Project Description . Filmmakers

BLOOM CITY is a journey-based documentary that follows the trials and progress of two visionary brothers and 20,000 NYC kids in their efforts to change the landscape of New York City, one taxi at a time.

Continuing their use of art and poignant visual imagery for large-scale projects of social consequence (previous projects have included Nascar race cars, airplanes and the country’s largest passenger blimp), the Massey brothers, with the help of thousands upon thousands of NYC children in schools and hospitals, are aspiring to their largest canvas yet.

Beginning in September 2007 and until year's end, New York City was visually transformed, as the ubiquitous yellow icon became a mobile artistic canvas or -- "Garden in Transit." With thousands more adults volunteering to lend a hand for what Mayor Bloomberg describes as a "mammoth, once-in-a-lifetime effort," Garden In Transit may be the most ambitious community collaboration and public art project in the Nation’s history.

Ultimately, Bloom City is an examination of the transformative capacity of art, specifically public art, to address the realities of today’s complicated world. The film offers an unfiltered view of the practical realities of large scale creative endeavors and examines the intersection of creative vision, city politics, private and public sectors, unions, and ultimately money. “It cost 26 million to hang those orange sheets in Central Park?” asks one young woman. In asking how one prices the impact, transformation, and inspiration derived from public art, Bloom City challenges the audience to examine the purpose and need for art in the public and its effect on our communities and our world.

Full Business Plan and Project Description is available here

FILMMAKERS:

 CHRISTINA ALEXANDRA VOROS  - CO-DIRECTOR / DP

Christina Alexandra Voros is a Brooklyn-based director and cinematographer, recently recognized by IFP’s Filmmaker Magazine as one of their “25 New Faces in Independent Film.” The only member of her family not to be born in Hungary, Christina was raised in Cambridge, MA, where she later attended Harvard University. Her careers prior to filmmaking have included that of a stage actor, restaurateur and nationally-ranked saber fencer. The recipient of a Dean’s Fellowship at NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s Graduate Department of Film and Television, Christina was awarded a Graduate Assistantship in cinematography in 2006, teaching under Tony Jannelli- whom she has continued to assist on projects with Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese.

Her first documentary film, The Ladies, received a Gold Hugo at the 2007 Chicago International Film Festival and Grand Jury Prizes at Slamdance, GenArt, San Francisco International, Seattle International, Expression en Corto, Ojai and Edmonton International Film Festivals in 2008. The Ladies was also selected by Spike Lee from over 1000 entries as the Grand Prize winner of the international Babelgum Film Festival in 2009.

As a cinematographer Ms. Voros counts amongst her recent work Saturday Night(SXSW, Tribeca), Clerk's Tale (Cannes), and Herbert White (Sundance, Berlin)for director James Franco, as well as Let Freedom Sing, a documentary on the music of the Civil Rights movement, directed by Emmy award-winner Jon Goodman for PBS. Her current projects include the documentary portrait of Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle's newest film, 127 Hours, as well as the completion of Bloom City the verite adventure behind  the largest public arts project in the history of New York City. More about Christina Voros: www.christinavoros.com


SERGEI KRASIKOV  -  CO-DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Born in Belarus, Sergei Krasikov began his career in documentary storytelling as a journalist for his nation’s largest independent newspaper. Upon arriving in the US seeking political asylum in 2000, Mr. Krasikov apprenticed to German filmmaker Karola Ritter, (regular contributor to Maysles, Pennebaker and Barbara Kopple documentaries) on The Last Piece, a documentary feature on the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton. Covering the anti-war movement on Long Island, Sergei worked extensively with civil rights legend Bob Zellner. Later credits include several projects with Mohammed Naqvi, producing several highly successful short films (100+ festivals, over dozen awards), line producing several independent US and Russia-US co-production features for major Russian networks and studios. Current projects include 2 feature length documentaries - Bigger Than The Beatles, a verite doc capturing the spirit of Washington DC during the inauguration of Barak Obama and Jogini – Sex or Culture, a meditation on ritualized prostitution in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. More about Sergei Krasikau: www.kinoserge.com

MELANIE STEVENSON - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Melanie Stevenson is a New York City based not-for-profit professional. After graduating from Davidson College, she proudly served as part of the core team on the Garden in Transit project. During the project, Melanie  organized an event for families and survivors of 9/11 and played a central role in "Full Bloom Day" featured in the film. After the panels were removed from NYC's taxi fleet, Melanie coordinated their shipment and distribution to those in need of a little color and hope in New Orleans. 
Melanie is now a part of the business development team at DoSomething.org, one of the largest national organizations for young people and social change. Melanie works with corporate partners to fund and execute cause marketing campaigns that mobilize hundreds of thousands of youth to take action on causes they care about. In 2009, Melanie catalyzed a partnership between DoSomething.org and VH1 to produce and air the Do Something Awards, the premier award show honoring young people and celebrities that make the world a better place.
Melanie is passionate about creating a more joyful society through collaborative social action and socially responsible media. 

 TOM GRIFFIN - EDITOR

After graduating with a B.S. in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University, Tom worked extensively in the film and commercial world in both Chicago and Austin before moving to New York in 2002. Tom began his editing career with the award-winning Nadel Productions and went on to work with Grenade Editorial and EyePop Productions for such clients as Macy's, ESPN, Donna Karan, TLC and The New York Times Magazine. His award-winning documentary "School Play" is currently showing at film festivals internationally. His recent work includes the History Channel documentary "Sandhogs" about New York's urban miners and the narrative film "Homewrecker" winner of the Best of the NEXT at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.