Author: Kevin Bourne

Justin Bieber had a rough time over the past few years. He’s had to grow up in the public eye, having his mistake-filled, adolescent years captured by the media. His questionable decisions made the most ardent Belieber raise their eyebrows and maybe even worry. But 2015 gave fans a few reasons to believe again. The turning point came in March when he appeared on The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. First, he conducted himself with maturity, being open about his mistakes. Apparently he requested the roasting. Second, he looked mature in a slim fitting blue suit with a black…

Directed and Written by Quentin Tarantino, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russel, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demiam Birchir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern, score by Ennio Morricone “Move a little strange, you’re gonna get a bullet. Not a warning, not a question. A BULLET” – Major Marquis Warren I usually know what to expect from Quentin Tarantino. A well-written script, strong performances, some intriguing dialogue and of course, lots and lots of violence and carnage. Somehow Tarantino always manages to blend these elements together and turn them into pure cinema gold that still amazes me. Once more,…

Fresh off his latest album, What A Time To Be Alive, a joint project with fellow hip-hop sensation Future, it’s without a doubt that Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake, is on top of his game and on top of the hip-hop world. While the world is listening to the album over and over again, it’s what Drake is currently working on that’s making the world impatient, wanting more from the Toronto native. Views from the 6 (or 6ix, as referred to on social media) has been in the works for some time, and to add to the hype of…

We are happy to announce that the SHIFTER Magazine Person of the Year for 2015 is none other than recording artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Akon. This year the Right Now singer had a big year, probably more so for his development work than his music. Earlier this year Akon announced his Lighting Africa project where he would bring solar power to 600 million Africans in 1 million homes through his company Solektra International. So far the project includes 480 communities in 15 countries, 100,000 solar street lamps, and 5,500 indirect jobs created. On December 15th Akon launched the Solektra Solar…

SHIFTER had the opportunity to profile fashion designer, artist and The Indi founder, Elsa Ebada, about his creative expression and who inspires him to create. Name: Elsa Ebada Home Base: Nowhere in particular I’d call home, but Ottawa is where I live and work. Biggest accomplishment: Thus far it’s been teaching design to the apprentices on my team. It’s an incredible thing to realize that the ideas and techniques you developed are getting through to another creative, that your leaving a real impression that might outlive you, and that they might design something incredible with those ideas. I was taught…

Directed by JJ Abrams, written by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, starring John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Harrison Ford. “The Force Awakens is the newest installment into the beloved Star Wars franchise, and follows the adventures of Finn, a disheartened Stormtrooper and Rey, a scavenger living on the desert planet Jakku, as they try to stop an evil unleashed by the powerful and mighty First Order. This review contains NO SPOILERS, so don’t worry.” Star Wars. Is. Back. The Force Awakens boasts incredible lead performances, stunning visuals, incredible fight scenes, and although the story isn’t anything special, it was well worth…

Collaboration. It’s a theme I’ve been hearing about a lot lately; in podcasts, blogs and other articles. It’s something I’ve grown to value more and more in my own life. It’s also something a lot of creatives suck at. So why do a lot of creative people find it hard to create with others? Because most creatives know exactly what they want to see; when they have a clear vision it’s hard to talk them out of it. Collaboration, on the other hard, requires that you surrender your vision to the greater vision. It means that someone might actually hate…

Our very first INDI spotlight interview was with Ottawa musician/rapper, Eddie Quotez. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Eddie for a couple years but this was my first in depth conversation with him about music. I begin the interview by asking Eddie about the spelling of his stage name, why the “z”? Eddie Quotez: I was really into Trey Songz at the time that I came up with the name. He spelled his last name with a z and I just thought that was the shit. HRP: So then what is your real name? EQ: It’s Edgar Piol. HRP: Do…

Directed and written by Marina Bruno, starring Carlo Bruno, Dave Campbell and Renato Vettore “Cotton String follows two down on their luck businessmen, who invest in an electric classic-car invention created by an eccentric hippie, and the consequences that follow.” Cotton String is the debut feature film by the young Ottawa-based filmmaker, Marina Bruno. Although she has previously written, directed and starred in short films, Cotton String is her first full length film. As we see every year in Hollywood, the transition from short films to feature length films can be difficult and sometimes can turn into a disaster, but…

Following the premiere of her first feature film Cotton String, our Lisa Martel and Mathieu Chin-Quee had the chance to sit down with film director, Marina Bruno, to talk about her latest project and inspirations as a filmmaker. Lisa Martel: How did you start? What was the beginning process for you as a filmmaker? Marina Bruno: My father is a filmmaker. I’ve basically been doing this my entire life. Ever since I could sit up I was doing my first movie when I was three years old with my dinosaur toys. I’ve been doing short films, more official projects starting…

Name: Myrlande Julien Home Base: Nassau, Bahamas Biggest accomplishment:  The first thing that comes to mind is my most recent accomplishment. I entered a competition that was held by the Miss Bahamas Organization. With very little time to prepare I created a three piece outfit with a hand beaded bodice. Although I had less time to prepare than the other participants, I took home the third place prize. Past and present creative icons: I look to past eras more than actual people for inspiration. I love the look and feel of 1920’s-1950’s fashion. Place where I feel the most creative:…

Directed by Tom Hooper, starring Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, and Ben Whishaw “The extraordinary journey of the first transgender man in history, Einar Wegener, as he tried to balance his life, work, marriage, and find a courage to be himself.” From Tom Hooper, the director of The King’s Speech and Les Misérables, comes an extraordinary true story of the first transgender man, Lili Elbe (played by Academy Awards Winner Eddie Redmayne) in The Danish Girl. Upon the realization that the main highlight here is Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), people may be wondering if he’s…