Why Amplify?
Amplifier Films was born out of the necessity to fill a critical gap: too many struggles for justice and liberation unfold without ever being seen or heard. Like the old saying—if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?—we believe that stories of resistance must not go unheard. Our mission is to amplify these vital voices, ensuring that the world sees, hears, and acts. Through revolutionary filmmaking, we bring untold struggles into the spotlight, turning silence into power.
The Crew
Clifton Ariwakehte Nicholas
Filmmaker
Clifton Ariwakehte Nicholas is a Kanien’kehá:ka activist, filmmaker, and entrepreneur from Kanehsatà:ke. He was part of the 1990 resistance during the Oka Crisis, standing against the military blockade of his community by the Canadian army. His independent documentaries, such as Elsipogtog: No Fracking Way!, explore Mi’kmaq resistance to fracking, while Karistatsi Onienre: The Iron Snake exposes the dangers of the Énergie Est pipeline project. In 2018, he broke ground by opening Quebec’s first Indigenous-owned cannabis shop, six months ahead of Canada’s marijuana legalization. Clifton is now collaborating with Franklin on two documentaries that confront the impacts of colonization and the ongoing resistance to it.
Franklin López
Filmmaker
Born in Borikén (Puerto Rico), Franklin López has been stirring up trouble with his camera since he was 17. In 1994, he founded subMedia, a platform for radical films spotlighting grassroots anti-capitalist and anti-colonial struggles, eco-defense, and Indigenous sovereignty. After producing hundreds of films and mentoring budding filmmakers, Franklin left subMedia to dive into long-form documentaries and launched Amplifier Films. His credits include INVASION and Yintah—award-winning films chronicling the Wet’suwet’en resistance to oil and gas pipelines—and La Lucha Sigue, which sheds light on COPINH and the legacy of Indigenous land defender Berta Cáceres. Today, he continues amplifying voices of resistance and sharing his skills with those on the frontlines.
Why They Trust Us
Movements trust us because we’ve been in the trenches, turning their fights into raw, unapologetic stories
It’s not easy to get people to listen, let alone to understand. But you heard the Innu’s heartfelt cry and came to Territory 59 near Dolbeau-Mistassini. You filmed the firekeeper and the Resolute logging company truck.
The films you make are an incredible tool for communication between Indigenous peoples all over the world. With your help, maybe—finally—for us Innu, we’ll be heard, and we’ll be able to protect the ancestral forest in Saguenay.
Shanipiap
Innu musician and land defender
Independent media's heart is empowering oppressed communities, because truth, facts, and knowledge are power. Boosting the voices of the nearly voiceless to the masses is what Amplifier Films is all about. The realities of blatant media censorship require us to take a step further to search for and create independent media to support our struggles and the struggles of our allies. Following Amplifer Films posts will bridge you to inspiring struggles you may not hear about elsewhere.
Billie Pierre
Redwire Magazine Co-founder,
Nlaka’pamux land defender
Amplifier Films
A worldwide project of filmmakers, who aim to amplify struggles for liberation.
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