Team
Meet SFP’s gifted, hard-working, extraordinarily diverse team. We are a hotbed of Indigenous, racialized, and LGBTQI+ talent.
Amanda Strong
Director, Producer, Animation Director, DOP
Amanda Strong is a Michif (Metis) interdisciplinary artist with a focus on filmmaking, stop motion animations and media art. Currently based on unceded Coast Salish territories also known as Vancouver, BC, Canada. Strong received a BAA in Interpretative Illustration and a Diploma in Applied Photography from the Sheridan Institute. With a cross-discipline focus, common themes of her work are reclamation of Indigenous histories, lineage, language and culture. Strong is the Owner/Director/Producer of Spotted Fawn Productions Inc. (SFP). Under her direction, SFP utilizes a multi-layered approach and unconventional methods that are centered in collaboration on all aspects of their work.
Strong’s work is fiercely process-driven and takes form in various mediums such as: virtual reality, stop-motion, 2D/3D animation, gallery/museum installations, published books and community-activated projects. Strong and her team at Spotted Fawn Productions are currently working on the research and development of bringing these works into more interactive spaces.
Her films have screened across the globe, most notably at Cannes, TIFF, VIFF, and Ottawa International Animation Festival (Biidaaban The Dawn Comes; Four Faces of the Moon; Flood) She has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, BC Arts Council and the NFB.
Amanda Strong founded Spotted Fawn Productions in 2010 and has managed the company as the Owner, Director and Executive Producer since 2014.
Amanda has also formed the collectives Media Creatorz, Indigenous Roots, and most recently Frame Sovereignty Collective which are all driven to build sustainable production skills and training to participants with the hopes of helping with access, visibility and digital literacy for Indigenous artists.
Most recently, Amanda was selected as the First Canadian Director and first Animated Project for the Sundance Institute Indigenous Filmmaking Lab.
Lupe Danyluk
Lupe has over 20 years of experience in financial operations & management in film & television. She got her start as a Casting Associate in Alberta then moved to British Columbia to work as a Coordinator which progressed into Production Management & Producing. She’s been involved in everything from documentary programs, lifestyle series, commercials, features and short films for international markets.
Nina Werewka
Nina comes from Poland, where she has graduated with a Bachelor of Film Production, and after several years of working in polish film industry, she has moved to Vancouver, Canada. After attending a Film Production Program at Vancouver Film School she has produced short films, music videos and most recently a feature film titled “Beyond the Woods”. She started at Spotted Fawn Productions in 2019 and quickly fell in love with Stop Motion Animation!
Rasheed Banda
Rasheed is a trained 2D animator and illustrator since 2009 and for the last 8 years a self taught 3D modeler and now sculptor. His inspirations are animation and comic books.
Maya McKibbin
Maya McKibbin is a 2Spirit digital artist of Yaqui, Ojibwe and Irish descent. They are a multidisciplinary artist graduating with a BA from The Animation Workshop in 2019. Trained and experienced in the fields of animated film, illustration and indie game development they work with stories hoping to engage social change.
Zoe Cire
Zoe Cire is born and raised on Treaty 6 territory in a prairie town called Ponoka, AB. Cire currently resides as a guest on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories where she works as a visual artist.
Cat Hayes
Cat Hayes, Stop Motion Puppet maker from the UK.
CJ McLeod
CJ McLeod was born on Treaty 6 territory in Prince Albert, SK and raised in Merritt, BC with the Lower Nicola Indian Band. CJ works on comics and illustrations during her spare time to focus on world building, family relationships and healing childhood trauma. She’s looking forward to learning and creating heartfelt pieces with the incredible team at Spotted Fawn Productions.
Sof Pickstone
Sof Pickstone, is one of the prop and set fabricators at SFP. you can usually find them in the woodshop of the studio grooving to tunes and building (you guessed it) tiny things.
Miguel Angel Helu
Miguel Angel “Chiyu” Helu (Mixtecan last name) discovered cameras at a very young age, he was trying to document paranormal activities. This interest in cameras developed and evolved into the understanding and loving of cinematography.
Katrina Pleasance
Katrina is a current student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design where she is pursuing her bachelor of media arts in 2D & Experimental animation.
During her time at Emily Carr, Katrina has directed and animated a number of short films. Her interests outside of animation are cats, comics and anime.
Emily Barnes
Emily’s the name and creativity is the game. After years of using different mediums, I realized that I can’t ever stick to just one. Variety is the spice of life.
Deanna Partridge-David
Deanna Partridge-David is a Storyteller and Stop-Motion Animator/Director of English, Irish, Italian and Secwépemc descent. She is a proud member of the Simpcw First Nation. She graduated with her BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2000.
Ellly Stern
Elly Stern is a fabricator and animator with a passion for stop motion and experimental filmmaking. She spent her childhood in Tel Aviv and her adolescence in Toronto, and she has a BFA in Animation from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Boston. Elly began working at Spotted Fawn Productions in September 2020, and is excited to be a new member of the team.
Leoni (Leo) Paul
Leo is a Malawian creative who works in 2D animation and compositing with skills in Adobe Suite, Toon Boom Harmony, TV Paint and Dragon Frame. Her personal work is rooted in her love for Malawi and she was awarded The Emily Carr University Entrance Scholarship in 2017 and The Christopher Foundation Scholarship in 2018. After a brief stint in Rotterdam at Mooves Studio, she has now worked for Spotted Fawn Productions for just over a year.
Pete Kytwayhat
My name is Pete Kytwayhat, I am from Treaty 6 territory as a registered member of Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation Band. I currently reside in Vancouver which occupies the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I am a father to a wonderful 6-year-old boy. I am also a 4th year Film and Media Production major at the First Nations University of Canada. Through the Indigenous Screen Office and Netflix Apprenticeship Program 2021 I am able to apprentice at Spotted Fawn Productions. Being mentored as an apprentice assistant video editor under the tutelage of the owner, Amanda Strong, and editor Tia Taurere-Clearsky.
Bracken Hanuse Corlett
Bracken is an interdisciplinary artist hailing from the Wuikinuxv and Klahoose Nations. Bracken’s practice fuses painting and drawing with digital-media, audio-visual performance, animation and narrative. Some of Bracken’s notable exhibitions, performances and screenings have been at Grunt Gallery, Vancouver International Film Festival, Urban Shaman, Mackenzie Art Gallery and Toronto International Film Festival. Most recently the script he wrote for Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes) won the Craft Award for Best Script at Ottawa International Animation Festival and many more.
Keith Morgan
Keith is a CG-generalist and compositing artist from Lethbridge, Alberta. His happy place is at the bottom of a coffee while staring at the night sky.
Ben Plante
An interdisciplinary artist from BC, Ben Plante has held a keen interest in film, art, and animation from a young age. He continuously seeks to build on his practice through self driven study, workshops, and formal education. Ben lends his abilities to our fabrication department helping make sets, props, and puppets.
Collaborators
Meet SFP’s talented collaborators.
Mark Anthony Hogan
A.D. / P.M. – Consultant
Erin Ross Banda
Puppet Assistance
Gabriel Temme
Puppet Consultant
Patrick Zung
Puppet Consultant
Georgina Hayns
Puppet Consultant
Daniel Guay
Set and Props Assistance
Tristin Greyeyes
Shooting Production Assistant
Marcus Kliewer
Animator
Chris Gatchalian
Grants Writer (Part Time)
Sj Okemow
Compositor
Ashleigh Withall
Web Design
Leanne Simpson
Writer / Musician
Joseph Murray
Musician
Jeneen Frei Njootli
Musician
Ziibiwan Rivers
Musician
Cris Derksen
Musician
Sherrill Sirrs
Tax Analyst
Nathaniel Lyman
Legal
Sebastien Aubin
Press Releases
Past Collaborators
Edwin Neel
Artists with Studio Space
Sean Newton
Liam Newton
Lynn Dana Wilton
Animator
Denver Lynxleg
Administrative Assistant
Natty Boonmasiri
Storyboards Artist/ Fabricator
Dusty Hagerud
Production Management
Trevor Gent
3D Visual Effects Artist
Raven John
Puppets Fabricator
Shaun Huberts
Peter Allen
Fabricator
Chloe Mustooch
Cai Holm
Admin Assistant
Scarlet Lam
1st – Assistant Puppet Fab
Mochi Lin
Fabricator
Shoshannah Greene
Costume Fabricator
Alex Mesa
3D Sculptor
Kassia Ward
3D Sculptor
Tiff Monk
Sculptor/ Fabricator
Terrance Azzuolo
Director of Photography
Zoe Glass
Storyboard Artist
Neo Oslund
Props Fabricator
Suna Galay
Lead Administrator
Shannon Elmitt
Director of Photography
Tim Toombs
Tech Support
Adam Cantor
Set Builder, Woodshop Safety + Training
Fred Imbach
Director of Photography
Ally Tierney
Puppet Fabricator
Tina McFarlane
Compositor (Probation)
Alana McLeod
Lead Administrator and Studio Manager
Jessie Shi
Compositor (Part time)
Dora Cepic
Props Assistant
Steven Davies
Production Intern (Internship)
Brennan Clark
Director of Photography
Femke van Delft
Prop and Sets Fabricator
Hannah Dougherty
Animator (Part time)
Mikaela Browner
Compositor
Rayne Burning
Compositor (Part time)
Samira Ghorbani
Compositor
Shoy
A.D. / P.M. – Consultant
Maia Derrick-Tremblay
Props Assistant
Lydia Brown
Puppet, Props
Lydia Prince
Web Design