Onalee Ames Film Studio is a Winnipeg-based business dedicated to equipping individuals for success in the professional movie industry. Whether you want to write, act, or simply explore your creative side, this is the place for you. Here, students can acquire the essential tools for auditioning and acting in films. Most importantly, Onalee Ames Film Studio is committed to changing old narratives and creating new ones. Over the years, Onalee Ames has worked with over 3,000 people and has connected Winnipeg students with agents, directors, and casting agents in LA, Vancouver, and Toronto.

Here’s what a former grateful student has to say about the studio and its owner:


When Onalee Ames opens the bright pink door to her new studio on Stafford and Yale, I’m instantly reminded by the smile on her face that I’m in a space where I can let down my guard. I also find myself in a building that many Winnipeggers have watched under construction for the past two years.

I barely step through the door, and we’re already negotiating masks and hugs. Tears immediately run down my face—this is the woman who helped change my life. I met her when I was 12 years old, and now, at 27, I have a career in film, thanks to her guidance. Onalee herself has been on quite a journey and is quick to share.

Onalee is a pioneer. She has managed to create a life that is innately true to her soul and is committed to inspiring others in this city to do the same.

There’s an Italian disco radio station playing in the background. This beautifully crafted studio, designed by Winnipeg architect Neil Minuk, Onalee’s husband, has space for two businesses, five children, and two dogs.

Onalee immediately offers me a fresh Italian coffee and wants to hear about my travels. She has just returned from Italy, where she and her family visit twice a year. Tears well up in her eyes as she speaks about the aftermath of COVID-19.

“So many students struggled during COVID, so we did much more than acting. We literally held each other up. We sold makeup as a group to pay for everyone to come to class so no one would have to quit,” she shares.

I sip my coffee and look up at the white snowflakes falling on the giant skylight. Her presence and this space are exactly what I needed upon returning to my hometown.

“You know, if you do the work, the work will find you.” These are words I’ve lived by.

“I learned how to use Zoom as soon as the pandemic hit,” Onalee tells me excitedly, sharing stories of her quest to teach all over the world online. Her acting classes are still held online for a few more months, as she is traveling for her career at the beginning of the year. We reminisce about my peers from her class and the roles they’ve been landing recently.

“The film industry is so alive in Winnipeg. The great news is that after all we’ve been through, convincing parents of young adults to go into film isn’t nearly as hard as it once was. Currently, Winnipeg is having our biggest year in film to date. We’ve grown to the point where our infrastructure faces changes to accommodate the demand for talent, both in front of and behind the scenes. I had lunch today with some amazing women committed to this change in our city. I want everyone to know about IATSE Local 856 and 669, the DGC, and ACTRA because they help recruit talent in Winnipeg.”

During the lockdown, Onalee hosted classes for her students with guests who graciously offered their time to inspire and uplift spirits. These guests included Oscar winner Steven Bernstein from LA and directors such as Guy Maddin, John Barnard, Noam Gonick, Sean Garrity, and Jason Bourque, to name a few. Actor John Voldstad from The Newhart Show in Los Angeles also joined online.

Famous guests are no strangers to the Winnipeg studio, so I’m not surprised by this lineup. I was fortunate to work with some of the world’s best actors at the studio, including Gil Bellows, Ryan Pinkston, and Clifton Collins Jr., who find the studio when they’re in town and offer their time and talent. There are many days in Los Angeles where even the best classes don’t offer the magic that Onalee has provided for so many of us here in Winnipeg.

Published in Style Manitoba Magazine • Winter 2022