Sacha Michaud

Camping

Camping was directed by Sacha Michaud, Alyssa Ashmore and Nicole Calfchild. Sacha works as an advocate and educator, working with families who have experienced domestic violence and other barriers. She is also a stop-motion animator, who uses art and animation as a tool to build community and challenge our social norms. Nicole is from the Siksika Nation. She is an advocate for her peers that are unhoused, drawing from her own experiences to inspire strength in others. Alyssa is also a fierce advocate for community members that are unhoused. A couple of years ago, she was in the same position as Shawna, the main character in the film, but through hard work and the support of her family and friends she now has a home and is starting her own business.

Sacha Michaud

Ghosty Pop Nostalgia

I work in stop-motion animation and puppet-making to explore the stories that connect us. My background in social services has shown me how easily we reduce each other to labels or statistics—and how much gets missed in this process. Through my art, I want to challenge those simplifications. While the subjects I explore—like housing and mental health—can be heavy, my approach is playful and hands-on. I build small worlds to ask big questions: How do we see each other? What assumptions are we making? What kind of world do we want to build together? Animation lets me slow things down and invite others to look again—with curiosity instead of judgment. My work isn’t about offering answers. It’s about making space to notice, to wonder, and explore. 

Stephanie Quilliams

Ghost

I love to tell stories about people and why they do the things they do. I use a wide variety of mediums, from animation to puppets to film, the story dictates how I will tell it. I got into art very late in life - my first piece didn't happen until I was in my late 40s but that has only served to fuel the fires of my creativity.

Though I often use humour to soften my message, most recently I have been exploring how people cope with loss in my piece Ghost. It's a response to losing my sister to suicide several years ago. I dealt with it in a way that was harmful to myself, and hurt those close to me. I animated my sister’s ashes in certain sequences of Ghost in an effort to be close to her as I worked through the fact I could never be with her again. I hope my work helps people understand they are not alone, and that "shining a light" on the pain can help lessen it.