Bios

Jesse Epstein: Videographer/Director

For over 30 years, Jesse Epstein has been an award winning documentary film and video producer. Currently a co-owner of New York-based J&G Media LLC and the long-time Executive Producer of Advocate Film Inc. of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Mr. Epstein has worked in all aspects of media production, including writing, photography, music, cinematography, computer-based design, and non-linear editing. Over the past five years, Mr. Epstein has been on the Adjunct Faculties of the New School, New York University, and Touro College. He currently serves as the Deputy Chair of Touro College’s Department of Computer Science. In Cleveland Ohio, Mr. Epstein owned the media and graphic design company, Epstein, Gutzwiller and Partners Inc., that produced projects for a variety of clients in industry, government, health and human services and the arts. For 20 years, the firm was located in a spacious studio on Bellflower Drive in Cleveland’s University Circle. Mr. Epstein served for 25 years as an adjunct professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art, teaching courses in film, video and multi-media production. For 12 years, he chaired the selection committee for independent short films for the Cleveland International Film Festival and led workshops for the Cleveland Film Society. A graduate of Antioch College and The New School, Mr. Epstein pursued graduate studies in Sociology at Harvard University on a Danforth Foundation Fellowship with special studies at MIT with Richard Leacock in documentary filmmaking. Mr. Epstein worked with WVIZ on a film on the history of Cleveland in 1996 and with Ms Gibans on the DVD on “Creative Essence: Cleveland’s Sense of Place” in 2003.

Nina Freedlander Gibans: Project Director/Coordinator/Video Producer

The manager/supervisor of the project is Nina Freedlander Gibans cultural consultant /arts advocate/administrator/project director/author/teacher/poet and community volunteer. Related career highlights include teaching creative writing at the Cleveland Museum of Art, conceiving, directing and writing faculty for Education for Aesthetic Awareness, a multidisciplinary arts course for teachers, (Cleveland State University 1975-85); faculty for the core Humanities Course at (Capital University, Cleveland Center, 1984-2006); summer course “Integrating the Community in Your Classroom” for K-12 teachers, (Cleveland State University, 1988-2005); Coordinator of the Forum on Cultural Planning (city of Cleveland-Cleveland State University- Greater Cleveland Growth Association), “Silver Apples of the Moon” (poetry and art—libraries, poetry groups and museums) and “Cleveland’s Creative Essence 1900-2000” for the Cleveland Artists Foundation. She is the author of five books and has produced five videos on cultural issues. Kent State University Press published Creative Essence Cleveland’s Sense of Place (2005) that included a DVD of a film by the same name presented at the Cleveland International Film Festival, 2003. Other selected projects focus on her interests in Cleveland’s cultural areas. They include: Director of Cleveland Art and History project resulting in permanent website. (2005), Producer of educational videos on the history of the 100-year old Potter and Mellen store and the metalcraft industry in Cleveland (2005), and on the history of Pepper Ridge Rd: Vision of Robert A. Little, architect (2009). Mrs Gibans has managed 3 successful Martha Holden Jennings Foundation projects developing websites on art history, architecture (encompassed all of Cleveland) and poetry. Her Jennings projects include coordinating the use of advisory teachers, pilot implementation, visiting artists. As she has in these projects she will supervise/coordinate and develop the materials for the website as well as school/classroom visitation during training and implementation periods. She will also guide the publication of a book on University Circle and use of the documentary video program material as a DVD in the UCI educational program guide/ book.