Generative AI Engineer Amir Damascus
BIO
Amir Damascus (formerly Joel Plue) — President & CEO of Amir Damascus Entertainment LLC — is a film producer, writer, and multimedia entrepreneur whose career spans performance, independent film production, and emerging media technologies. Starting as a child performer in New York City, Amir’s early work in stand-up—under the guidance of his mother, director/writer Lori Kelly-Bailey—laid a foundation in storytelling and stagecraft that continues to influence his work behind the camera.
Early Career and Performance
Amir’s professional career commenced at age nine, performing his mother’s comedy routines for adult audiences before quickly advancing into the New York comedy circuit with performances at Carolines, Catch a Rising Star, and NY Comedy Club. Between the ages of nine and thirteen, he toured with Comic Relief 8 and served as a national spokesman and youth ambassador for the Arthritis Foundation. In response to the events of September 11, Amir and his mother initiated the “Focus on Freedom” grassroots benefit tour, traveling from New York to Florida in a single 2001 Ford Focus wagon to raise funds and awareness for the families of fallen first responders; this effort garnered featured coverage on MTV’s TRL.
Film Production and Writing
Transitioning into feature film, Amir has collaborated extensively with Lori Kelly-Bailey as a writer, producer, and actor. Their co-written screenplay, Silent But Deadly (2008; released in 2011), featured notable talents like Jason Mewes, William Sadler, and Jordan Prentice. In 2010, Amir secured his first six-figure production investment for Mineville, a period drama exploring the rise and decline of iron ore mining in Upstate New York; the film starred Paul Sorvino and William Sadler and was co-executive produced by Jason Mewes.
Amir’s production credits encompass a variety of independent shorts and features across genres. In 2018, he produced Garrow, a true-crime feature about Robert Garrow that earned substantial regional attention and sold out screenings across the North Country. More recent work includes the short The Red Death—an adaptation of Poe’s Masque of the Red Death—and the feature A Roadhouse Coup, a dramatic exploration of Prohibition-era crime and the life of Eva Coo.
Amir Damascus Entertainment
As President and CEO of Amir Damascus Entertainment, Amir leads a boutique multimedia company producing creative film and animation projects, along with commercial and publishing initiatives. The company’s portfolio includes regional commercial work (such as Five Star Subaru and North Road Soap), independent features currently in development, and recent publishing projects like Jacob and the Gnome. Amir is actively developing multiple full-length features slated for production in spring 2027, including I’m Sorry I Was Drunk (starring Bulent Gurcan) and Gilded, a contemporary dark romantic fable exploring power, desire, and consequence.
Industry & Technical Expertise.
Amir combines creative storytelling with technical fluency, drawing on his expertise as a Generative AI Engineer to incorporate AI and VFX workflows that streamline production, post, and creative development. This hybrid skill set propels the company’s approach to cost-effective, tech-forward storytelling and commercial production, particularly in the evolving landscape of film Otsego.
Healthcare Leadership & Community Work
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amir temporarily transitioned to healthcare operations, managing Woodside Hall, an adult care facility in Cooperstown. Under his leadership, the facility completed its first pandemic year without a single resident COVID case—an achievement recognized in local coverage by the Freeman’s Journal in March 2021. This period strengthened Amir’s operational and crisis-management skills while shaping his collaborative leadership style.
Education
Amir holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Ashworth College and a Graduate Certificate in the same discipline from Columbia Southern University. He is currently pursuing his MSHA through Columbia Southern University as well.
Approach & Vision
Amir Damascus uniquely melds a producer’s pragmatism with a storyteller’s appetite for bold ideas. His work is anchored in character and regional stories, coupled with a willingness to blend practical production solutions with imaginative, genre-bending narratives. He is dedicated to championing local crews and talent while seeking festival visibility and commercial partnerships that broaden audience reach.
Supportive links
Under prior name Joel Plue
New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/05/nyregion/at-11-stand-up-comic-hones-his-delivery.html
allotsego (Hometown Oneonta / Freeman's Journal) https://www.allotsego.com/at-woodside-hall-not-one-covid-case-in-year/
https://www.allotsego.com/iron-string-welcomes-new-sales-agent/
