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Bullfrog Films is the oldest and largest publisher of videos and films
about the environment in the United States. Founded in 1973 it has been
honored with a retrospective screening at the Museum of Modern Art in
New York, and with a special award from Medikinale International in
Parma, Italy.
MISSION STATEMENT
To bring together programs that point the way to a new paradigm for
living happily, healthily and sustainably.
OUR PRODUCERS
Our producers include the National Film Board of Canada, CBC,
Television Trust for the Environment, BBC-TV, Australian Broadcasting
Corporation, and leading independent producers from around the world.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
We define "environment" broadly and our collection includes programs on
ecology, energy, agriculture, indigenous peoples, women's studies,
genetics, marine biology, sustainable development, community
regeneration, economics, ethics, and conflict resolution. In recent
years we have released many films about developing countries,
globalization, changing gender roles, and human rights. Styles range
from animation to drama and from personal essay to investigative
documentary. There are programs suitable for all ages from
pre-kindergarten through adult.
PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS
Besides our environmental programs, we have an outstanding collection
of films on performing arts, almost exclusively produced by Rhombus
Media, one of the world's leading producers of arts programming.
USIA LAWSUIT
With the help of the Center for Constitutional Rights, and in concert
with five other producers and distributors, we sued the United States
Information Agency in a widely publicized case called Bullfrog v. Wick
over the Agency's refusal to grant educational certificates to certain
films based on their perceived political bias. After a near decade-long
lawsuit, we won on all counts in 1995.
PERSONNEL
The company
principals are John
Hoskyns-Abrahall and Winifred
Scherrer, personal and professional partners. He is a
transplanted Englishman; she is a transplanted Californian. They met in
graduate school in Philadelphia. They began their professional careers
as part of the Film Division of Rodale Press (publishers of Organic
Gardening magazine) in Emmaus, PA, where they made six films. They
continued making films in the early years of Bullfrog.
John is in charge of acquisitions and relations with
filmmakers;
Winnie is in charge of marketing and promotions.
We pride ourselves on having a well-rounded staff, all of whom are
familiar with the films and their contents. Their specialties are:
Cheryl Gillam
Woolley is Office Manager and is in charge of order processing.
Cheryl also is the administrator of our internal computer network.
Alex Hoskyns-Abrahall
is Vice President and Director of Bullfrog Communities, facilitating community and campus-wide screenings, and streaming.
Mark Martelli
is a writer. His other responsibilities include graphics, film festivals, and social media.
Skip Bannon
is Accounting Manager. In addition to accounts payable and receivable,
Skip takes care of the commissions.
Stephanie Miller is Reviews Coordinator and works on outreach.
Liam Worcheck
works on marketing and outreach for education and community screenings.
Steph Walton
works on sales and outreach, and provides promotional support for screenings and streaming.
LOCATION
Bullfrog Films is
located in Pennsylvania Dutch farmland outside Reading, PA, on what was
once a turkey farm. We are 75 minutes northwest of Philadelphia. Behind
Bullfrog is a large field where deer, red-tailed hawks, bluebirds,
foxes, groundhogs, and wild turkeys frequently appear.
The name of the company comes from our experience of living on a place
with a pond that produced a chorus of bullfrogs. Bronco Bullfrog (a
British indie feature in the 60s) also happened to be the name of the
first film John worked on. 30 years ago the bullfrog was a symbol of
survival and adaptability. We did not foresee that even frogs would be
threatened by environmental contaminants.
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