Artikelen

Meet Trent. This talented film making Dutchie bares the title of our competition’s first ever “Green Film Maker of the Year“. And for good reason. Trent entered our 2012 Green Film Making Competition with not one, but two short film projects which he was aiming to produce with sustainability in mind. read more…

The world’s largest documentary film festival concluded on Dec. 1st, and we are so proud to have been a part in making it greener! Through hosting the first ever ‘Green Screen Day’ (photos here), we generated a program which explored the most sustainably minded documentaries of this year’s festival alongside feedback by related philosophers, specialists and scientists. We are also happy to have been a part of this year’s IDFAcademy festival workshops, as we were on hand to host two small Green Film Making sessions: one on sustainable leadership, and one on sustainable production (photos here). Thank you to all of those who contributed to make the IDFA a greener-minded festival; a truly noble success! We are already looking forward to growing greener for next year!

During our time in New York for Film Biz Recycling’s Eco-Expo, we were lucky enough to have met with a few inspiring green thinking film makers after the expo to see what they are doing to go sustainable. Meet sustainably minded Broadway Stages (“Flight of the Conchords“, and “The Good Shepard”) . Located on top of their Brooklyn soundstage location, is a 6,000 sq foot green roof on which an organic vegetable farm is growing: the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm . This roof top farm also boosts a title as the first-ever, year-round, fully operational organic rooftop garden in New York City! And, to top that, the roof houses nine chickens ( who move upstate for the winter) in their roof top koop…Sustainable trailblazing, indeed.

This project has generated a unique bridge and common space for both the media and sustainability sectors to co-exist. Though they do not manage the farm’s ongoings, Broadway Stages claims ownership, having provided the overhead costs necessary for the installation of the farm as well as it’s ongoing rent free space. And, it is clear that they do not shy away from highlighting the benefits of this project, on behalf of their social-corporate responsibility platform. Because of this they can proudly state that:

“Broadway Stages stands in support of its community, its neighbors and its businesses…it is committed to enhancing and remediating the communities in which its employees and neighbors live and work…. Urban regeneration is a practical approach to economic and neighborhood development by providing an infrastructure to support meaningful employment

and healthy living… Providing food for the community, improving the air, keeping buildings temperate and reducing stormwater run-off are just a few reasons that Broadway Stages has used rooftop farming as part of its approach to enhancing its facilities.”

But how does the farm sustain itself, and it’s activities financially?

Most steadily through donations ( Broadway Stages continues to donate the space), and public funding. More recently however, commercial interests in producing photoshoots and filmshoots at the stunning roof top location have come into fruition. Rumour has it that vogue just shot an editorial featuring Amber Heard there – it is easy to understand why, just look at the view…

Produce harvested from the garden is either sold at its onsite farmers market, or delivered via bike to local restaurants who purchase the food for their kitchen’s use. Farmers also take pride in the annual offering of popular house-made NYC hot sauces, having realized that a variety of chilli peppers are what grow best on “Broadway Stages” soil.

The urban farm is also able to offer farm-based education programs which are being taken full-advantage of by the neighborhood school children and broader community. These valuable educational offerings happen in part due to a partnership with established food educators “Growing Chefs”.

Volunteers also help to maintain and generate a lot of the roof programming, and are given small, end of season grants of appreciation. Fieldtrips offered to the volunteers also help to compliment a system of reciprocation as well as appreciation between the volunteers and the work they do for the larger roof top farm community.

To make all of these farm offerings more user-friendly to those interested, the roof is open to the public on Sundays between 1pm-4pm, during the growing season.

Fantastic work Broadway Stages, we love your green roof!

On Nov. 29th, enjoy the best documentaries from the festival’s 2013 ‘Green Screen’ program, as selected and hosted by our team. For the day, we have generated a program which explores the most sustainably minded documentaries of this year’s festival. Screenings include introductions as well as talk-backs by philosophers, specialists and scientists, and will take place between noon and 8 pm. Our speakers will focus on the important positives associated with sustainability and let’s face it – that is something which we can all benefit from. Check here for a closer look at the day’s program and for tickets.

On November 5th we will be participating in Film Biz Recycling‘s 2nd Annual Eco-Expo, in NYC! The event is born out of Hollywood’s Sustainable Production Movement and brings together businesses and entrepreneurs with new offerings to make responsible production easier and less expensive. Our team member, Pia Perez, has been invited to pitch our project on behalf of a more European perspective, and to discuss the future of our learned behaviours, accepted standards and how we all can win. Stick around after the event for discussion, networking, celebration! Are you going to be in NY too? Join us, find more info and R.S.V.P. here. Or just tell your American production buddies! See you on the other side of the pond!