CAUGHT ON TAPE!! A wild banana in the city! :

We have Executive Producers!!!!                      

We are ecstatic to announce that Jordana Glick-Franzheim and Cristina Colissimo of Crossover Productions will be joining as Executive Producers!  Please scroll down to the team section to read a bit more about them and their fantastic work including a new 3-part series Ivory Wars for Animal Planet.

Ashley Bell is OK! Magazine's "Next Big Deal"!!

Click here to read the article.

Check out Ash on BetterTV showing off our cool new pins (which can be found in the recently updated PERKS section)!

Click here to watch.

Ash on FOX!

Here is a clip of Ash on Fox discussing Love & Bananas along with Machinal and Love and Air Sex.  (Love & Bananas from 2:40 on.)

View the video here!! 

NEW PINS!

Just added to the GEAR perk are these pins!  Check em out!

In 1986 the Asian Elephant was placed on the endangered species list.

Follow Ashley Bell and a team of elephant rescuers and experts as they embark on a mission to film the rescue of an abused elephant from an illegal logging camp, and it’s release to the newly created Cambodian Wildlife Sanctuary. Led by Lek Chaillert (Time Magazine’s 2005 Hero of Asia ), Love & Bananas will present you with a greater understanding of the threat to Asian elephants, as well as elephants around the world.

Lek Chaillert says, “you can motivate an elephant to follow your lead with love and bananas.” Our feature length documentary will prove the truth of her statement, as it ignites a new way of thinking about elephants by illustrating our extraordinary relationship with them.

In January 2013 Ashley Bell teamed up with Change for Balance Productions to film the release of two elephants that had been rescued from an illegal logging facility and transported to the Cambodian Wildlife Sanctuary. When they arrived they became aware of the dangers facing the disappearing Cambodian jungle and the Asian elephant. 

1. 75% of the jungle has been cut down

2. Less than 30,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild

3. No wild Asian elephant remain in the Cambodian jungle.  Elephants are killed for ivory, forced to provides rides for tourists, haul logs at illegal logging facilities, and used and abused for entertainment at zoos and circuses.

All Captive elephant around the world have one thing in common, as babies, they are are torn from their mothers and beaten for 24 hours with sharp tools until their spirits are broken. Many die in the process. The natural bond to follow their mother is replaced with fear of the hook, and fear of man.

The only way to end the cycle of abuse is by exposing the horrors elephants face. Every sticker stuck, every bracelet sported, every t-shirt worn will spark conversation about the cruelty these creatures endure and about what WE can do to stop the violence.

We have the opportunity not only to make a documentary, but to create a network of awareness. Please join the Love & Bananas Team, and together we can form a movement. 

Love & Bananas is a labor of love, and no one on the team is receiving payment. This documentary is being shot on a bare bones budget, and every penny of the funds raised on Indiegogo will be poured into the making of this film.

Because the Love & Bananas Team is entering into a foreign ecosystem there is an element of danger that must be taken seriously, and specialized gear is required to match that danger, and to withstand those conditions. Filming an elephant rescue is remarkably unpredictable, and the funds raised will provide what we need to track and shoot the rescue in all conditions. Your donation will guarantee the Love & Bananas Team will be able to tell this story. 

With your help we will create a documentary that will stand up technologically throughout time. Love & Bananas is being shot on the RED EPIC 5k Cinema Camera. The EPIC will capture the vibrant colors and electricity of Cambodia, the people, the majestic personalities of the rescued elephants, and interviews with experts on elephant behavior.

Due to the delicate nature of the rescue, smaller DSLR’s such as the Cannon 5D will be used to capture the need for fast paced action, and “run and gun guerilla filming.” Undercover cameras, and Go-Pros attached to the exterior of jeeps, ferries, convoys and motorcycles will provide a gritty edge to the audience experience, and portray the moment-to-moment excitement and danger of the mission. 

The Bracelet:

The Logo Tee:

In Eles We Tusk Tee:

In Eles We Tusk Tee (White/Blue):

The V-Neck:

The Logo Hoodie:

The Tote:

Read the People article here!

Read the Origin article here!

View the video on Fox here!

Read the USA TODAY article here!

Love & Bananas aims to put a specific emphasis on targeting the next generation. We envision a Cross Country Elephant Awareness Tour, (using hybrid and electric vehicles), where we’ll screen the documentary at elementary schools, junior high, high schools, and colleges across the country.  Discussions and a Q&A would follow inspiring students to view these 4-ton creatures in a new light and compel them to join this exciting movement.

ASHLEY BELL, @OfficialAshBell

Ashley Bell made her feature film debut in “The Last Exorcism” and earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and an MTV Movie Award nomination, while the film grossed nearly $70 million worldwide. The New York Post praised Bell's acting as “Oscar-worthy” and one of the 10 best performances of 2010 for her extraordinary portrayal of the possessed Nell Sweetzer. She reprised her role in “The Last Exorcism Part II” in 2013 and yet again received critical acclaim. She was most recently seen in the third season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” webisode series, entitled “The Oath,” and is currently appearing on Broadway in the staged play “Machinal” alongside Rebecca Hall.

Bell will next be seen in the romantic comedy “Love & Air Sex,” directed by fellow Spirit Award nominee Bryan Poser. The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2013 and will be released in February 2014. Additional 2014 projects include Norry Niven's romantic drama "From Above,” co-starring Danny Glover, the noir feature film “Sparks,” based on the graphic comic, which premiered at the 2013 Cinequest Film Festival and the coming of age indie film “There Is a New World Somewhere.” In 2013, Bell co-starred in the WWE’s action film “The Marine: Homefront.” In 2011, she co-starred in the post-apocalyptic thriller “The Day.” 

She studied acting and directing at Cambridge University, where she was awarded “Best Actress” for her portrayal of “Ophelia.” Bell later graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with honors, and was mentored by Oscar nominee Kathleen Turner.

LEK CHAILERT 

Lek received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Chiang Mai University, and from there moved into working in the elephant tourist industry. While helping owners of trekking companies locate unemployed elephants, Lek quickly learned about the abuse and neglect that domestic Asian elephants experience.

Lek began advocating for the rights and welfare of Asian elephants in Thailand. In an industry that is steeped in its traditions, advocating for a change to the way domestic and wild Asian elephants are treated has not been an easy battle. But through hard work and determination her voice is beginning to be heard. In 2001The Ford Foundation in association with National Geographic named Lek a Hero of the Planet. In 2005, Time Magazine named Lek Chaillert a Hero of Asia for her work in conservation. The National Geographic documentary VANISHING GIANTS, highlighted Lek's work with the Asian elephant.

In the coming years, Lek hopes to continue to improve the lives of the rescued elephants living at her Elephant Nature Park and provide emergency healthcare to elephants in remote villages throughout Thailand and Cambodia.

DAVID CASSELMAN & THE CAMBODIAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY 

Mr. Casselman is a Senior Trial Partner in the Los Angeles Law Firm of Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten, the Chairman of the Board of Elephants In Crisis, and the founder of the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary. He is a trial attorney and an animal welfare advocate who has lent his legal expertise to help fight cases of animal cruelty throughout Los Angeles.

The Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kulen-Promtep. The sanctuary was created to protect and conserve the unique animals and remarkable habitat of Cambodia including areas to house once captive, now rescued, and free to roam elephants. The one million acres of this rich forest landscape and diverse wildlife population, are now protected via a partnership with the government of Cambodia.

CHANGE FOR BALANCE PRODUCTIONS

Change For Balance Productions is a multimedia company and creative agency that creates insightful, entertaining media carrying a positive message to help inform and inspire. In 2011 Change for Balance was nominated for Most Philanthropic Small Business of the Year at The Stay Classy Awards. CFBP’s first documentary, “Equine Destiny” (2010), garnered over 20 awards at festivals across North America including Best Documentary at the Los Angeles Movie Awards, and the Audience Award at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival.

In 2013 CFBP traveled to South Africa with CTAOP, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, to document Ms. Theron’s relief efforts to support African Youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS. They are currently developing “Barcalive” a documentary created around World Champion Tour Surfer and undefeated professional MMA fighter Dustin Barca.

CFBP operates as a sister company to Activational Media, a commercial production house that recently traveled to Paris, Dubai, Qatar, Milan, India, Cannes, Monaco, and Moscow to film the commercial campaign for the Internationally renowned fragrance line, House of Sillage.

CROSSOVER PRODUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL

Crossover Productions was founded by Jordana Glick-Franzheim with German financing partners to originate, develop and produce entertaining and groundbreaking television, films and documentaries. Together with Cristina Colissimo, the company is committed to producing innovative and compelling stories that are both critically acclaimed and commercially rewarding.

The company most recently created, produced and delivered the groundbreaking new reality docu-series IVORY WARS (3-Pack / 1hrs.) for Animal Planet / Discovery International, that follows former Navy SEALs in their high-tech and high-stakes campaign against poachers and the illegal ivory trade in Kenya. Crossover also produced the award winning and critically acclaimed documentary feature film ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT with Sandbar Pictures, that ran theatrically in multiple cities including Los Angeles and New York prior to airing on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

The company’s diverse slate includes the feature film SAINT X with Christopher McQuarrie attached to direct, based on Saint-Exupéry: A Biography by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff; THE RIGHT STUFF a space-themed reality competition series developed with Sandbar Pictures; independent feature films THE BIG DUMP and MODERN ENGLISH with Will Kemp (HR, THE SCORPION KING: THE LOST THRONE, VAN HELSING) attached to co-produce and star in the latter; COME BACK an original series for television based on the New York Times best-selling book of the same name. Crossover also recently produced and Colissimo directed two short documentary films for Wildlife Works, WHEN A TREE STANDS and SEEING REDD+ which premiered on Earth Day 2013, the animated short HOW REDD+ WORKS and the PSA “CARBON FREE GIRL” with ARCA stock car driver Leilani Munter. 

Jordana was born in Los Angeles and educated in Europe. After graduating from the Claremont Colleges, Jordana began her career at Walt Disney Studios where she worked on over 10 productions. Fluent in German, Jordana worked in the European film industry in Munich where she was a development executive for Constantin Film and also produced the German language film DIAMONDS and the acclaimed feature documentary SHOOTING IN THE LINE OF FIRE.

Cristina was born and raised in Miami, Florida where she had the unique experience of growing up at the zoo her father founded, Zoo Miami, one of the first cage-free zoos in the United States. After graduating from the University of Miami with a dual degree in Motion Pictures and English Literature and a minor in Photography, she worked on several feature films, including TRUE LIES, DROP ZONE and JUST CAUSE.

Can I contribute more money than what is specified for a given perk?

Absolutely! You will be prompted to specify the exact dollar amount that you would like to contribute.

Will you ship internationally (outside the U.S.)?

Absolutely! Please add $15 for international orders.

When will I receive my perk(s)?

We’re estimating June 2014 for all of the gear (T shirts, hoodies, bracelets, stickers), and May 2015 for the digital download of the documentary.

How do I select my size and style for apparel?

1.) After you have contributed, simply email loveandbananasmovie@gmail.com

2.) Put “your name” in the subject header

3.) Specify the perk you are set to receive along with the desired style and size. Sizing for the T-shirt and Hoodie are unisex S-XL. For T-shirt style please specify: “ELES WE TUSK,” “LOGO” or “V-NECK.”

Can I return or exchange items?

Please understand, we cannot accept any returns or exchanges.

Any additional questions, please email us at: loveandbananasmovie@gmail.com

What else can I do?

Follow us on Twitter: @officialashbell 

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashley-Bell/118929028152310?ref=hl

Follow us on instagram: Change For Balance

Check out our website: www.loveandbananas.com

Please… PLEASE pass along the Love & Bananas Indiegogo page to your friends!

Travel to the screening

Some rewards may require travel and accommodation if you are coming from out of town. You will be responsible for all travel and accommodation costs and arrangements.

Digital download / Screening

While we don’t see any risk in this movie being made, we don’t know the exact date since shooting depends on when the elephant rescue occurs. Though we hope to have the digital download & screenings available May 2015 that date may be slightly subject to change. Thank you for understanding.

Associate Producer, Co-Producer and Producer Credit

If you become an Associate Producer, Co-producer or Producer, you fully understand you are contributing that specified dollar amount of the perk listed (or more) at your discretion and you will not receive any monetary compensation now, during or in the future. This includes upon successful distribution and sale be it through any medium such as DVD sales, Theatrical Distribution, Pay Per View, free cable and TV, Internet or any medium of distributing now known or unknown in the future of this Film with your names in the credits. 

Thank you!