Shane Anthony Belcourt (born December 30, 1972) is a Canadian writer, director, and cinematographer.Jennie Punter, "'I didn't have time to filter'". The Globe and Mail, August 14, 2008. He is best known for his 2007 feature film Tkaronto, which depicts the life of urban Métis and First Nations people.Thulasi Srikanthan, "Caught between 'two worlds'; Tkaronto". Ottawa Citizen, August 9, 2008.
Biography
Belcourt was born in Ottawa, Ontario on December 30, 1972, to parents Tony Belcourt and Judith Pierce-Martin (née Streatch). He is the brother of graphic designer Suzanne Belcourt and painter Christi Belcourt.
The majority of his work explores and celebrates Canadian indigenous issues and culture.Alison Mayes, "Aboriginal filmmaker delves into 'outsider sense' of urban life". Winnipeg Free Press, January 16, 2020. He wrote and directed the short films The Squeeze Box (2005) and Pookums (2006) before his debut feature film, Tkaronto, premiered at the 2007 imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival.Liz Braun, "Two lost souls touch in terrific Tkaronto". Ottawa Sun, August 8, 2008.
Following Tkaronto, he directed additional short films, including Boxed In (2009), Keeping Quiet (2010), F*%K Yeah!! (2010), Say Yes (2012) and A Common Experience (2013). He was a writer and director on Lisa Charleyboy's APTN documentary series Urban Native Girl, and codirected the television documentary Indictment: The Crimes of Shelly Chartier with Lisa Jackson for CBC Docs POV.Brad Oswald, "TV documentary explores 'catfishing' scandal". Winnipeg Free Press, October 28, 2017.
His second feature film, Red Rover, premiered in 2018.Barry Hertz, "Canadian rom-com Red Rover resurrects the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, with unbearably quirky results". The Globe and Mail, May 11, 2020.
His documentary film Beautiful Scars, about musician Tom Wilson and his late-life discovery of his Mohawk heritage, premiered at the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.Justin Anderson, "Hot Docs ’22: “Beautiful Scars” tackles art, family trauma and identity". RealScreen, May 6, 2022.
His third narrative feature film, Warrior Strong, went into production in 2022,Matt Grobar, "Andrew Dice Clay & Jordan Johnson-Hinds Set For Sports Drama ‘Warrior Strong’; Quiver Launching Sales In Toronto". Deadline Hollywood, August 9, 2022. and premiered at the 2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.Clement Goh, "Cinéfest Sudbury marks 35 years with focus on comedy and vampires". CBC Northern Ontario, August 23, 2023.
His documentary film Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.Etan Vlessing, "Ben Proudfoot’s Obamas-Backed ‘The Eyes of Ghana’ to Open Toronto Fest Doc Program". The Hollywood Reporter, August 6, 2025.
References
External links Shane Belcourt