NYC Film Green Office Hours: Sustainability and Circularity on Set
How we think and plan shapes what we build—and what we discard. This panel explores circular approaches to sustainable set design and on-set waste management: set reuse goals in prep, design with deconstruction in mind, and put simple systems in place so materials stay in play from shoot to wrap. The aim is practical—cut trash and carbon without sacrificing creativity.
NYC Film Green is an initiative of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media + Entertainment. nyc.gov/filmgreen
Featured Speakers:
Shira Gans, Senior Executive Director, Policy + Programs NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (Moderator)
Philippa “Pippa” Culpepper, Set Decorator, Member SDSA IATSE Local 52 BECTU
Amanda Jabes, Producer, DGA UPM, PGA Sustainability Committee
Emellie O'Brien, Founder & Chief Impact Officer, Earth Angel
Anu Schwartz, Production Designer and IATSE Local United Scenic Artists 829 Sustainability Committee Chair
Speaker Bios:
Shira Gans is the Senior Executive Director of Policy + Programs at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she directs NYC Film Green Office Hours, a virtual discussion series that helps promote and create a sustainable blueprint for film and television productions in New York City. She also leads the city's strategy to support the music industry. She created and produces New York Music Month, the city’s official music festival held each June, and has spearheaded initiatives including a $10M fund for women-led creative projects, the first Mayor’s Office of Nightlife, a new music industry degree at Brooklyn College, a public high school career pathway in music, and NYC’s $6M investment in Power Station at BerkleeNYC. Previously, Shira worked to advance equity through roles at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Manhattan Borough President’s Office, and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. She has been featured in Variety’s New York Women’s Impact Report, named a 40 Under 40 Rising Star by City & State, and recognized as a Climate Leader by Forbes. Shira holds a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School and a BA from Wesleyan University.
Philippa Culpepper is an acclaimed set decorator whose film and television credits include Your Friends and Neighbors (2024/2025), She Said (2022), The Many Saints of Newark (2021), Dear Edward (2023), and HBO’s The Gilded Age (2022). Renowned for her meticulous eye and ability to create immersive, character-driven environments, Philippa’s work illustrates how the art of set decoration shapes both narrative and audience experience. She is also a strong advocate for sustainable practices in production, championing re-use, responsible sourcing, and innovative material choices. By aligning creative vision with ethical considerations, Philippa demonstrates how set decoration can move beyond aesthetics to lead the industry toward greener, more responsible storytelling.
Amanda Jabes is a Brooklyn-based producer for narrative film and TV. Currently, she is producing the independent feature Rest & Relaxation, which recently completed principal photography in the Catskills. Notably, she has worked on HBO's The Penguin, Starz's Power Book II: Ghost, NBC's Law & Order, and 30 Rock. Jabes is a recent DGA member, and an active PGA member on the Sustainability Committee, developing eco-friendly set protocols and sustainable practices for producers to implement, highlighting local equipment vendors, such as Emerald Green electric star trailers. In her spare time, she is a Soapbox Project participant, as a volunteer with the plant-based supper club amrut, co-hosted by Rethink Food Kitchen, where all three non-profits look to fight climate anxiety through community, and build better local sustainable food systems. Jabes is also proudly completing a Master Composter Certificate through her efforts with LES Ecology and Earth Matter on Governors Island.
Emellie O'Brien, a pioneer of the sustainable filmmaking movement, has worked with major motion pictures and television series to reduce their environmental impact since 2011. She founded Earth Angel, a full-service sustainable production agency, in 2013 to expand her expertise and impact. For over a decade, EOB has been a leading expert in the field of sustainable entertainment production, greening dozens of feature films and television series. Her sustainability leadership on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 contributed to it being acclaimed as “the most eco-friendly blockbuster in Sony Pictures’ history.” EOB is also a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Alum and 2018 Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 Rising Star. She also leads workshops and speaks at film festivals around the world on the topic of sustainable production.
Anu Schwartz is a New York City-based production designer. Classically trained in art history, architecture and fine art painting, his work is continually informed by these experiences. Film as an art form has been a long-time passion for Anu and his career as a production designer offers a chance to meld his passions and collaborate through visual story telling. Anu Schwartz’s most recent credits include the Apple TV+ series Your Friends and Neighbors starring Jon Hamm and the Apple TV+ series Dear Edward, based on the NYT best-selling novel. Other titles include The Endgame pilot (NBC Universal), Bridge and Tunnel S1 (Epix Studios),The Politician S2 (Netflix), and the feature film The History of Future Folk. Notable credits as supervising art director include Fosse Verdon (FX), Maniac (Netflix), and Gotham (Warner Brothers). Anu has been nominated for an Emmy for his work on Fosse Verdon as well as nominations for the Art Director’s Guild Awards for Maniac and Gotham. Anu serves as chair of the Sustainability Committee for Local United Scenic Artists 829 and is diligently working toward a cleaner, more sustainable industry.
This event has limited capacity. Admission will be first come, first served — we encourage early arrival to guarantee your spot.
By attending, you consent to being photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded. Your entry constitutes your consent to such photography, filming, and/or recording and to any use, in any and all media, in perpetuity, of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in connection with the event.