The Green Revolution Just Got Cool: Jesse Ash Brings the Environment to the Screen

Jesse Ash is no ordinary filmmaker. An affable, emerging artist in New York City, Jesse is unassuming about his talents. A recent Tisch graduate, Jesse showed his filmmaking prowess early on, having won awards and getting screened remarkably early in a promising career. He won a Webby award for his animated short “Magical Cure,” which is based on the true story of losing his father and aunt to cancer. His short films “Icebox Blues” and “Breathe Easy” have been screened at the Rubin Museum of Art. “Icebox” also opened for Hitchcock’s “To Catch A Thief” at the Brooklyn Bridge Park “Movies with A View” series. In April 2008 he directed the Tribeca Talks series at the Tribeca Film Festival, featuring Robert De Niro, Chaz Palminteri, Mike Figgis, Melvin Van Peebles, and other Hollywood heavyweights.

His credentialed background gave Jesse the impetus to move into an area he was truly passionate about: the environment. The amount of controversy surrounding this field remains at its zenith – climate change, carbon emissions, environmental degradation, deforestation and animal cruelty remain the bedrock of contentious, sometimes scandal-plagued, debates on a national and global level.  But Jesse, who is vegetarian, has risen above the noise through the visual medium. His films have focused on a variety of issues, from a campaign about the environmental impact of our food choices (“Farm Sanctuary” voiced by actor Jason Schwartzman), to profiling sustainable initiatives in the South Bronx.

To facilitate his growing repertoire of eco-friendly and development-themed films, Jesse joined Greener Media in 2009. With a client list growing, Jesse answers a few of our questions and sheds light on what truly motivates him.

1. What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I got the filmmaking urge when I was in high school after getting inspired through some classic film & broadcast journalism classes. My dad purchased me a video camcorder to try it all out.

At that time I didn’t have editing software, so I had to film my projects in sequence. The transition from fiction to non-fiction filmmaking took place later on after working at a small production company and realizing that my passion was to tell stories that would inspire change in the world.

2. Why are your films focused on environmental and green themes?

My business partner and I are passionate environmentalists who care deeply about nature & helping preserve the planet for future generations. When I joined Greener Media in 2009, it just made sense for us as a company to focus on projects that we cared about, whether it was a local non-profit focused on environmental justice issues in the South Bronx or working with an international group such as Greenpeace Australia to educate people about coal industry financing. The more awareness we can bring to audiences about this subject, the more likely we are to assist with positive changes that reduce our footprint on the planet and protect the planet’s flora & fauna. Our work also spans social causes as well: Cancer, Personal Health, Poverty, Volunteerism. “Green” to us goes beyond the traditional environmental stereotype.

3. How do you view the current state of environment-conscious public relations and messaging? Do you think it has become mainstream with a mass audience built in? 

There is a lot of green washing going on, and a lot of big companies trying to take advantage of the hot trend to go green. There are a number of large corporations such as Walmart and Proctor & Gamble that are taking serious steps and making big commitments to shift their supply chain practices, but many others are using words such as all-natural and eco-friendly to try to appeal the conscious consumer without truly living up to these claims. Overall the green products & services industry is growing in the billions, and so there is definitely a push for it to become mainstream, but I don’t think we’re there just yet. With the international and domestic economy in its current state the bottom line is still more important than the triple bottom line for most consumers and corporations.

4. What obstacles have you seen professionally as a filmmaker? As one focused on an eco-conscious theme? 

Our biggest challenge especially as eco & socially conscious filmmakers is trying to affect positive change without being too preachy. A project’s visibility and viral factor are dependent upon a mass audience enjoying & wanting to share the story. I’d say most people don’t want to hear the world is coming to an end and share that with their friends online or off. People want to be their own boss, and be empowered if they are moved by the many issues facing the world today. So our goal is to tell powerful stories that will connect with larger audiences and help impact positive change.

5. Where do you see the green industry headed? Is film and the creative medium going to be a big part of it?

In the ideal world, the green industry is headed to a place where “green” is no longer needed to define us. Realistically though as the world’s resources become more and more limited, manufacturers and the products we are consuming are going to have be created with their holistic lifecycle in mind from what it takes to create the product to its disposal. Externalizing costs to the environment isn’t going to last for much longer, as we’ve already seen Europe put a price tag on carbon. Film and the creative medium are going to continue to play a huge part in this shift, both non-fiction and fiction will drive this awareness. Whether its through docs like Food Inc. and An Inconvenient Truth or features like Avatar and The Day After Tomorrow, powerful “green” stories well told are going to continue the movement into the future.

You can find more information on Jesse and Greener Media at: http://greenermedia.com/

 - Sheheryar Sardar,* The BroadStreet Times