Gabriela Ilie, PhD – Connect to Dr. Ilie Via Linkedln and X @GabrielaIDr. Our Newsletters can be accessed at the following Link.
Gabriela Ilie, PhD – Connect to Dr. Ilie Via Linkedln and X @GabrielaIDr. Our Newsletters can be accessed at the following Link.
What does it mean to truly live, even when life feels uncertain?
Watch clips from the premieres: www.pcpep.org/empower
Film Festivals
Empower received Best Documentary at the Mosaic International Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the CineHealth Film Festival.
Empower is a moving and intimate documentary that follows four cancer survivors and the creators of the Patient Empowerment Program (PEP). More than a film, it is a story of resilience, humanity, and community. It shows how simple daily practices—such as movement, nutrition, mindfulness, emotional healing, and connection—can transform lives during and after cancer.
Through honest conversations, lived experiences, and real-world healing journeys, Empower highlights the strength of the human spirit and the profound impact of empowering patients from the moment of diagnosis.
About the Film
Empower is a John Drew Media and Ahoy! Productions documentary about courage, healing, and the choice to embrace life in the face of adversity.
THE STORY
Through the intimate journeys of four cancer survivors, including Melanie Smith and John Underhill, CD, KC, the film reveals how people can rise from a life-changing diagnosis with strength, hope, and joy. All four are graduates of the Patient Empowerment Program (PEP). Each turned their greatest challenges into opportunities for transformation, showing us that healing is about more than medicine. It is about reclaiming purpose, love, and connection.
THE CREATORS
The story also follows the creators of PEP:
Dr. Gabriela Ilie, Frank and Debbi Sobey Endowed Soillse Scientist in Cancer Quality of Life Research, Dalhousie University
Dr. Rob Rutledge, Oncologist, Associate Professor of Medicine at Dalhousie University, Clinical Lead of the PEP Programs
Together, they created a program that changes lives. With simple, practical daily tools such as movement, nutrition, mindfulness, sleep, love, forgiveness, and authentic connection, PEP helps people live with intention, resilience, and joy.
THE HEART OF EMPOWER
At its core, Empower is about resilience, humanity, and the extraordinary impact of community and connection. It’s about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, bridging the gap between life inside and outside the clinic. It is a tribute to the strength we all have within us, and the transformative power of love, presence, and daily action. The documentary also celebrates the power of philanthropy, showing how collective generosity can change lives and offer hope to those navigating the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. Empower invites you to reflect, feel inspired, and take action in your own life, to live more fully, love more deeply, and recognize that even in the face of life’s greatest challenges, we can choose empowerment.
Premiere
Empower, premiered at Dalhousie University, May 4, 2025, Joseph Strung Concert Hall, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Here are a few image highlights from the evening.
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From the Big Screen to the Heart – A Scene from the Dalhousie Debut
Meet the Team
Dr. Rob Rutledge, Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist, Associate Professor of Medicine at Dalhousie University, and co-founder of the PEP programs (PCPEP.org, CancerPEP.com, PictouCountyPEP.org), Dr. Rutledge has spent over 30 years supporting people facing cancer diagnoses. His compassionate, humanistic approach to care inspired the creation of this program — and this film.
Dr. Gabriela Ilie, Scientist
Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine’s Endowed Soillse Scientist in Prostate Cancer Quality of Life Research and co-creator of the PEP programs (PCPEP.org, CancerPEP.com, PictouCountyPEP.org). Dr. Ilie’s dedication to evidence-based, whole-person care and her expertise in psychosocial oncology helped bring this vision to life.
J. Drew McQuinn – Director and Co-Producer/ Documentary Filmmaker / Television Editor
Drew J. McQuinn is a documentary filmmaker and television editor based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is the co-producer and director of Empowered: The Patient Empowerment Program, created in partnership with Edward Boyce of AHOY! Productions. The film shares the inspiring stories behind the PEP program. Drew’s passion lies in video editing for television and telling authentic stories that uplift people and promote positive change. Empowered is his first documentary and has sparked a deep love for documentary filmmaking. A former banker turned filmmaker, Drew’s background blends environmental advocacy, outdoor activity, and a love of storytelling.
Edward Boyce – Co-Producer/ Documentary Filmmaker/ Director of Ahoy! Productions
Edward Boyce is the Director of Ahoy! Productions and an independent documentary filmmaker who has been working in film and video for 25 years. He is the co-producer of Empowered: The Patient Empowerment Program alongside J. Drew McQuinn. Some career highlights include having a short film in competition at The Sundance Film Festival, shooting a feature documentary in Malawi, and being a longtime camera person for renowned meditation teacher Pema Chodron. Eddie is a lifelong surfer, skateboarder and snowboarder, and at 51 he’s still chasing those few fleeting moments of effortless style that he’s lucked into along the way.
Why This Film Matters
- For the individual: reminder of inner strength.
- For the family: love and connection through hardship.
- For society: a call to humanize healthcare.
What Reviewers Are Saying
“It left me feeling joyous about the possibility of an enlightened approach to cancer treatment becoming a reality.”
Gary R. Renard, Best-selling author of The Disappearance of the Universe
“This film should be required viewing in every medical school.”
NS Health Physician
“Watching Empower deeply moved me in ways I didn’t expect… It reminds us that true recovery isn’t just about medicine—it’s about connection, empowerment, and being seen.”
Anita Moorjani, NYT Best-selling Author, Cancer Survivor
“It tapped into all my emotions — tears, laughter, fear, and love… a groundbreaking idea that healing includes more than medicine.”
Colleen Jones, CBC Broadcaster
“A deeply human film that moved me to tears. It reminds us of the strength that comes from vulnerability — and the healing that begins when we are seen.”
Festival Reviewer
“This is what healthcare needs. Connection. Compassion. A model of true patient-centred care.”
Hospital Foundation Leader
Partner with Us
We believe Empower is more than a film. It is a tool for change. If you represent a hospital foundation, cancer centre, community health organization, or media platform, we invite you to join us:
- Host a private screening
- Share the film with your community (privately, while in festival consideration)
- Interview the creators or participants
- Sponsor the Patient Empowerment Program in your community
- Pilot our digital app version of the program
To explore partnership opportunities or schedule an info session, please email info@cancerpep.com.
bcpep.org 