Affected Films: Our Mission

We at Affected Films are committed to environmental justice and providing support for those who have borne the brunt of these disastrous practices.  Affected Films stands apart from other production companies because we not only document the issues at hand, but also actively seek solutions.  through our NGO, La Isla Foundation, and other avenues.  By keeping our cameras working so we may add content for our website long after the final cut for The Affected is in the can, we will continue to educate those who take an interest in the plight of The Affected.

We who are privileged enough to afford organics must do more than worry about what we put into our own bodies. By illuminating alternatives that are economically viable and environmentally sound, we enable people to produce and consume food that nourishes instead of poisons. We are working with local and international groups in exploring initiatives that address the needs of the people that have become known as los afectados.  It is no longer enough to point fingers; we must expose the issues and enable the cure.

Meet The Crew

Jason Glaser, Director & Producer ~

Jason Glaser was educated at Columbia College Chicago where he earned degrees in Cinematography and Photography and has been working on feature films, and TV ever since. In 2007 he and Affected Films began work on "The Affected".  After encountering the devastating epidemic of kidney failure in Nicaragua he decided that just making a film wasn't enough and, with members of the production team, created La Isla Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the victims, widows, and children that the film documents.

Glaser leads workshops in the region on human rights and is in the process of collaborating in the design of a yearlong curriculum for United Nation's University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Students will focus on solving the challenges that the NGO faces by bringing their education to bear on a real life situation. Jason demonstrated his commitment to the region in September 2007 when he abandoned his research schedule and organized an independent and successful relief effort that saved lives on Nicaragua's Miskito Coast after it was blind-sided by hurricane Felix. Mr Glaser is also a contributor to the Guardian UK Online. 

Steven Ware, Director Of Photography ~

Steven Ware began shooting documentaries at 18 in Lansing Michigan. He attended Columbia College Chicago for his degree in Cinematography. He continued learning the craft in New York working in the lighting department for feature films. He shot the short film Girl's Room which has screened at the Cannes, Berlin, and Tribeca Film Festivals.  The film My Lover's Moods also went to Cannes in 2007, and New Business was at  Slamdance 2008.  The Affected is his 3rd feature film, along with Khuda Ke Liye and the documentary Pretty Near Perfect. He lives in Leon, Nicaragua.

Jose Luis Rios, Director of Cinematography ~

Jose Luis Rios first started his photographic endeavors with a Canon AE-1 which he found in his parent's closet at the age of eleven. Years later, after graduating from Columbia College Chicago where he studied Cinematography, he went on to shoot an abundance of films.  Many have received  awards, including recognition at Cannes.  Rios is very much inspired by travel and by having the opportunity to shoot, collaborate and gain cultural knowledge from all over the world.  This allows him to express himself through the camera very distinctively when it comes to creating an image and enhancing the character. Rios is captivated by natural beauty, the human condition and uses art as a medium to inspire, question, and raise awareness not just individually, but also on a social level.

Nicole Sherwin, Field Producer ~

Nicole Sherwin began making documentaries in New York City after editing Come Hell Or High Water - an examination of  the traumatic psychological effects of Hurricane Katrina. She assisted HIV+ young women to tell their stories for MTV’s Think campaign while producing for Free Speech TV. Sherwin is a founding member of the Green Edge Collaborative, an organization aimed at inspiring action towards a sustainable future.  She is currently obtaining her MBA in Sustainable Business Management in San Francisco.

Lisa Wells, Associate Producer ~

Lisa Wells has worked with arts organizations and sustainability focused NGOs as a coordinator, grant writer, and educator for the last ten years. Her creative work has most recently appeared in m.o.n.o., Ecotone, and Poets Against The War. She is currently on the Board of Directors for Myth Media in Portland, Oregon, a Meyer Grant recipient focused on creating cultural change through film.