SYNOPSIS

​Health and educational outcomes in low-income areas across America are staggering low. Stephen Ritz, a Bronx educator, is on a mission to change all that. He developed an incredibly successful indoor gardening curriculum that allows children to grow vegetables in the classroom, helping them eat better, be more engaged with school and give them pathways for jobs. But the question is, would this program work outside of the Bronx?

We took the journey of making this film to find out. With the help of Anthem, Green Bronx Machine was given the opportunity to expand around the country, in places like Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, to children from 3rd grade to high school, from rural to urban, from special needs children to fostered youth. The answer was an emphatic yes, as students from all the schools we followed embraced and thrived with the curriculum, were more engaged in the classroom and had fun doing it. The ambition, for the film and for Stephen, is that the expansion will continue to bring hope, health and opportunity to those communities and students who need it the most.

Main Subject

STEPHEN RITZ
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​Founder, Green Bronx Machine

Stephen Ritz is a South Bronx educator / administrator who believes that students shouldn’t have to leave their community to live, learn, and earn in a better one. Moving generations of students into spheres of personal and academic successes which they had never imagined — while reclaiming and rebuilding the Bronx — Stephen’s extended student and community family have grown more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables in the Bronx while generating extraordinary academic performance. 

Full Bio: Link
Website: www.stephenritz.com
Green Bronx Machine: www.greenbronxmachine.org

Our Schools

Below are the six schools that the documentary follows across the country.

Holy Angels Catholic School
Indianapolis, IN

Ms. Cress / 3rd Grade

MLK Jr. Academy for Boys
Toledo, OH

Mr. McDaniel & Mr. McKinley / 3rd Grade

Moores Hill Elementary
Moores Hill, IN

Mr. Lee / 5th Grade

P.S. 721X
The Bronx, NY

Mr. Kottkamp / Work Study Class

Marshall STEMM
Toledo, OH

Ms. Poland / 6th Grade

Stepping Stones
​Wayne County, WV

Susan Fry / Executive Director
​Lynn Stevens / Care Coordinator

FILMMAKERS

MU SUN
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Director/Producer

Mu Sun is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker whose work encompasses national TV commercials and award-winning short films. Born in China, but raised all around the world, his international upbringing has contributed to his diverse set of influences on his work. 

He has directed six short films that have played over 80+ film festivals worldwide. As a commercial director, he has produced content for 50+ multinational clients, including Bacardi USA, Rosetta Stone, Hyundai and Dannon. His commercial “Seeing John Stamos” starring John Stamos aired nationally in the US for over six months. Generation Growth is his first feature documentary.
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Website: www.musun1.com

BODHI ELFMAN

​Producer

Bodhi Elfman is the son of acclaimed filmmaker, Richard Elfman and has been involved in the entertainment world his entire life. Growing up in a filmmaking family, he’s produced, written, directed and been involved in almost every area of production. A veteran actor, Bodhi has appeared in over 100 prominent film and television shows. 
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In 2012, Elfman and his wife, Jenna, started their podcast, Kicking and Screaming which has since become the #1 marriage podcast.

BEN MILES

​Editor

Ben Miles was born and raised on the East Coast, and attended Ithaca College's Roy H. Park School of Communications. He moved to Puerto Rico to produce videos on cruise ships and later relocated to Los Angeles in search of dry land and post production opportunities. His editorial work runs the gamut from commercial and branded content to theatrical trailers and non-fiction work. Growing up around music and running a disc jockey business for many years, he has a penchant for audio and sound design which he loves incorporating into his edits. He hopes to continue to create projects that help promote positive change in this current climate.

Website: www.meetbenmiles.com

COURTNEY QUIRIN
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Story Producer

Courtney Quirin is a wildlife biologist turned documentary filmmaker and journalist. She directed and produced, GUARDIAN, a feature documentary that grapples with the erosion of science in Canada. The film won Best Documentary Feature at the SFIndie Fest and the Audience Choice Award at the Eugene Environmental Film Festival. 

She has a Master’s in Wildlife Management from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and a Master’s of Journalism and Documentary Film from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Her thesis film, The Georgia Girl, won the 2015 CINE Golden Eagle Award for Best Student Documentary and the Margaret and William Hearst Award for Excellence in Documentary Film.
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Website: www.courtneyquirin.com

TERUHISA YOSHIDA
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Cinematographer

Teruhisa Yoshida was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, and obtained his BFA in Film & Television with a Cinematography Emphasis from Chapman University. Teru made his debut as an international cinematographer for Strawberry Cliff (2010), which was nominated for the “New Currents Award” at the Pusan International Film Festival.

He has worked in the US and internationally, including shooting a music video for Doda, the top pop artist in Poland. The video, XXX, won “The Music Video of the Year” at the 2012 VIVA Comet Awards. His was also a digital cinematographer for one of the most commercially successful video game franchises of all time, Resident Evil. On Resident Evil 5 and 6, he was one of the first cinematographers who operated a virtual camera that records live motion tracking, which was a similar technology used to film Avatar.

In 2016, he shot a feature film entitled Alien Code, starring Kyle Gallner (Outsiders), and  worked as a camera operator on I’m Not Here, starring Oscar winner, J.K. Simmons.
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Website: www.terudop.com

GAVIN KEESE
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Original Music

Gavin Keese is a composer for film, television, and video games. Drawing from a diverse musical background, he creates a unique sound for each of his scores, often by developing innovative blends of ethnic styles, orchestra, and electronica.

Gavin’s recent projects include a Cambodian-themed score for the feature In the Life of Music and a sci-fi score for the film What Lies Below. He has also contributed additional music to Blindspot, Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Outlander, and The Walking Dead. 

Website: www.gavinkeese.com