Filmmaker Bios

Producer / Director: Shelley Rogers

Shelley Rogers grew up in rural East Tennessee. Shelley has a Master’s degree in Media, Culture, and Communication from New York University and a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Smith College. She has worked as a freelance Assistant Director/Assistant Camera on several independent film productions in New York City and has served as a production intern at the Media Education Foundation and in GOOD Magazine’s web video department. You can also check out Video Production Services near me . “What’s ‘Organic’ About Organic?” was inspired by Shelley’s study with seasoned documentary filmmakers, George Stoney and Lora Hays, and her interest in food politics, public health, and environmental stewardship. She believes it is our social responsibility as citizens in a democracy to stand up for our right to live in a healthy environment and have access to diverse, independent media. She maintains an urban existence in NYC by growing vegetables on her fire escape and composting her kitchen scraps.

Producer: Emily Triantaphyllis

Emily Triantaphyllis grew up in rural Iowa, eating fresh vegetables and fruits from her family’s garden. After receiving a social work degree, Emily traveled to Malawi to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching community-based organizations in areas, including HIV/AIDS prevention, crop rotation, and even permaculture techniques. She currently attends The New School University’s Master’s Program in Media Studies. She aims to work on films that promote social change and ultimately bring humanity closer together. Emily hopes to have her own subsistence farm one day.

Co-Producers: Beth Morrissey & Marty Mesh

Beth Morrissey is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where she majored in anthropology. She got her first foothold in film making as an intern at DCTV. When she isn’t working on WHAT’S ORGANIC ABOUT ORGANIC? she’s bouncing around the presidential campaign trail with Purple States TV. She is also a food enthusiast, spending much of her free time flipping through recipe books and wandering through farmers’ markets. This film represents the perfect marriage of her two favorite topics: food and politics.

Marty Mesh started his career as an organic farmer. His other talents soon took precedence, however, and he now serves as an advocate for organic farmers throughout the world. Filmmaking has been a new venture for him, but from the first day Shelley interviewed him, he has been an invaluable resource to WHAT’S ORGANIC ABOUT ORGANIC? Indeed, he has volunteered countless hours of advice and input, because he feels that there is great potential for the film to empower and inspire audiences to support organic agriculture, improved community food systems, and social justice.

Editors: Emily Paine, Michael Arginsky

Emily Paine has been a feature film and documentary editor for over 20 years. She has edited numerous cable and independent documentaries, one of which won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject Documentary in 2001. She views the skills of feature and documentary film editing as mutually beneficial as both are devoted to “telling the story.”

Michael Arginsky has spent over 10 years in film production and post-production. Michael was a senior assistant editor at Consulate Ltd., a New York-based editorial house, before coming to this project. He and his family try to eat and live as sustainably as possible in Brooklyn, NY.

Directors of Photography: Sean Williams, Antonio Cisneros et al

Sean Williams has been making films since age 17. He recently shot Ronald Bronstein’s Frownland, which received a Special Jury Award at SXSW 2007 and was named 2007 Gotham Awards’ “Best Film Not Playing at a Theatre Near You.” Sean currently works as an archivist at Maysles Films, and often goes on shoots alongside Albert Maysles as additional camera operator.

Antonio Cisneros is a New York based cinematographer and documentary photographer originally from San Antonio, Texas. His interest is to create social documentary work in both still and motion photography. Antonio was recently graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts Film and Television where he majored in Cinematography and Documentary Production.

Composer: Brad Bennett

Brad Bennett has being writing and performing music for over 20 years. As a rock musician, Mr. Bennett has toured nationally opening for a variety of groups such as Andrew Bird, The Hold Steady, Okkervil River, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. He has written (and performed) songs from a number of albums and EPs released by independent labels. In 2005, he wrote the world’s first choose-your-own-adventure rock opera, which debuted at the Wexner Center for the Arts. More recently, Mr. Bennett was chosen to play guitar in the orchestra for Glenn Branca’s Symphony 13 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Creative Consultant: George James

With George James’ extensive music and media production experience, he assisted the post-production crew of  WHAT’S ‘ORGANIC’ ABOUT ORGANIC? with creative decisions, including editing and musical score.  His consideration of the overall impact of projects infuses his sensibility and helps streamline editorial choices.  George’s personal commitment to animal welfare and experience in training horses made his contribution even more heart-felt and candid.

Graphic Design & Animation: Georg Pedersen

Georg Pedersen is a graphic artist living in Brooklyn. He has made websites, posters, and animations for clients as diverse as New York University, Bain & Company, SmartHoneymoon.com, and Harry and the Potters. He is currently working on a website focusing on local options for sustainable living.

Animation: Nancy Wei

Nancy Wei lived the first 10 years of her life in Taiwan and the next decade in the Dominican Republic, where she watched at least 10 hours of cartoons everyday because it was the only thing on TV she could understand. From there, she moved to New York to further explore her love interest in design and animation, and graduated from Parsons the New School for Design after 4 years of classes in Design & Technology. Now she is working in a variety of animation projects including children’s book animation and an opening sequence for news in DaAiTV. Nancy is learning everything she currently knows about organic food and farming from this film, and is now aware and purchasing organic milk and organic cage-free hen eggs.

Interns: Theresa Scott, Rashad Wright

Theresa Scott is a film student who has been interested in filmmaking since she “remade” Indiana Jones when she was eleven years old. She has made numerous short films since, but WHAT’S ORGANIC ABOUT “ORGANIC?” is her first feature length documentary. She is excited to be involved in a project that tells the story of the growing organic food movement.

Rashad Wright has an A.A.S in Television Production from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and a B.A. in Film Production from Brooklyn College. Before joining WOAO team, he worked with Big Fan Productions, Both Barrel Productions, and the Speaking Channel. Samples of his work can be found at www.Str8Beastin.com. Rashad is a native of Laurelton, Queens, N.Y.