Career
He is the creator of the Home Box Office Canada documentary television series Sports On Fire.
He is the creator of the Home Box Office Canada documentary television series Sports On Fire.
He is best known for directing the Academy Award short-listed documentary Facing Ali and the Leacock Award-nominated novel Understanding Ken. Chiarelli won multiple awards and was nominated for a Genie Award for her role as Grace McKinley, a woman suffering from schizophrenia. The film was narrated by Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey. In October 2009, the film won the Audience Choice award for Best Documentary at the Vancouver International Festival. Whirlygirl, 2006, directed by Academy Award Winning producer Jim Wilson (Dances With Wolves) The Blue Butterfly, 2004, directed by Léa Pool and starring Academy Award winner William Hurt. Renowned jazz musician and two-time Juno Award winner Brad Turner played the trumpet solo on the opening track “Stay With Maine.” In 2009, he contributed the closing song to the Academy Award-shortlisted documentary, Facing Ali, which he also directed.
Paul Hyde of Payola$ fame, and members of Spirit of the West, Geoffrey Kelly, Hugh MacMillan and drummer and producer Vince Ditrich played on the Civil Defense.
