Our History
Terra Nova Films creates, produces, distributes, and presents films and videos on aging and elderhood. When the company started in 1981, it was dealing with mainly one film; now it handles more than 300, with a client base of more than 10,000, ranging from colleges and universities to community groups and senior centers. And now, as the aging population in many countries is rapidly expanding, Terra Nova continues to be a leader in the use of visual storytelling to help people understand, value, and traverse the human experience of elderhood.
The Vision
An image engraved in the memory…A line of dialogue that lingers… An emotion that cuts to the core of your being… The power of film and video to inform, inspire, and reshape thinking and attitudes is undeniable. Terra Nova Films uses these visual media to foster a new look at aging and elderhood–one that values elderhood as much as any other stage of life, and that respects the life experience and contributions of older adults.
With the premise that elderhood is as noteworthy as any other stage of life, Terra Nova Films looks for the untold story, the fresh angle, the basic human emotions at the core of each topic. Under the detailed eye of Terra Nova’s founder and director, Jim Vanden Bosch, each film is allowed to evolve naturally, resulting in honest revelations that help others faced with similar aging related circumstances and experiences.
An Expanding Role in Education
Terra Nova Films has taken a leadership role in promoting the use of educational videos by human service professionals and educators in aging-related fields. Terra Nova has coordinated film festivals for many of the major aging related conferences across the country and abroad. Terra Nova has become a vital resource for professionals who work with elderhood issues, for families and individuals as they make decisions about later life issues, and for older adults themselves as they see their own experiences reflected and validated on film.
