The show was conceived as a platform to showcase Indigenous stories and music. It’s an opportunity for Indigenous songwriters and Indigenous experts, to collaborate, jam on ideas and put those ideas into one episode together. We called it AMPLIFY because the series amplifies Indigenous music, Indigenous stories, and Indigenous perceptions.
I love music, I love songwriting, I love talking about ideas and I love the idea of documentaries that are about the passion of people unabashedly. I figured it would be great to speak to these amazing artists, ask them to pick something meaningful to them and then explore that topic or issue. We really wanted a chance to be thoughtful and passionate about these artists and what they’re exploring and be inspired by it in a beautiful meditative kind of way.
- Shane BelcourtShane Belcourt is Tony Belcourt's son. Or Christi Belcourt's brother. Or Claire’s Dad. He is also an award-winning Métis filmmaker, writer, and musician based in Toronto. Notable work includes the feature film Tkaronto; shorts such as A Common Experience, Keeping Quiet, and Pookums; and documentaries such as Kaha:wi - The Cycle of Life and the tv series Urban Native Girl; and two Historica Canada Minutes Chanie Wenjack and Naskumituwin (Treaty). Recent works include the CBC Firsthand documentary Indictment (co-Directed with Lisa Jackson) and the feature film Red Rover. Shane is the series creator and showrunner for AMPLIFY.
Michelle St. John is a two-time Gemini Award winning actor, writer, singer, producer and director. Michelle has recently joined forces with actor/writer Duane Murray and filmmaker Shane Belcourt to form a new production company called Wolfwalker Productions. Over the years working with Shane, she has produced several works including the short film, Apikiwiak, the documentary series Urban Native Girl, Heritage Minutes Naskumituwin & Chanie Wenjack and the feature film Red Rover. Their next feature film DUMBBELL is currently in development with Telefilm Canada. As director and producer, Michelle’s first documentary, Colonization Road has screened the world over and has garnered a Golden Sheaf Award from the Yorkton Film Festival and a Canadian Screen Award nomination for the Donald Brittain Award – Best Social/Political Documentary.
The majority of Jeremy Edwardes production work has been in the Documentary Genre but he is especially passionate about Animation. He has juried many festivals as well as pitch competitions both in Canada and abroad. Jeremy Edwardes has partnered with Radio Canada, ARTE France, RDI and CBC throughout his career. With James Compton he has produced series and movies in Cree, Dene, Michif, Mohawk and Ojibway languages. Through their production company Wabung Anung Film Co. they hire equitably and have a focus on Indigenous stories told by Indigenous creatives. Jeremy is known for his passion, creativity and technical abilities.
Jim Compton (Sageeway Gheeshick - Rising Day), is one of the founders of the Aboriginal Network in Canada (APTN). As an award winning journalist/director/producer/host, he has brought his extensive knowledge to APTN as an executive producer, host and director. This expertise has resulted in a myriad of shows ranging from in-depth documentaries to dramas to talk shows. His film credits include Amplify, Urban Native Girl, Kaha:wi – The Cycle of Life, Sparkle – An Evening With Andrea Menard, Kitohcikew, Medicine Land, Thirteen Stories About Love, First Music and Arts, Lost Dreaming: Naomi’s Story, La voix de Mechif and The Making of Skins.
Todd is Vice-President of Operations for Wabung Anung with over a decade of experience in film and television production. He has a passion for giving back to Canada’s Aboriginal communities by helping to provide a vehicle through which their stories can be told. He has a background in graphic design and business management, and serves as Executive Producer and Production Accountant. Todd is responsible for the administrative side of the productions including all the legal and financial aspects. He regularly develops tools and techniques to streamline the process. In his spare time Todd can be found enjoying time at the cottage.
Sean Stiller is an award-winning filmmaker with a focus on documentary, commercial and Indigenous productions. Sean holds a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Media from Ryerson University. His first short film, Kékwu (2017), has won Best Documentary and Best Cinematography at several international film festivals and was acquired by CBC. He is a 2020 recipient of the HotDocs CrossCurrents fund for the feature documentary Ojiibikaan (Roots) co-directed with Rémy Huberdeau. He is also currently working on a second feature-length film, Returning Home (working title), produced by Canadian Geographic.
Adam Phipps is a filmmaker and musician with a passion for wilderness and anti-imperialism. Gravitating towards stories that allow him into remote and rugged places, Adam has produced and directed two wildlife documentaries and numerous shorts exploring existential themes. As a musician he has produced several albums including two concept-albums as 'Predator-Prey'. Adam is a settler from Canada. He holds a BFA in Film Production from York University. Bridging gaps between technical, creative and executive is a specialty reflected in most of his projects.
Anthony Wallace is a composer, sound artist and producer whose work includes scoring feature films (Red Rover, The Peel Project) and television series (Amplify). His first solo album was released in 2017. Wallace’s music has played on CBC Radio and he has worked on film and television productions for CBC, NFB, APTN and Vision TV. His sound installations have toured nationally, and he has participated in the Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency and Canadian Wilderness Artist Residency. Wallace was a 2019 CFC Slaight Family Music Resident and holds a BFA in composition from York University.
F. Laliberte is a Toronto-based Indigenous media artist. Telling stories through the visual medium of film as been a life long dream. A dream that has thankfully been unravelling through working on various areas of Crew for Features, TV, and Commercials professionally for 6 years. Recently F. Laliberte has finished Directing 18 Episodes of Broadcast Television for APTN’s The Other Side, and as honed the skill of Editing through APTN’s show Amplify and various past projects.
Peter is an editor that has worked on television for over 15 years. His credits include several documentaries and unscripted series such as the Gemini nominated “Ink: Alter Egos Exposed” (IFC Canada), the newsmagazine series “Context”, and most recently “Amplify” for APTN. He has worked on corporate projects for clients ranging from Unilever, Tim Hortons and Toyota to real estate agents, business coaches & self-published authors. A graduate of York University’s film and video program in 2001, he currently works as a freelance producer & editor. Born an Aquarius, he refuses to ride in a Ford Taurus "on principle" (whatever that means!)
Lisann George is a filmmaker based in Toronto. AMPLIFY was her emerging role after graduating from Sheridan College’s Advanced Film and Television program. She worked as an assistant to the Producers and an Assistant Editor. Currently, Lisann has been screenwriting and assisting as a co-writer and editor for two screenplays.
Fascinated with cameras and imaging since sending out for a neon-green Concord 110 still camera through his favorite breakfast cereal in the late 1980's, John graduated with honours from the Film and Television Production program at Humber College in 2008, and has been a Toronto-based Filmmaker ever since. Experienced in both Location- and Post-Production over the past dozen years, John’s recent work includes the debut season of Amplify for APTN, the first two seasons of Merchants of the Wild for APTN, the independent feature films Québexit and Red Rover, as well as two Heritage Minutes for Historica Canada.
Kristen Andrews, Winnipeg social activist and entrepreneur - best known for her epic costume rental house, Ragpickers Antifashion Emporium, also an instigator in local social circus, roller derby and community orchestra endeavours - she wears many hats related to the creative in both Film and Stage.
Ashley Bomberry is Mohawk, Wolf clan from the Six Nations of the Grand River territory. She is a writer, producer and director for film and theatre. Ashley is a curator for multicultural and diverse showcases of talent. She creates discussion and aims to builds bridges between marginalized and dominant culture groups with her work. Ashley focuses on her Indigenous roots and endeavours to impart strength, hope, and healing in Indigenous communities around the world through the arts.
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