2015, she was honoured with the Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts in Photography and Best Thesis (2nd Place) for her visualized research on urban migration in the Philippines entitled Agos: the Manila Dream.

Today Lyka is pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Melbourne in the hopes of changing lives, one story at a time. ❖