Our History

Terra Nova Films creates, produces, distributes, and presents films and videos on aging and elderhood.  When the company started in 1981, it was dealing with mainly one film; now it handles more than 300, with a client base of more than 10,000, ranging from colleges and universities to community groups and senior centers. And now, as the aging population in many countries is rapidly expanding, Terra Nova continues to be a leader in the use of visual storytelling to help people understand, value, and traverse the human experience of elderhood.

Our Staff

Jim Vanden Bosch

Jim is the Founder and Executive Director of Terra Nova Films. He has produced several award-winning films on a variety of aging-related issues, including several videos on successful ways to communicate and work with persons who are living with dementia. He is also an Associate Editor for the arts and humanities section of The Gerontologist, an academic journal of the Gerontological Society of America. In this position he reviews mainstream films that deal with aging themes.

Ed Menaker

Ed oversees new project development and the formation of alliances and partnerships to underwrite their production and implementation. He has more than 40 years of experience in all branches of the media, has won multiple television Emmys, as well as broadcasting’s most prestigious award, the Peabody.

Ginny Priestman

Ginny, AKA “The Hub”, has served as the office manager and administrative assistant at Terra Nova Films for the past 23 years. Her responsibilities are many – you name it she does it, from accounting to project assistance, to managing the office’s communication and information technology and keeping the website current.

Gloria Starling

Gloria is on the phone with customers every day, talking about how our videos can help them carry out their mission. She also creates marketing materials, acquires new titles for distribution, promotes Terra Nova’s videos at conferences, and fulfills any special customer needs or requests. She’s been with Terra Nova for 21 years. Her goal is to make each customer’s day better by providing helpful and exemplary service – with a genuine smile.

The Vision

An image engraved in the memory…A line of dialogue that lingers… An emotion that cuts to the core of your being… The power of film and video to inform, inspire, and reshape thinking and attitudes is undeniable. Terra Nova Films uses these visual media to foster a new look at aging and elderhood–one that values elderhood as much as any other stage of life, and that respects the life experience and contributions of older adults.

With the premise that elderhood is as noteworthy as any other stage of life, Terra Nova Films looks for the untold story, the fresh angle, the basic human emotions at the core of each topic. Under the detailed eye of Terra Nova’s founder and director, Jim Vanden Bosch, each film is allowed to evolve naturally, resulting in honest revelations that help others faced with similar aging related circumstances and experiences.

An Expanding Role in Education

Terra Nova Films has taken a leadership role in promoting the use of educational videos by human service professionals and educators in aging-related fields. Terra Nova has coordinated film festivals for many of the major aging related conferences across the country and abroad. Terra Nova has become a vital resource for professionals who work with elderhood issues, for families and individuals as they make decisions about later life issues, and for older adults themselves as they see their own experiences reflected and validated on film.

Join the Vision

Terra Nova Films is convinced that society as a whole is enriched when we learn to express, explore, and value ourselves and each other through the entire human journey. We look forward to creating and presenting productions about aging and elderhood that will continue to educate and inspire. We always welcome ideas, input, and funding from individuals and agencies–people and institutions who believe a well-crafted film can affect change for the better.

board
of Directors

President: Diane Slezak
Vice President: Lydia Manning
Secretary: Janet Dahm
Treasurer: James Flanagan

  • Celia Berdes
  • Michael Kerns

Terra Nova Films is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated exclusively to the production, distribution, and presentation of films, videos and educational material on aging. Donate Now