CSV Documentary Film

FILM: VILLAGE OF HOPE
A DOCUMENTARY FILM BY MAYA VERZONILLA

DIRECTOR: MAYA VERZONILLA

Maya Verzonilla is the founder of Center for Sustainable Villages. www.sustainablevillages.org Verzonilla is also a visionary, artist, filmmaker, entrepreneur and environmentalist. She has studied filmmaking with several award-winning directors and was co-director of the documentary film Women and Love. Verzonilla is currently relocating to an eco-village near Asheville, NC.

Inspired by her long term friendship with Dr. Susan Andrews, the founder of the groundbreaking Future Vision Eco-village in Brazil, Verzonilla decided to create the documentary film Village of Hope as a testament to our planet's growing need for a more earth-friendly culture. She believes that creating eco-villages is an important step in combating global warming and our dependency on fossil fuels. More importantly, Verzonilla believes eco-villages serve as vital links in creating a more sustainable planet.

CO-DIRECTOR: HANNA ELIAS

Hanna Elias is an award-winning feature film director and documentary filmmaker. He was born in Jerusalem and graduated from the University of California Los Angeles Film School in 1991. He has directed several short films, including The Mountain (1992). In 1997, he directed and produced the children's television program Sesame Street in Palestine. From 1998-1999, he worked for the United Nations on a series of promotional films on women in Palestine.

Recently, Elias worked with the Skoll Foundation on the Gandhi Project in the Palestinian Territories. The initiative promotes the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, by showing the epic film Gandhi in cities, villages and refugee camps throughout the Palestinian Territories. The movie was dubbed into Arabic by Elias. He is the director of the award-winning film The Olive Harvest and is currently working on a new feature film. www.theoliveharvest.com

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: RADHA NILIA

Radha Nilia is an actress, director and producer. She began her career in film and entertainment as a young teenager when she became a model and actress in Manila, Philippines. After returning to the United States, she decided to take charge of her own destiny by going to Hollywood to work in the film industry. Now, five years later, she has multiple titles to her credit, including actress, model, and producer.

Nilia graduated from Southern Oregon University's producer program in 2004. Shortly thereafter, she created her first documentary film Women and Love. This was followed by producing 3 more Hollywood films distributed at Blockbuster and other video outlets throughout the world. She grew up amidst the wild and scenic beauty of the Siskiyou mountains of Southern Oregon and has a strong passion for the environment. Nilia believes that combating global warming and living a more healthy lifestyle is vitally important to insure a sustainable future for all of us. Hence, creating films with an environmental message is a natural expression of her many talents. www.radhanilia.net

WRITER: ROAR RAMESH BJONNES

Roar Ramesh Bjonnes is the co-founder of Center for Sustainable Villages. He has been active in the environmental movement since the early 70s. In 1974, together with two fellow students, he co-founded a course in organic farming that has since grown to become a noted institution promoting organic agriculture in Europe.

Bjonnes is a freelance journalist, columnist, and former editor of the environmental magazine Common Future and contributing editor of New Renaissance, UK. He is the author of Integral Solutions to Poverty, published in the United Nation's sponsored Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems. He has published numerous articles on ecology and culture in books, magazines and newspapers in the US and Europe.

MUSIC SUPERVISOR: AYVEE VERZONILLA

Ayvee Verzonilla is an author, actress, musician, and producer. She made her debut in the film industry as a songwriter, and shortly thereafter became Head of Music and Development for Nu-Lite Entertainment in Hollywood, CA. She managed several projects while working with the company.

Verzonilla graduated from the prestigious American Musical Theater Artist Institute Program in 2002. Her music graced the big screen on the score of the film Crossover (2006). As a writer, she recently published her first novel, Color of the Cross, an in-depth psychological narrative based on the feature film, with the same title, and distributed by FOX.