Tag Archives: Amplify

Original APTN series Amplify returns May 13

From a media release:

The third season of original series AMPLIFY, produced by Shane Belcourt and Jason Ryle of Wolfwalker Productions, premieres on Tuesday, May 13 at 10:30pm ET on APTN, and will stream on APTN lumi. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on APTN lumi and also available on the Air Canada inflight entertainment system.

AMPLIFY showcases the powerful diversity of Indigenous music in Canada. In each episode of this anthology series, we meet an Indigenous singer/songwriter as they explore the creation of a new song based on a personal source of inspiration. From songs in Indigenous languages to country and hip-hop, AMPLIFY takes a deep dive into the creative processes of these artists and their strong connections to their Indigenous communities. Through their music, their cultures are amplified.

AMPLIFY’s third season features an exciting roster of emerging and established Indigenous musicians from across Canada. Season three features: Shane Ghostkeeper, Evan Redsky, Quttau, Darcy Turning Robe, Sebastian Gaskin, Bebe Buckskin, Lido Pimienta, Tia Wood, and Crystal Shawanda.

It is filmed with a 100% Indigenous production crew from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.

RELEASE
English episodes air every Tuesday on APTN beginning on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025.
Check local listings as timing changes in each time zone:
7:30pm PT, 8:30pm MT, 9:30pm CT, 10:30pm ET and 11:30pm AT

SERIES CREATOR
Shane Belcourt

SINGER/SONGWRITERS
Shane Ghostkeeper
Tia Wood
Crystal Shawanda
Darcy Turning Robe
Lido Pimienta
Quttau
Evan Redsky
Sebastian Gaskin
Bebe Buckskin

DIRECTORS
Trevor Solway
Alexandra Lazarowich
Carla Robinson
Jason Ryle
asinnajaq
Claudia Skunk and Sean Stiller

PRODUCERS:
Shane Belcourt and Jason Ryle

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS
Claudia Skunk and Adam Phipps

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APTN’s spring lineup delivers authentic stories from this side of the border

From a media release:

So you’re looking for top-tier storytelling north of the 49th parallel, eh? No need to paddle your canoe any further. APTN’s got you covered with a lineup of spring shows that ooze maple syrup and remind you what it means to be the True North strong and free. From pow wows to paintbrushes, every show reflects the spirit, resilience and beauty of these lands we call home.

Whether you are watching on APTN, APTN Languages or on our streaming platform APTN lumi, our programming reminds us that diversity isn’t something to fear, it’s something to embrace. (Not-so-subtle side-eye.) We’re keeping our stories, our voices and our languages alive OUR way and no, we won’t apologize for it.

APTN has some of the most TREMENDOUS Indigenous programming. It might be the best Indigenous programming we’ve EVER seen. (See what we did there?) And you can watch knowing that most of our content is proudly produced right here, on this side of the border.

As we roll into June, we’re amplifying Indigenous voices louder than ever. For National Indigenous History Month, we’re sharing powerful programming that celebrates the stories, cultures and histories that have shaped these lands long before Canada was even an idea. We’re kicking things off in style! On June 1, dive into a North of North marathon. Viewers can’t get enough of this fan-favourite! Friday nights will be dedicated to unforgettable movies, and on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, experience the vibrant sights and sounds of Le grand solstice, a spectacular concert showcasing Indigenous artists and cultures.

No fake news here – this lineup is HUGE and 100% authentic! Here’s what you can watch with pride this spring on APTN:

NEW SHOWS THIS SPRING!

Northwoods Survival
Welcome to some of the most breathtakingly wild and untamed places on Earth – where “progress” doesn’t mean skyscrapers and Wi-Fi, but a return to the land, survival on your own terms and freedom from modern distractions. For these adventurers, every day is a high-stakes gamble with exhilarating rewards.

APTN premiere: May 28 (English)
APTN lumi premiere: May 28 (English)

Red River Gold
In 1870, a trove of gold coins on their way to fund a military force heading to confront Louis Riel during the Red River Resistance disappeared. With the gold having never been recovered, a group of modern-day treasure hunters are hoping to find it!

APTN lumi premiere: April 28 (English)
APTN premiere: May 5 (English)

@Home
Tamara Bell uses her interior design prowess to help Indigenous Peoples connect with their cultural and artistic traditions.

APTN premiere: May 5 (English)
APTN lumi premiere: May 5 (English)

RETURNING APTN FAN-FAVOURITES!

Chuck and the First Peoples’ Kitchen / Chuck et la cuisine des premiers peuples (Season 5)
This season, chef Chuck Hughes learns culinary traditions from Indigenous mentors from across Canada and the United States. Cross border sharing is caring!

APTN premieres: May 5 (English) and May 9 (French)
APTN lumi premieres: May 5 (English) and May 9 (French)

Pow Wow Chow (Season 2)
Pow Wow Chow follows two food vendors as they navigate their way through the pow wow trail and festivals. Get a spectacular behind-the-scenes view into the fast-paced livelihood of these resilient business owners.

APTN lumi premieres: May 2 (English) and April 30 (Cree)
APTN Languages premiere: May 7 (Cree)
APTN premiere: May 9 (English)

Red Earth Uncovered (Season 5)
Embark on an adventure to places where legendary mysteries keep the world guessing! From the elusive Sasquatch to the secrets of Ogopogo, Red Earth Uncovered dives deep into myths, archaeology and the untold stories behind them.

APTN lumi premiere: May 4 (Cree)
APTN Languages premiere: May 11 (Cree)

Amplify (Season 3)
Amplify showcases the powerful diversity of Indigenous music in Canada. In each episode, we meet an Indigenous singer/songwriter as they explore the creation of a new song based on a personal source of inspiration.

APTN lumi premiere: May 6 (English)
APTN premiere: May 13 (English)

Tallboyz (Season 2)
The TallBoyz are back, taking their absurdist, technicolour approach to gender, politics, family and friendships to even greater heights.

APTN premiere: May 20 (English)

Michif Country (Season 4)
This docuseries takes you deep into the heart of St. Laurent, Manitoba, where the Michif language, culture and landscape come alive! Join Indigenous celebrities as they swap stories, traditions and maybe even a few survival tips with the locals all while embarking on epic adventures.

APTN lumi premiere: May 1 (English)
APTN premiere: May 8 (English)

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE MAPLE MUNCHKINS!

Ukaliq and Kalla (New show!)
Deep in the Arctic, two unlikely besties are on a mission to learn, laugh and maybe cause a little mischief! Ukaliq, the bouncy, impatient Arctic hare, and Kalla, the cool, clever lemming, team up in this fun-filled children’s series that mixes 2D animation with live action.

APTN Languages premiere: May 11 (Inuktitut)
APTN lumi premiere: May 11 (Inuktitut)

Chums (Season 2)
A rag tag group of furry friends discover their relationship to the animals, the environment and Mother Earth.

APTN lumi premieres: May 3 (English, Cree and Anishinaabemowin)
APTN premiere: May 10 (English)
APTN Languages premiere: May 10 (Cree and Anishinaabemowin)

Indigenous Art Adventures (Season 2)
Indigenous Art Adventures is back with even more fun and creative projects for kids! Join host Lance Cardinal as he takes young viewers on exciting crafting journeys that celebrate Indigenous cultures.

APTN premiere: May 10 (English)
APTN lumi premiere: May 10 (English)

This spring, join APTN with programming that feels like home. Check out APTN’s full TV schedule at www.aptntv.ca/schedule.

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Indigenous songwriters take centre stage in APTN’s Amplify

I’m a huge fan of music documentaries and count Soundbreaking, It Might get Loud, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and Sonic Highways among my favourites. I’ll add Amplify to the mix.

Debuting Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern on APTN, Amplify was created by Métis writer, director, musician and cinematographer Shane Belcourt, and focuses on Indigenous songwriters and those that have inspired them. What sets Amplify apart is not only the subject matter—songwriter Cheryl L’Hirondelle (above) and author Robin Wall Kimmerer are showcased in Episode 1—but the look of each of the 13 episodes. Rather than simple talking heads inter-cut with performances, the series’ cameras pause on flowers waving in a breeze, a tumbledown barn in a field, or ripples on a pond.

We spoke to Shane Belcourt about how Amplify came about, and what he hopes viewers will experience as they watch it.

What made you create Amplify?
Shane Belcourt: The producers that I work with wanted to make a music documentary series. The default for that kind of music documentary series is usually the biography series, ‘Here’s the musician, here’s what they’ve done.’ I mean, sure I like them, but I want to watch a TV show that has some artistry behind it, that has some kind of uniqueness that I can’t get anywhere else. I was quite inspired by Dave Grohl’s HBO documentary series, Sonic Highways, as well as the Netflix series, a very popular one, Chef’s Table.

I thought, ‘There’s something about both of these documentaries, the way that they’re structured and the pacing and the points that they bring out.’ But the other big one was when you think about going to musicians and saying, ‘Hey, you’re great. Tell me why you’re great. Rolling,’ they’re going to be like, ‘Uh, no thanks.’

Shane Belcourt

But if you said, ‘Hey, what’s something that you’ve read recently or thought about, or something in our Indigenous world that you’re really excited to explore and think about that’s really shaped you? Will you tell me about that?’ And, of course, every musician is like, ‘Oh yeah, hey, you should read this and I love this part and that part. And here’s what it means to me.’ Through that micro focus, you get the macro feeling of who this person really is. So you get the biography, you get the feeling of who this person is through focusing on one thing that they’re excited to talk about.

One of the things that struck me were the times you’re showing a barn in a field or some flowers. Clearly that was a conscious decision on your part to make this different.
SB: Yeah. I’ve got to really tip my hat to the broadcaster, APTN. I sold them originally from the lookbook and from the pitch deck. I said, ‘Listen. I want to do something that has the pacing, like Chef’s Table, that’s very meditative, that takes time to linger on a shot. We’re in no rush.’

And to their credit, they said, ‘Great.’ One of my friends has this great saying. He’s actually musician. He said, ‘When the world runs, walk slow. When the world goes slow, start running. If you want to stand out, do the opposite.’ And so I think that there’s a history now of documentaries. There’s so many good documentaries. And I’m inspired by the visual treatment that we’re all pushing to.

How did you decide on the songwriters you were going to include?
SB: I work really closely with producer Michelle St. John, and she knows everybody. She’s great. We thought, ‘OK, well, we know what the recipe of the show is: Songwriter + inspiration = an episode.’ So we thought, ‘OK, well, who are 13 songwriters that we’d love to spend time with who we know are articulate, and also a mix between somebody who’s known like iskwÄ“ and someone who’s less known like Lacey Hill?’ We definitely wanted to make a list that had a lot of Indigenous female performers. So that was also a juggling act. You make your big list.

Author Robin Wall Kimmerer

And I would say 80 per cent agreed right off. We called them. They’re like, ‘We love this idea. Totally interested. We’re in.’ And while we made that list of songwriters, we also then made a parallel list of what director would be perfect to work with that songwriter.

One of the things that I enjoyed is you had each person introduce themselves in their Indigenous language.
SB: Yeah. So much of welcoming and greeting yourself and introducing yourself to the space or to the people who you’re sharing that space with is to express who you are and where you’re from and what your community and nation is. Who holds you, what group has brought you forward as opposed to, ‘I’m this isolated person named Dale or Bob or whatever.’ That was something that we wanted, too. It just made sense to do that. And the other thing too, is that the musicality of the language was something that we just love to hear. It just gives them a little flavour of something that just to me, sounds a little sweeter and pulls the audience in a little further as they read the subtitles, but hear the sound for most of the people who don’t speak Ojibway.

When people tune in and watch Amplify, what are you hoping that they do? Do you want them to hit up iTunes and look for this music and start Googling these artists and the people who inspired them?
SB: That’s just it. You just nailed it right there. The hope that someone watching the show is that for a half-hour TV block, they get to sit down and be transported into a place that has these unusual and new characters and voices and sounds. And then at the end of it, they’re just thinking a couple of things. One is, for something like in the pilot, ‘I have to go buy a copy of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book. I want to read it.’ That’s what you hope because it’s such a great book. And then, ‘Oh, I want to check out Cheryl L’Hirondelle. I love the sound of her stuff. It’s so interesting.’ I’m someone who as an artist, I guess ultimately whenever I watch a great movie or a great show, I want to make something. It inspires me to be creative and do what I do. So I hope, ultimately, people watch it and go, ‘I want to sit down and write a song,’ or whatever it is that they do to get out there and just be creative.

Amplify airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on APTN.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Original APTN series Amplify starring Indigenous singer-songwriters to air Friday, Sept. 11th

From a media release:

From Wolfwalker Productions and Wabung Anung Films comes original series AMPLIFY. The series is set to air its first two episodes on APTN beginning on Friday, Sept. 11th at 8pm ET. The series is made up of 13 – 22 minute episodes and following the Sept 11th airdate, a new episode will air each week in English and separately in Ojibway.

The premise of the anthology series is to invite an Indigenous songwriter to find a piece of inspiration (whether it be a book, art piece, belief, etc.) and write a song about it. Each episode is a platform for Indigenous songwriters and Indigenous knowledge keepers to share ideas about a specific topic close to them and create music out of it. Each episode ends with a music video of the song that was created based on the theme in the episode.

The series is produced by Michelle St. John (Colonization Road) and Shane Belcourt (Red Rover) from Wolfwalker Productions and Jeremy Edwardes (Kaha:wi – the Cycle of Life) from Wabung Anung Film Co. AMPLIFY is created by Shane Belcourt and the executive producers are Jim Compton and R. Todd Ivey.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail