Vacationland Studio

04/15/2021

We the Power | The Future of Energy is Community-Owned

The Vacationland team is thrilled to present our latest project We The Power for Patagonia and @patagoniaeurope, Directed by David Garrett Byars.

On 15 April 2021, Patagonia will launch We the Power, a campaign and documentary shining a light on the renewable community energy movement, in the UK and across Europe. Today, one million European citizens are involved in this growing movement. By 2050, it could be more than 260 million citizens and help generate up to 45 percent of Europe’s electricity – providing local jobs, reduced energy bills, a healthier environment, and a stronger social fabric. So proud to see this beautiful film come to life ❤️

Director: David Byars
Producers: Roos Van de Weerd Carlos Carneiro Nicholas Weissman Bas Zwartepoorte
Executive Producers: Monika McClure Alex Lowther and Alex Weller
Prod Co: Vacationland Studio and Bureau Voorlichting
Field Directors: Joost Engelbert and Joppe Rog
Editor: Lyman Smith
Post Supervisor: Katyann Gonzalez
Associate Producers: Kalim Armstrong and Heather Strange
Production Coordinator: Arielle Edelman
Archivist: @otwfront
Colorist: Clinton Kyle Hollister
Sound: Felix Penny
Illustration: Julia Weissman
Musician: @fannypenny

A film about the citizen-led community-energy movement in Europe and the visionaries lighting the way. Imagine upending the traditional energy system and giv...

03/16/2021

Social Skills

Introducing Social Skills, a new series we have been busy making with @facebookforbusiness about what it’s like to be a social media manager. We went around the world (virtually) to talk to the folks behind @diasporaco @r29unbothered @chinatownmarket @persol , and more! Episodes drop Wednesday @facebookforbusiness IGTV and FB Watch.

03/12/2021

Vacationland Field Studies 20+21

When we founded Vacationland ago we built a company on a belief. A belief that we have a responsibility as filmmakers to leave the world a little better than we found it.

The last year has allowed us to drive these values even further home by challenging how we work and interact with the world and people around us.

We are fortunate to be working and thriving in a year when so many businesses have shuttered, so many livelihoods threatened, and so many loved ones lost. It has strengthened our dedication to expanding our team of collaborators to represent the world we want to see as we wield our tools as filmmakers to contribute to social change.

We put together a field study to share the documentary films and commercial projects we produced this year despite the production challenges of Covid. We premiered two new films, Havana Libre and We the Power, at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, filmed remote productions in 10 countries, released an IGTV series In My Saves with Instagram for Business, created new work with our friends at Rivian, and so much more.

Take a look at the field study, drop us a line! Let us know what you have been up to. We can’t wait to see you again.

Field Studies 2020-2021 PDF When we founded Vacationland ago we built a company on a belief. A belief that we have a responsibility as filmmakers to leave the world a little better than we found it.

02/08/2021

HAVANA LIBRE - BIG SKY TRAILER

Trailer for HAVANA LIBRE - the opening night film Big Sky Documentary Film Festival on Feb 19th followed by a live Q&A with our team. This is the inspiring story of a group of Cuban surfers rising up to demand legitimacy for their beloved sport following decades of cultural prohibitions. We are so thrilled to share this film with you. In competition for best feature film. TICKETS AT WWW.HAVANALIBRE.FILM

Director: Corey McLean
Producers: Tyler Dunham Nicholas Weissman

Havana Libre
@Makewild
Vacationland Studio
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
@wsl
#bigskydocfest #vacationlandstudio

01/28/2021

Our new film ‘We The Power’ about Energy Collectives across Europe premieres in competition Big Sky Documentary Film Festival ⚡️filmed remotely & DIRECTED by David Byars 💥

"Imagine upending the traditional energy system and giving the power of clean electricity production back to your neighbors. We the Power follows friends, families and visionaries, as they break down legislative barriers, take power back from big energy companies, put it in the hands of locals, and share the benefits to strengthen their towns. The film chronicles four local cooperatives from deep in the Black Forest, to the streets of ancient Girona, to the urban rooftops of London, as they pave the way for a clean energy revolution and build healthier, financially-strong communities."

"We The Power"
In Competition - Oscar Qualifying Festival

DIRECTOR David Byars PRODUCERS Nicholas Weissman Carlos Carneiro Bas Zwartepoorte FIELD DIRECTORS Joppe Rog Joost Engelberts EDITOR Lyman Smith POST SUPERVISOR Katyann Gonzalez
Vacationland Studio
#bigskydocfest #vacationlandstudio

Our new film ‘We The Power’ about Energy Collectives across Europe premieres in competition Big Sky Documentary Film Festival ⚡️filmed remotely & DIRECTED by David Byars 💥

"Imagine upending the traditional energy system and giving the power of clean electricity production back to your neighbors. We the Power follows friends, families and visionaries, as they break down legislative barriers, take power back from big energy companies, put it in the hands of locals, and share the benefits to strengthen their towns. The film chronicles four local cooperatives from deep in the Black Forest, to the streets of ancient Girona, to the urban rooftops of London, as they pave the way for a clean energy revolution and build healthier, financially-strong communities."

"We The Power"
In Competition - Oscar Qualifying Festival

DIRECTOR David Byars PRODUCERS Nicholas Weissman Carlos Carneiro Bas Zwartepoorte FIELD DIRECTORS Joppe Rog Joost Engelberts EDITOR Lyman Smith POST SUPERVISOR Katyann Gonzalez
Vacationland Studio
#bigskydocfest #vacationlandstudio

01/28/2021

So incredibly proud to share that Havana Libre, our labor of love for the last five years, has been selected to premiere at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in February! Wahooo!!!

Huge gratitude to Seth and Corey who have really carried the torch on this project all these years. Huge thanks to Nicholas Weissman who has believed in the project - at times more than we have - since he was first introduced, and to all the team at Vacationland Studio. Y’all are rad. To Marco Bava for his huge role in those first crazy months of filming and the World Surf League for buoying the cause. And most importantly to Frank Gonzáles Guerra and Yaya Guerrero for their trust, patience, and the friendship we’ve built while sharing their incredible story.

Also thanks to everyone reading this for your support over the years! Buying the books, getting us beer, and sending virtual high-fives whenever we needed em. It’s been a real rollercoaster but we’re so stoked to finally be sharing this announcement and we couldn’t have done it without you.

So much more to come. Give us a like to follow along!

11/23/2020

Facebook Curated

Honored to have made this video and interviewed Pat Quinn last year about his work with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. RIP.

What started as a simple and hopeful way to raise awareness about ALS on social media ultimately funded new breakthroughs in medicine around this debilitating disease. This is a look back at the Ice Bucket Challenge, five years later.

11/23/2020

Sad to hear of the passing of Pat Quinn who helped raise 220 million dollars for A.L.S. research in just 6 weeks using Facebook. I had the honor of interviewing him last year - I’d ask him a question and he would answer using an eye assisted technology that allowed him to communicate with the world around him, even as his body ceased to function. His smile and laughter was visible in his eye and his passion for using his lot in life to help those, and families with a loved one, born with a neurodegenerative disease was beyond inspiring. We can all learn that a life of service to others is a life well lived. You told me me would have a beer and shot after the interview if you still could. This ones for you Pat! #alsicebucketchallenge #patquinn @vacationland @facebookforbusiness #vacationlandstudio #facebookforbusiness

11/11/2020

DOC NYC 2020 begins today online! So thrilled to share the debut short by Arielle Edelman FIRST MOVE and to have our third film in three years in such an important documentary festival. All films are streaming online and the festival lineup is incredible. Get your tickets and watch some stories that inspire, provoke, and celebrate the beauty of humanity.

FIRST MOVE
https://www.docnyc.net/film/shorts-she-stories/
Director: Arielle Edelman
Editor: Katyann Gonzalez
Executive Producers: Nicholas Weissman Carlos Carneiro, Kalim Armstrong

11/11/2020

Vacationland Studio's cover photo

11/11/2020

Vacationland Studio's cover photo

11/11/2020

Vacationland Studio's cover photo

11/11/2020

Vacationland Studio's cover photo

09/08/2020

‘Public Trust’: Robert Redford, David Garrett Byars Team With Patagonia Films To Shed Light On Exploitation Of Natural Landscapes – Watch The Trailer

Check out the trailer for the feature-length documentary Public Trust, helmed by Vacationland Director David Byars. Produced for Patagonia, the film chronicles the ongoing fight to protect America's 640 Million acres of Public Lands.

"One of the most important documentaries of the year, Public Trust is a film that needs to be seen by everyone who enjoys getting out in nature. Although many of us take the 640 million acres of America’s Public Lands for granted, these lands are endangered by powerful forces that are attempting the largest land grab in modern history. By focusing on the eminent destruction of the Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota, the downsizing of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, and the wholesale appropriation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, director David Garrett Byars enlists a slew of journalists, land historians, tribal leaders, and government whistleblowers to present a highly persuasive argument that is impossible to ignore and vital to hear. Above all else, as executive producer Robert Redford tells us, “Public Trust is the story of citizens who are fighting back. It’s a much-needed wake-up call for all of us who want to preserve our unique and wild cultural heritage."

EXCLUSIVE: David Garrett Byars makes the case for protecting the United States’ natural landscapes against corporations in his latest film Public Trust. Check out the new trailer above, which…

07/21/2020

Back at it! Grateful to resume production (remotely!) with our production partners in Amsterdam this week. Here’s to figuring out safe solutions to continue telling important stories during the pandemic. Excited to share this one with you all. #documentary filmmmaking #vacationlandstudio 📸 by @joppe.rog

04/23/2020

Vacationland Studio's cover photo

04/23/2020

BTS from our first Spanish language commercial for @emblemhealth 🌶 #vacationlandstudio #videoproduction #filmstudio @ Chelsea, Manhattan

04/23/2020

BTS shooting in December for @marriotthotels @jwmarriotthotels with the amazing photographer and friend @sidneybensimon in Miami. Our friends in the hospitality and service industries are hurting right now and we look forward to brighter days when it’s safe to get back out there and explore this beautiful 🌎. #vacationlandstudio #videoproduction #filmstudio @ JW Marriott Miami

04/23/2020

BTS in Seattle @alaskaair HQ with @appdynamics and an unforgettable crew meal @junebabyseattle and @dintaifungusa #vacationlandstudio #setlife #videoproduction #filmstudio @ Alaska Airlines Corporate

04/23/2020

Thinking of our friends and production family as we stay home to stop the spread while dreaming of adventures past. BTS last year on set with @visittokyotoday and our friends @thefoundrynyc #videoproduction #filmstudio #BTS #vacationlandstudio @ Tokyo, Japan

04/22/2020

BTS in Seattle @alaskaair HQ with @appdynamics and an unforgettable crew meal @junebabyseattle and @dintaifungusa #vacationlandstudio #setlife #videoproduction #filmstudio @ Alaska Airlines Corporate

04/22/2020

Thinking of our friends and production family as we stay home to stop the spread while dreaming of adventures past. BTS last year on set with @visittokyotoday and our friends @thefoundrynyc #videoproduction #filmstudio #BTS #vacationlandstudio @ Tokyo, Japan

02/07/2020

N.J. man’s 9 kids all meet for the first time thanks to online DNA testing

Nice writeup about Kalim Armstrong and Demetre's film 9 Degrees today!

Read it here:
https://www.nj.com/news/2020/02/nj-mans-9-kids-all-meet-for-the-first-time-thanks-to-online-dna-testing.html

George Papageorgiou's travels across America left a trail of broken hearts, unfulfilled promises and fatherless children.

01/30/2020

The team that slays together stays together 🎥🤙✌️#sundancefilmfestival #vacationlandstudio

11/06/2019

Vacationland Studio's cover photo

10/17/2019

The @vacationland team is very excited to share that 9 Degrees, Directed by Kalim Armstrong is an Official Selection at Doc NYC and New Hampshire Film Festival. @docnycfest @nhff

04/26/2019

9 Degrees of Papageorgiou | Kalim Armstrong & Demetre Papageorgiou

We made a film with Tribeca for a new 23andMe documentary series 'Identity'. Its about 9 siblings who discover each other through DNA testing and find the loving family they never knew they were looking for. Directed by Kalim Armstrong & Demetre Papageorgiou. Original Music by Randy Armstrong.

Demetre Papageorgiou grew up as the oldest child of George and Cynthia, Greek immigrants, who settled in the Midwest. All of that changed when Demetre got a call…

12/23/2018

Curated by Facebook

So thrilled to share Ode to the Underground, Directed by Carlos Carneiro, Sound Designed by Mikael Erik Jorgensen, Recorded by Lukas Rathborne, Captured by myself and Andrew McMullen, and Coordinated by Arielle Edelman! A collaboration of Vacationland Studio and Curated by Facebook!

An ensemble of buskers shares a ballad with the ephemeral community of commuters across New York's subway platforms. Presented by Vacationland, this is a love letter to the creative process and the complicated relationship an artist has with their work.

12/20/2018

That’s a wrap on our last official shoot day of the year 🎉 We thank all our production family from the bottom of our hearts for making this one special. You know who you are 🙌 #productionlife #documentaryfilm #makingmovies #breakinghearts #vactionlandstudio

12/17/2018

Mark Carlson Is Using Tech To Open Doors For Kids With Disabilities

Our third short documentary film with RYOT Studio for TIAA and HuffPost. We traveled to Beverly, MA to meet inspiring educators, parents, and students and learn how technology is being harnessed to help children with special needs communicate with the world around them.

Director: Kalim Armstrong
Director of Photography: Jon Nastasi
Associate Producer: Arielle Edelman
Producer: Nicholas Weissman

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mark-carlson-is-using-tech-to-open-doors-for-kids-with-special-needs_us_5a836abbe4b0cf06751f8573

At CCCBSD, caring teachers help children with disabilities gain access to the rich academic environment they need.

12/05/2018

Miracles in Motion dance group

So excited to share this piece we made with RYOT and TIAA about Miracles in Motion dance group in Richmond, VA. Kudos to Michelle, Kim and the team for their amazing work and letting us capture it!

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!

Presenting a Short Film Documentary Featuring.......MIRACLES IN MOTION!!!

So many thanks to all who made this happen!
TIAA TIAA Difference Makers, RYOT Studio , Vacationland Studio
......& of course our very own Difference Maker Ms. Michelle Morley Roberts !!!

We are truly grateful for all the efforts put into this amazing production that depicts MIM so perfectly.

Denise McGowen, Jeanette Millner Carpenter, Michael Carpenter, Lyn Dodge, Anne Crumpton White, Wanda Jo Horne, Mark Costanzo, Kim Atkinson Moncrief.

ENJOY!!!
https://youtu.be/UvnnQto17ts

11/19/2018

The Video Consortium

As the fires in California rage on, our hearts are heavy as we think about the devastation they’ve brought to our west coast collaborators and friends. The least we can do is help the folks who’re working, day and night, to slow them down. Donate to California Fire Foundation. Their SAVE program provides gift cards to victims of fire or other natural disasters so they may purchase basic necessities such as food, clothing or medicine.

Pictured is a still from Nicholas Weissman, Kalim Armstrong and Vacationland Studio’s short film, for TIME, about the #Thomasfire in Ojai, California.

11/12/2018

Screening our short doc ‘Thomas Fire Architect’ @docnycfest made with our friends @time // Directed by @nicholas_weissman

11/12/2018

THOMAS FIRE ARCHITECT

Join us tonight at DOC NYC for a screening of Thomas Fire Architect at Cinépolis 5:00pm and 9:45pm. With devastating fires in Northern and Southern California, we have an opportunity for a dialogue about more sustainable building practices and urban planning.

WORLD PREMIERE John Davis and Lorrie Brown, who run an architecture firm in Ojai, Calif., knew they were constructing a home in a dangerous spot when