Chicago Film Office is hosting a virtual event “Chicago Green: Sustainability Practices in Film/TV Production” on March 18, 2021 from 1:00PM-2:00PM EST.
A panel discussion with sustainability experts focused on environmentally friendly practices in Film and TV production.
About this Event:
The Chicago Film Office presents a conversation focused on sustainability in production. We will be joined by sustainability experts who are working on and off set to educate and empower others across the Film and TV industry.
More on our speakers:
Megan Conway, Delta Institute
As Senior Programs Associate, Megan Conway manages programs primarily in Delta Institute’s Waste Reduction and Resilient Communities initiative areas. Megan came to Delta in 2015, and prior to joining the programmatic team, Megan worked on Delta’s Finance and HR team. Megan holds a B.A. in Art History from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and an M.S. in Public Service Management with a graduate certificate in Metropolitan Planning and Development from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Megan is passionate about reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, particularly construction and demolition debris and food waste, and working to help Midwest communities thrive.
Michael Kaliski, Good Planet Innovation
Founder of Good Planet Innovation, a leading production sustainability consulting company and B Corp, Michael and his team are helping the entertainment and advertising production industries pivot to regenerative and healthy practices, both in terms of physical production as well as within the content itself. Michael is the Co-Founder of Green the Bid, a grassroots initiative providing resources and community to shift the advertising industry to regenerative practices. Michael is also on the West Board of Association of Independent Commercial Producers and is currently on the AICP Sustainability and Workplace Safety Guidelines committees.
Emilie O'Brien, Earth Angel
Emellie O’Brien (EOB) is the Founder & CEO of Earth Angel, the leading sustainable production service provider in the U.S. A pioneer of the sustainable filmmaking movement, she has worked with over 50 major motion pictures and television series to reduce their environmental impact as well as their budget since 2011. Recent clients include the Emmy and Golden Globe winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Spielberg’s Oscar nominated film The Post. Her sustainability leadership on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 contributed to it being acclaimed as “the most eco-friendly blockbuster in Sony Pictures’ history.” EOB holds a BFA in Film & Television from NYU, is a Climate Reality Corps Leader, an inaugural Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alum, and 2018 Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 Rising Star. She also sits on the board of Young Entertainment Activists and the Production Initiatives Association.
Hannah Soto, Grey House Productions
A natural leader with a sixth sense for networking, Hannah Soto founded Grey House Productions in 2014 with the belief that great production is a blend of logistics and hospitality. Since then, Grey House has partnered with Fortune 100 brands all over the world, their clients include Apple, The International Olympic Committee, The Coca-Cola Company, and Marriott International. Beyond Grey House, Hannah is the founder of Harbor Media, Grey House’s sister company providing resources and services to the production industry; co-founder of the Forward Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women-owned startups, and a proud member of Green The Bid. Hannah started getting serious about leading the way in sustainable productions in early 2019, continuing that commitment throughout COVID-safe productions as well. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Hannah lives in Chicago with her husband and their 13-year old rescue dog, Paisley.
Moderated by John Hundrieser, Chicago Film Office:
John Hundrieser is policy analyst and project coordinator for the Chicago Film Office, a division of the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. He graduated from DePaul University where he studied Political Science. John acquired a passion for Film/TV from a very young age and has continued to develop his skills and knowledge through academia, professional development, and hands-on/set experience, whether in front of the camera or behind it. His film school was working as an assistant in production on Christopher's Nolans The Dark Knight for two years. John is a native Chicagoan where he currently resides, after spending the better part of decade in Los Angeles, where he continued to build his skills and network. In 2019 John produced an award-winning short film, Just My Type and two well received stage productions that made a splash on the local storefront theatre scene here in Chicago (Richard Dresser's Below the Belt and Eric Bogosian's Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead). He is currently in-production on a feature film.
Link to Livestream on YouTube: