The Team

Janet Lee (Writer-Producer) is an educater, an author and global speaker on low literacy and the changes that can be made to eliminate this epidemic. 


She was also Arnie Stewart's  advocate, best friend and teacher. 


Together, they started a literacy movement in Canada to raise awareness for adults with low literacy. The duo travelled to reach thousands of students. 


Since Arnie's passing in 2012, Janet Lee has continued as an educator specializing in literacy and content development. 


Her background is varied in international K-12/higher education including curriculum development publications, media literacy, and micro-learning video production. 


A renowned speaker for Innovative Educators, her global presentations inspire teachers to reimagine their approach to students in need of assistance. 


The life-changing experience working with Arnie guides her work today. Her book, Always Ask for Help and her teaching workbook will be published in spring 2024. 


Sylvia Caminer (Writer-Director-Producer) is an Emmy® Award-winner with extensive credits in theatre, film and television.

 

She directed the award-winning and critically acclaimed documentaries: Rick Springfield: An Affair of the Heart, and Tanzania: A Journey Within. She directed the thriller Follow Her, which has garnered critical acclaim.


 For television, Sylvia recently won her second Emmy Award for producing the travel series Samantha Brown’s Places To Love. Sylvia also earned an Emmy Award for directing the popular Discovery/Travel Channel program Great Hotels (which she also produced and co-wrote).

 

She earned a fourth Emmy nomination for directing Passport To Europe and produced and directed Passport To Latin America (hosted by Samantha Brown).

 

Sylvia has also produced various programs for TLC, WE, Lifetime and PBS. She has worked with top talent over the years including Neil Patrick Harris, Amanda Peet, Tony Danza, Ice T, Jerry Stiller, Chris Noth, and screen legends Betty White, Ben Gazzara & Rita Moreno. 


She is excited to direct Always Ask for Help: The Story of Arnie Stewart and share the true story of a Canadian legend.

Sonja Stark (Director of Photography) began her freelance DP career after 12 years employed as an award-winning news videographer for CBS-TV news in upstate New York. She worked for the CBS affiliate WRGB-TV from 1994-2005.

 

At WRGB, she earned 7 New York State Emmy nominations and three wins, two New York State Broadcaster awards, numerous AP awards and one Edward R. Murrow award. 


Her IMDB camera credits include episodic programming with PBS, Food Network, Nat Geo, Discovery and Food Network along with cinematography direction on several documentaries including“Tennis Fantasies” (2014), “An Affair of the Heart,” (2012), “The Lost Road of the Popes: Via Papale,” (2009),  and “Full Signal,” (2012). She has production experience in over 72 countries. Stark created and leads PilotGirl Productions.

Douglas Bachman (Director of Photography) has worked on six continents in 40 plus countries on productions including television series, commercials, narrative features and documentaries. Network clients include Discovery, National Geographic, Travel, HGTV, Animal Planet, A&E, History, ABC, and PBS. 

Corporate and non-profit clients include NASA, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, National Institutes of Health, T-Mobile, Morgan Stanley, Dress for Success and Greenpeace. 

He was Director of Photography for An Affair of the Heart, following rock icon Rick Springfield and his unusually devout fans (Winner Best of Fest, Toronto HotDocs and released on EPIX) and Tanzania, A Journey Within (Winner Best World Documentary, Soho International Film Festival). He also produced and shot multiple web series including creating the Telly Award winning POV-The Way I See It for Travel Channel.

Francesca Donlan (Consulting Producer/Project Manager) is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist turned public relations executive, who has spent her career telling stories and/or promoting the storytellers. The true story of Arnie Stewart and Janet Lee offers a profound example of hope, perserverance, and grit. It is the ultimate "don't give up" storyline that will inspire everyone who sees it. The book, workbook and documentary are powerful tools that shine a light on low literacy and offers tools to create more assistance for those who need it. She is excited to be part of this amazing effort.

Scott duPont (Consulting Producer) is a veteran producer and member of the PGA (Producers Guild of America) and the IDA (International Documentary Association). He has produced over two dozen films including his latest: Burt Reynolds: The Last Interview with Quentin Tarantino released in 2023. Scott is currently the host of the podcast Finance YOUR Movie! (premiering on MillionaireFlix and available on ALL major podcast platforms). He lends his expertise to  filmmakers and movie projects he feels have potential for investors including: Always Ask For Help.

Louis Chesney (Consultant) is the co-author of ECHO: A Vocal Language Program for Easing Anxiety in Conversation. Currently serving at RethinkCare, the leading global behavioral and mental health platform supporting neurodiversity in the workplace and at home, Louis leads the workplace neurodiversity course content and consultation approach. He provides his knowledge in learning and development to industry leaders seeking to further their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Louis has provided support, direction, and inspiration to the Arnie project since 2023. 

Stephanie Austin (Assistant) has taken her decade of experience in various retail and people management into her new path of film and television production. She has worked in the Art Department on productions such as Locke and Key (S3), Accused (S1), and the Amazon smash hit The Boys (S3). Stephanie has a passion for literacy work, previously working as a tutor for a school board, and fundraising for the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. Working on Always Ask for Help is particularly exciting for Stephanie, being a former student and mentee of Janet Lee’s. 

The producers and production team filming in Niagra Falls, Ontario for the shoot in late 2023. Left to right, Sonya Stark, Sylvia Caminer and Janet Lee. 

This is rare footage of Arnie telling the story of his garden. The art was created by Grade 8 Canadian students.

A recount of our recent trip to Cobalt, Ontario. We stood in the rubble of Arnie's old school. He sent me a gift! 

It was an honour to be a guest on CBC. That evening we would ring the bell to give Arnie his wings.