Latest FILMMAKER Bio:

Tkaronto is the debut feature film by Métis writer-director Shane Belcourt, which is a reflective dramatic film about the struggle to stake claim to one’s urban aboriginal identity.  It was chosen as the Closing Night film for the 2007 imagineNATIVE Film Festival where it made its World Premiere October 21st, 2007.

Tkaronto not only marks the debut feature film in Shane’s career, it is also a first exploration of Shane’s Aboriginal heritage in a narrative work. His father, Tony Belcourt, has been an Aboriginal Rights leader for Shane’s entire life, and as such Shane has grown up in and around Aboriginal politics and cultural activities. His mother was a singer and actress in her early years and as such she raised a household of artists: Christi Belcourt is a renowned Aboriginal fine artist, and Suzanne Belcourt is an award-winning graphic designer. The issues, ideas and concerns Tkaronto raises are life-long lessons that have only now found expression in this feature film.

Shane Belcourt is a York University Film Production dropout turned good (not that dropping out was bad). After completing three years of film school, Shane left to pursue his music career, which saw many Aboriginal Music Award nominations and a Juno Award nomination for his work as a music producer. The strength of his work in music has been a focus on bringing the stories out from within the songs. As such, moving back into film was a natural return. 

In the last five years Shane has shot and produced thousands of hours of documentary footage on Métis/Aboriginal issues for organizations, the web, APTN and most recently Global TV for the 2007 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Shane has also written and directed numerous short films in this time, most notably Pookums, which was chosen to screen in the “Best of the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival 2007 Tour”. The last two short films, Pookums and The Squeeze Box, have been sold to a distributor and are now in final discussions for sale and screening on APTN, the Comedy Network and Movieola. It was also at the 2006 imagineNATIVE festival that Shane and his co-writing partner, Duane Murray, received an honorable mention for their pitch of Embracing Mason, a TV series that has been well-received by national networks. Shane and Duane are involved in ongoing discussions to bring this show to air.

Most recently, Shane was selected as one of 22 emerging filmmakers to participate in the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival Talent Lab.  As well he was named the recipient of the 2007 IFC Mentorship Award in October, 2007.

Latest MUSIC Bio:

The "I got a couple seconds" bio

Shane is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer who has been nominated for song-writing awards by the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and the Toronto Independent Music Awards.

Shane is a filmmaker (writer, director, DP, editor, and producer) of dramatic and documentary films. The most recent short film, "The Squeeze Box", Premiered at the 2005 IMAGINative Film Festival. Documentary footage by Shane is used in the Canadian Museum of Civilization permanent exhibit on Aboriginal peoples.

Shane is a multi-media producer whose media company, The Breath.com, has been sited by Yahoo.ca as Best of 2002 Content Websites. As well, The Breath has produced many media materials for a host of Aboriginal organizations and independent artists.

Currently Shane is working on a feature film script with Duane Murray, a short film script with Suzanne Belcourt. A variety of music projects as a songwriter and producer, along with a documentary on the jazz band Cash Cow are also underway.

The "I'm interested, tell me more bio"

Shane grew up in an artistic household. His father, Tony Belcourt, wanted to be a graphic designer but wound up becoming a Aboriginal Rights activist on the National and International stage (he is credited along with Harry Daniels with getting the word "Métis" into the the Canadian Constitution.) His mother was a hippie singer, guitarist, and actress from Halifax, NS, who has become an entrepreneur running her own B&B. One sister, Christi Belcourt, is an acclaimed visual artist with exhibits around the world, and his other sister, Suzanne Belcourt, is a graphic designer whose logo work is well sought after.

Shane moved to Toronto in 1993 to pursue a degree in Film Production at York University. After three years he dropped out to pursue a pop degree with the band Woodrow. After a couple years of that, Shane launched his solo singer-songwriting career with the release of "Sky Stories" in 1999 (recorded and mixed at Little Bullhorn Studios in Ottawa with Dave Draves). He immediately took the show on the road and went to Australia to surf and do some solo acoustic shows.

Returning to Toronto, Shane recorded his second album, "Hands Like Mine", in 2001 (recorded again at Little Bullhorn Studios in Ottawa and co-produced by Dave Draves). With the release of this album it made sense for Shane to make a website, so he teamed up with his childhood friend since grade four, Jordan O'Connor. Together they started up The Breath.com, a website for independent artists. (What wasn't expected from this move was a new career in graphic design and multi-media production). "Hands Like Mine" went on to garner Shane a couple of nominations from the Aboriginal Music Awards and countless performance opportunities on TV, radio, and festivals for "The Shane Anthony Band".

In 2003 Shane took a break from music to dabble with his other love: film. He co-wrote a short film with Duane Murray, "The Squeeze Box", and with the help of some grants turned out a well received short film production. Duane and Shane also wrote and pitched a TV series that in the end didn't go anywhere, but it forged a co-writer team. (Well, it re-kindled the team, since back in high school, Shane and Duane wrote and shot four short films and one feature film together).

Back to music in 2004, when Shane began production on his latest record "Work To Do". The basic tracks were once again recorded live off the floor at Dave Draves studio in Ottawa. They then went to Jordan O'Connor for mixing and orchestra additions. Released in the fall of 2005, "Work To Do" has been on rotation on many Aboriginal radio stations, sighted as a "Best Of" by the Ute Tribal Radio station in the USA, and its first single, "Got Up Today" charted at Number 7 in Western Canadian Aboriginal radio polling (Windspeaker, 2005).

In that time, Shane also found a rich collaborative relationship with Digging Roots, an Aboriginal duo, and was brought on to produce their debut album "Seeds".

And throughout all of this, Shane has kept the little indie engine that could, The Breath.com, going with Jordan O'Connor as a one-stop media and production company highly sought after by organizations, governments, artists, and companies.

When time permits Shane likes to surf, shoot photos, mountain bike, write bluegrass music with his wife Amanda, and try to pick up any new thing he can find. Currently it's the banjo, next it will be the pedal steel, and after that the mandolin - all the result of a SXSW musical explosion in 2004

Downloads:

Download the MUSIC bio here (pdf)

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