About the filmmaker

Jess Phillimore (Producer/Director)

Jess Phillimore is a freelance filmmaker who has been working with The Gaia Foundation and the African Biodiversity Network since 2009. Previous short films produced with Gaia and ABN include The Kamburu Story (Kenya) and Reviving Our Culture, Mapping Our Future (Venda, South Africa). Having studied Genetics at the University of Edinburgh, Jess developed an interest in the reality of genetically modified seed and agri-business in the global south. It was out of this collaborative work and interest, and the inspiring Climate, Seeds & Knowledge (CSK) learning exchange which took place in Ethiopia at the close of 2010, that Seeds of Freedom emerged.

As a script-writer, cameraman, editor and producer, Jess oversees the whole of the filmmaking process and works closely with Gaia and ABN to craft the final results.

Jess has also worked on programmes for the BBC including the flagship science strand, Horizon. All of his work can be viewed on his vimeo page. View on Vimeo

The Supporting Team

Jason Taylor - Filmmaker and Photographer

Jason is a freelance filmmaker, photographer and activist. He is passionate about social and ecological justice, and through film he seeks to communicate critical issues in a way which captures wide and diverse audiences. His film Freedom of Food and the Golden Temple is a great example. In it, he depicts how a well run, community-led food system can feed thousands. The hustle and bustle of the Golden Temple lunchtime run is set against a popular DJ Shadow track and you can’t help but love the cinematography in this 2 minute film.

Jason currently lives in Goa, India and much of his work focuses on farming, food and seed in India. Having built a relationship with The Gaia Foundation, Jason kindly shared his wonderful footage of India for use in the film. All of the Indian footage you see in the film has come from Jason. Check out the Source Project to see more of his work.

With thanks to…

We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of those who were involved in the production or post production of the film:

Damien Prestidge for his additional camera work in Ethiopia and for his stills photography which you will see peppered across this website.

Camila Cardenosa for the colourful graphics which chapterise the film.

Eduard Vijulie for his re-workings of the film into Spanish, French, Portuguese and Romanian. The latter of which he kindly provided as a gift and narrated himself as this is his mother tongue.

Florina Tudose who interned with The Gaia Foundation in the months leading up to the release of the film and worked closely with the filmmaker. Florina dedicated huge amounts of time and energy into research, liaising with interviewees and developing the first phase of the website ready for launch.