Nicole Amelio-Casper
Independent Filmmaker
Other Roles: Director, Producer, Editor
Areas of Focus: Documentaries
Organization: Amelio MediaLLC
Biography
Nicole Amelio-Casper has her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Boston College and her master’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Memphis Graduate school of Journalism.
She began her broadcasting career at National Public Radio, where she volunteered a couple of days a week when she and her family moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, almost twenty years ago.
Nicole’s first paid position was with Cumulus Broadcasting in Fayetteville, North Carolina, followed by Saga Communications in Clarksville, Tennessee, while their family was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. While working at Saga, she was a segment producer, on-air talent, and news reporter. She also interviewed key figures in the community at Fort Campbell, including the Mayor of Clarksville and Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, during her visit to support the troops and their families.
She continued her broadcasting journey at the American Forces Network in Mannheim, Germany, where she worked as a Radio News Reporter interviewing key people overseas and in Germany. While in AFN, she expanded her skill set to include TV segment production. After producing several radio and TV stories for AFN and some commercials, she became more passionate about producing stories highlighting how the human spirit can and will triumph amid adversity.
While at AFN, Nicole received her first award, an AFN Civilian Award.
In addition to her journalistic pursuits, she worked for Central Carolina Community College for nearly five years. Nicole taught video production, worked in admissions, and taught college and pre-college classes for the TRIO Veterans Upward Bound Program. She also taught Public Relations, Advertising, and several other classes at Baker University.
While in Fort Leavenworth, she started her LLC and produced the first of two documentaries, Voices of Hope. She filmed, directed, and produced Voices of Hope while volunteering at Lansing Prison in Lansing, Kansas. The film chronicles the Brothers in Blue Re-entry program at Lansing Correctional Facility in Lansing, Kansas. It documents how the program changes the behavior and redefines the character of the inmates.
It was screened at two film festivals in the Kansas City area in 2015 and 2016.
Between 2016 and 2018, she filmed, directed, and produced her second documentary, The Journey Back to Normal: A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD. The premiere screening was at George RR Martin’s Jean Cocteau’s Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has been screened at several universities and colleges as well as the largest VFW in Virginia. It was accepted and screened at several film festivals over the past year — her film was a finalist at the Deep Focus Film Festival and the Dumbo Film Festival in New York City.
In 2019, The Journey Back to Normal has won:
A Spotlight Documentary Award from the Spotlight Documentary Festival in Atlanta, Georgia
3 BEST Documentary awards:n1. The Universal Kansas International Film Festival in Kansas City MO, 2. The Raleigh Film and Arts Festival in Raleigh NC, 3. The Show Low Arizona Film Festival
Nominated: Best Documentary award at The International Kansas Film Festival in Kansas this weekend (November 8-14 2019).
Films
Resilience-A Docuseries (2024)
Role: Director
Resilience – A Docuseries:
My name is Nicole Amelio-Casper. I am producing a docuseries entitled “Resilience.”
Our WHY –We want to highlight the true military and veteran experience. We want to debunk stereotypes of the broken Veteran and highlight the “authentic hero” in action after they serve. Further, we highlight the boots on the ground, grassroots organizations serving active duty, veterans and their families transforming their lives through community and family building, and innovative therapies. We are NOT filming just to film a series – with no end goal.We are filming stories of IMPACT, and we aim to tell their legacy stories. www.ameliomedia.com
My personal story is not uncommon in the military family community, of which I have been a part for over 20 years. My family members and close friends who served our country faced challenges that many civilians cannot begin to fathom. I have seen firsthand how PTSD and war affect families in ways most cannot comprehend. However, their ability to adapt and overcome is extraordinary.
As a filmmaker, I am compelled and determined to further contribute to the effort to highlight real solutions through this film and show how our warriors live fully after their service.
Here is the scope of the docuseries:
- Our intent is to tell the raw story – the raw story of the “military experience” downrange, the dynamic while deployed, the pivotal moments when they return home, and ultimately how they navigate the civilian workplace, the community and most significantly, their home with their loved ones. The RAW Story has many layers, AND we intend to delve and dig deep during intense interviews as they share how they navigate the rough terrain of civilian life after multiple deployments and how they maintain emotionally healthy relationships within their community of fellow Veterans and their “tribe.”
- Another series element will highlight and market grassroots organizations, Veteran owned non-profit organization, Hidden Wounds in partnership with Project Josiah (https://projectjosiah.org/). The Marine Reconnaissance Foundation, https://reconfoundation.org, Project Refit, us, Heroic Gardens, heroicgardens.org Freedom Sings USA, https://www.freedomsingsusa.org The Lazy Lab Hunting Club lazylabhc.org Awareness 22, https://awareness22.com/The Barbara Giordano Foundation,giordanofoundation.org and Project One Veteran at a Time, https://www.projectovat.org
- We will talk to the Department of Veterans Affairs and Military officials on the front lines of mental health and wellness initiatives. We will ask bold questions to these experts. (For example, how can they better serve Veterans and their families? What can VA providers do better?) We will also discuss the impetus behind the paradigm shift to client-centered care and their whole health initiative.
- We will ask bold questions to politicians fighting on the frontlines every day for Veterans. (e.g., What are local and state politicians doing right now to take action?) (We interviewed Joe Wilson in South Carolina and other politicians to discuss their recent efforts and stance on veteran issues and will interview Congressman Issa in Washington DC in the near future).
And finally, we will present a Call to Action –
We want to prompt our audience to take action and give to the grassroots organizations in the film that prove their models are scalable and can achieve positive outcomes on a broader scale to help propel and catapult Veterans and their families with the resources they need to flourish.
We are currently crowdfunding and have partnered with Filmmaker’s Collaborative as our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, so all donations are tax-deductible!
We have successfully raised $25,000 via our own networks; Awareness 22 donated $9000.00 to film the trailer and cover two film shoots in Philadelphia and New York City. Project One Veteran at a Time also donated $11,000.00 to film two shoots in New Jersey. Both non-profit organizations are small operations and serve Veterans every day.
We hope you join us on this journey to shed light and honor military lives and highlight those who create a life-giving community – every day. Thank you so much.
Warmest Regards,
Nicole Amelio-Casper, MA
Director and Producer
https://www.ameliomedia.com
Milestones:
Film Shoots Completed:
**We commenced production in September 2020. We have interviewed the founders and directors, board members, and Veterans within each organization below. Ostensibly, there was a hiatus in filming due to full time jobs, the pandemic, funding, etc. Most of our shoots were filmed from January 2022 – present.
- September 2020: Project Josiah/Hidden Wounds, Columbia, SC (3 film shoots in total – 4 Veterans interviewed).
- March 2022: Heroic Gardens, Philadelphia PA. (2 Veterans interviewed).
- April 2022: Barbara Giordano Foundation, Westchester, NY. (2 Veterans interviewed).
- May 2022: Project Refit, Magnolia, NJ. (3 Veterans interviewed).
- July 2022: Awareness 22, Sycamore, Ohio (2 Veterans interviewed).
- August 2022: Project One Vet @ a Time, Waterford, Maine. (3 Veterans interviewed).
- March 2023/April 2023: Lazy Lab Hunting Club/Mend the Heart Foundation Philadelphia, PA and Clemson, SC. (Nascar driver and Naval Commander Jessi Iwuji endorsed), and Austin Texas.
- June 2023: Freedom Sings USA – Telluride, Colorado (interviewed 4 veterans).
- January 2024: Marine Reconnaissance Foundation. David Danel and Jason Morrison.
- Kenneth Keitt: Marine Combat Veteran, Ambassador, Robert Irvine Foundation.
- Robert Irvine: Food Network Chef, Robert Irvine Foundation, British Veteran,
Individual interviews: Warriors, Veterans, Superheroes who served our country, who are not necessarily associated to the organizations above.
- March 2022: Carol Vento, former Executive Director of the Philadelphia Center and daughter of well-known World War II veteran, Arthur “Dutch” Schultz who served with the 82nd airborne.
- May 2022: Marine Veteran Robert Vincent O’Berg, NY, NY.
- September 2022: Army Veteran Sherice Kral, Business Coach and Entrepreneur, Philadelphia, PA.
- September 2022: Army Veteran, Babe Kwasniack, West Point Graduate and mental health and wellness Advocate and Professional speaker (Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, Cleveland Ohio) West Point, NY.
- November 2022: Active Duty, Naval Commander and Chaplain, Bob Price, Arlington, Virginia and staff at Joint Base/ Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Bob spearheads the mental health and wellness program at the base and in the surrounding community.
- February 2023: Air Force Veteran, Maurice Philogene, Real Estate investor and owner of Quattro Capital.
- February 2023: Army Veteran Dr. Aubrey Sejuit, tenured Professor, Limestone University, Columbia, SC. (Board Member of several nonprofits including the Fischer Foundation)
- June 2023: Robbo Fitzgibbons, Combat Navy Veteran, NY, NY. (Music Producer and Composer.
- July 2023: Jax Scott, US. Army Combat Veteran, CST and Cybersecurity, Arlington VA.
FILMING YET TO ACCOMPLISH:
Season 1: The Battle of Ameriyah, Fallujah, Iraq. The Black Knights: A Story of Valor and Resilience
This is the first season we aim to film on December 5-8, 2024, AND PUBLISH in 2025 on all streaming platforms:
FILMING LOCATION: FORT CAVASOS, TEXAS
FILMING BUDGET $15,000.00 (FULL BUDGET $100,000)
Description: An in depth look at The Battle of Ameriyah, Baghdad, Iraq– 2006-2008 – The story of the 1st-5 Cavalry. We will interview the team members- Chip Daniels, Dale Kuehl as well as (potentially) General David Petraeus to discuss their stories from the battlefield that influenced the Iraq war as well future engagements with the Middle East. They will discuss their perspectives on the engagement of War.
Purpose: The narrative of the 1-5 Cavalry (CAV), also known as the Black Knights, serves to honor the fallen, instill pride in the veterans of the battalion, garner the appreciation of the general public, and inspire future leaders as they prepare for operations in an increasingly complex world.
Episode 1: Introduction and Background
Title: “The Black Knights’ Origins”
Key Figures: Colonel (R) Dale Kuehl, Major (Ret.) Michael Meyers, Colonel (Ret.) Chip Daniels, Colonel (Ret.) Chris Rogers, Canadian in Exile Iraqi War Hero, General David Petraeus. Focus: Overview of key leaders and their backgrounds; Personal stories – where they are now, professionally and emotionally. Introduction to the battalion’s mission and the defining moment on May 19, setting the stage for the series.
Episode 2: Movement to Contact
Title: “From Home Station to Battlefield”
-Time Frame: Training up through April 2007.
Focus: Hey will cover training and readiness at the home base, strategic, operational, and tactical planning, a crucial event: the significant moment on May 19, and the initial grasp of the battlefield. Unfortunately, they suffered the loss of 11 men within a 2-week period.
Additionally, the discussion will explore the various facets of logistics and supply chain management essential for continuous operations. Special focus will be given to combining intelligence reports with real-time data to guide decision-making. The event will include expert panels that tackle the psychological strength of staff, underscoring the significance of mental resilience in challenging situations.
Episode 3: Actions on Contact
Establishing Security through Joint Security Stations and Combat Outposts: The Surge’s Impact and Evolving Battle SpaceThe introduction of Joint Security Stations (JSS) and combat outposts had been crucial in creating a more secure environment. By strategically placing these units, better coordination between local forces and coalition troops had been achieved, leading to improved security operation effectiveness.
The Surge, characterized by an influx of additional troops and resources, dramatically shifted the battle space. This increase in manpower and strategic assets allowed for more comprehensive coverage and a proactive approach to counterinsurgency.
Episode 4: Exploitation
Title: “Building Partnerships”
Family Impact Stories Progression
- Launching operations with the Forsen Al Rafai dan (FAR) initially posed challenges and rewards.
- The collaboration demanded meticulous planning and execution to align both sides towards the shared goal of stabilizing the region.
- This required regular meetings, transparent communication, and a mutual respect for each other’s capabilities and limitations.
- Through this joint effort, trust gradually developed, laying the groundwork for more efficient operations.
- As operations advanced, the partnership between FAR and the coalition transformed into a blueprint for other regions encountering similar obstacles.
- The insights gained from this collaboration were recorded and disseminated widely, influencing future endeavors in conflict resolution and community development.
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Episode 5: Pursuit
Title: “Turning the Tide”
An awesome display of support community spirit and unity, then Major Chip Daniels participated in a traditional MiddleEastern wedding. He aimed to establish a genuine connection by joining the dance floor, symbolizing the strengthening relationship between coalition forces and local inhabitants. This festive occasion emphasized the significance of cultivating trust and resilience within the community. Through improved collaboration between local leaders and coalition forces, the event showcased how cultural traditions can promote increased unity and mutual comprehension.
Episode 6: Consolidation and Reorganization
Title: “Coming Home”
Spanning from January 2008 to the present day, “Coming Home” explores the profound journey of returning soldiers as they transition from the front lines back to civilian life. And General Petraeus recognizes their new strategies and how they mapped out “new tactics for war engagement, “highlighting the evolving nature of modern warfare.
- Postproduction – FOR ENTIRE DOCUSERIES:
Editors are needed to help us reach the finish line. We estimate that $250,000 will be needed to finish this film. We would also like to film follow-up interviews.
Once complete, we will screen at multiple film festivals to connect to distributors. is to reach 1 million veterans and their families. Our mission is to create a film of lasting impact.
Resilience – A Docuseries, could potentially transform the mindsets of many in the civilian community. We want to bridge the gap between the unknown and unfamiliar to true understanding of the military and veteran community and experience on a deeper level. So much so, that many will become advocates in their own communities for Veterans.
When this film generates income, 22% will be given to all the nonprofits in the film, so that they all can continue to fight the fight and serve our nations’ heroes.
FILM HUB an online film distribute, will assist to ensure the film is on the following streaming platforms: (80/20)
Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku Channel, Plex TV, Tubi, TCL, Stash TV YouTube, Telus, and many more. The key is to market the film as well which requires funding as well.
An advertising/marketing budget to cast a wider net is approximately $1000.00/month.
We are grateful for the generous support of our sponsors:
