After many years of hard work, our team is immensely privileged to present ‘The Grandfather Drum’ to the world. We feel that sharing our stories from Northwestern Ontario is an honour and a responsibility that we take to heart. It was an amazing experience to blend our various talents, passions and creative voices to present to you this powerful, unique film. Chi-Meegwetch from our entire team, we hope you enjoy!
A Film by: Michelle Derosier
In Association with: Thunderstone Pictures and Stem to Stern Design Co.
Composer: Elizabeth Hill
Sound Production: Zoe Gordon
Narrator: Michelle Derosier
Story Consultant, Translator: Fred Suggashie
Animator, Visual Effects Artist, Editor: George Renner
Production Designer, Illustrator, Storyboard Artist: Sonya Lacroix
Writer: Michelle Derosier
Story Editor: Dave Clement
Associate Producer: Dave Clement
Producers: Michelle Derosier & Sonya Lacroix
Director: Michelle Derosier
Narrator
Michelle Derosier (Anishinaabe) is from Migisi Sahgaigan, (Eagle Lake First Nation) in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. She is co-owner of Thunderstone Pictures Inc. and co-founder and past Festival Director of the Biindigaate Indigenous Film Festival in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She is the mother of three beautiful daughters and has four grandchildren. Michelle executive produced the feature film “Fire Song” and directed the award-winning documentaries “Return To Manomin” and “The Healing Lens”. This is her first foray into animated storytelling. Michelle is currently in development of the first dramatic feature film.
Sonya graduated from the Multimedia Production Program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in 2007, and moved on to Toronto for a graphic design internship. Once completed Sonya returned to Thunder Bay where she worked as a designer in the agency world before becoming an entrepreneur, co-owning both High Tide Tattoo Parlour and Stem to Stern Design Company. She now works as a graphic designer, illustrator and art director / production designer. Sonya is in a loving relationship with art and design and lives for the challenge of transforming an idea into something originally fantastic.
Editor
George Renner works in Thunder Bay, Ontario under his company, RennerVFX. Since graduating the Confederation College film program in 2007, George has worked with many different clients and companies all across Ontario to provide visual effects and animation needed for a wide array of commercial, corporate and personal projects.
Translator
Fred Suggashie, was born in 1950 in McInnes Lake, Ontario north of Red Lake, Ontario Canada. Currently, Fred Suggashie lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Fred is a painter/writer of stories and paints legends of his Anishinaabe culture.
Zoe Gordon owns Cricket Cave, a sound design and field recording company in Thunder Bay, Canada. With a background in contemporary art, she approaches sound from a creative listening perspective. She’s worked on award winning NFB and CBC productions and independent films.
ElizaBeth Hill is a singer-songwriter and has built her craft through years spent in Nashville’s toughest songwriting circles. A lyricist with an intuitive touch, there is a depth to her music that stirs the soul. Her arresting melodies meld with hauntingly powerful vocals. She spins a tale and all of these qualities into a sweet mix of bluesy country, folk and Americana. Through her career, ElizaBeth has shared stages with artists such as Buffy Sainte Marie, Bill Miller, Amy Sky, Ian Tamblyn and Martha Wainwright.
A Mohawk born on the Six Nations Grand River Reservation in Canada, she left her Nashville gig to return to Canada to further the development of Canadian Aboriginal music. She is a passionate champion for the preservation of indigenous music, language and culture. A writer of fiction, a visual artist and composer, ElizaBeth is a multiple Juno and Canadian Aboriginal Music Award nominee.
Dave is co-owner of Thunderstone Pictures Inc. and is a professor in the Digital Cinematography and Applied Filmmaking program at Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Dave both produced and directed the photography on such award-winning documentary films as “Return To Manomin” (2010), “The Life You Want” (2010), “The Healing Lens” (2009), and “Woodland Spirits [NFB]” (2007). A true Northern filmmaker he is an accomplished editor and cinematographer, with much of his career having been spent in remote locales in open collaboration with Indigenous filmmakers and communities between Northern Ontario and the High Arctic.