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This is the story of Mike, an orphaned bear cub, whose treatment and recovery captivated a worldwide audience and took viewers inside the reality of wildlife rehabilitation in New Jersey. In this short film, NJ Advance Media’s Andre Malok, recounts the circumstances of how the dedicated staff of Woodlands Wildlife Refuge came to care for the such a young bear, and he examines what it really means to give injured and orphaned animals a second chance.
"On The Brink: The fight to save bees and our food supply" - Each year 2.5 million honeybee colonies crisscross the country, traveling from farm to farm, from the almond orchards of California to the blueberry fields of New Jersey, with one crucial job – to pollinate America’s crops. The pollination services these bees provide produces one third of our food and increases crop value in the U.S. by 15 billion dollars annually. Yet, few ever see these bees at work or know how the beekeeping industry that maintains them has been pushed to the brink of devastation.
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2015 New York Emmy Award winner for Best Documentary.
2015 New York Emmy Award winner for Best Writing.
2015 Garden State Film Festival Official selection (Home Grown Documentary Short).
2014 Montclair Film Festival Official selection.
2014 Manhattan Film Festival Official selection (Film Preservation Award).
2014 New Hope Film Festival Official selection (Best Mid-Atlantic Film).
Men will vie for the honor, but there can be only one George Washington crossing the Delaware. This eye-opening documentary follows four historical re-enactors in a cutthroat competition to be the next George Washington and cross the Delaware River on Christmas Day. (A film by Nyier Abdou and Adya Beasley, Produced by Bumper DeJesus, Co-Produced by Steve Liebman and Seth Siditsky)
The crew of "Being George" accepts the NY Emmy for Best Documentary.
Take a first look at The Star-Ledger's latest video project "Being George". The eye-opening documentary, set to be released next month, follows four men throughout the cutthroat world of historical reenactment. The ultimate prize they're all chasing is the role of George Washington and the big payoff is leading the crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day.
2014 New York Emmy Award nominee in the Editing category.
"Tick Tock around the clock: Real stories during 24 hours at a diner" - The Star-Ledger's new documentary which takes viewers inside one of New Jersey's most popular diners for a 24-hour stretch. The film introduces you to the people who populate the seats of this Clifton landmark and watch the ever-changing culture of a restaurant that never closes. Through candid conversations with real customers and restaurant staff, the film serves up intimate details, funny stories and poignant moments from the lives of some of the ordinary, and extraordinary, people who dine at the place with a neon-lit "Eat Heavy" sign over it, shining out toward busy Route 3. (Video by Mike Roy/The Star-Ledger, Produced by Bumper DeJesus)
The Star-Ledger documentary "A darkened stage: The last days of Maxwell's" looks back at the iconic Hoboken music venue and the individuals that came together to create the celebrated music scene that thrived there. Owners Todd Abramson and Steve Fallon, members of the band "a" and The Feelies, and Star-Ledger music writer Tris McCall recall the legendary club's heyday and explore the changes that led to a decision to close its doors on July 31, 2013. (A film by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)
"Splinters & Sand: Rebuilding our memories. Rebuilding the Jersey Shore." is a Ledger Live special report published in late January of 2013. This epilogue is a continuation of the documentary - and revisits the Shore four months later. Host Brian Donohue examines the places where progress in rebuilding has been made and where nothing has changed. The original "Splinters & Sand" followed by this epilogue aired on NJTV on May 2, 2013. (Video by Brian Donohue and Bumper DeJesus)
Winner of the 2014 New York Emmy Award in the category “Education: Program/Special,” Mike Roy, Adya Beasley, Seth Siditsky and Bumper DeJesus won for “Saving Shabazz,” a documentary about the Newark high school’s efforts to rally its student body around many of the same principles that guide its sports teams.
"Saving Shabazz: The long-shot battle to transform a failing school" examines how a principal at an urban high school in New Jersey is using football-style coaching on the whole student body to improve grades. Malcolm X. Shabazz High School in Newark is a historic institution that is in academic disrepair. The school's newest principal, Gemar Mills, a former college football player, is enlisting the help of other faculty such as Darnell Grant, the school's head football coach, to develop stricter rules and to promote self-discipline. It is year two, and so far, the numbers say that the game plan is working. (Video by Mike Roy/The Star-Ledger, Editing by Adya Beasley and Bumper DeJesus)
Winner of the 2013 New York Emmy award in the Interactivity category.
Enduring Memories of September 11 - showcasing the 30-minute video documentary, Star of Reflection: New Jersey Ten Years After 9/11- part of the New Jersey Special Reports app on iPad and Android. Editors: George Frederick, Seth Siditsky, Bumper DeJesus, Adya Beasley and Jennifer Brown. Video presentation created by Bumper DeJesus
Watch the full documentary.
2014 New York Emmy Award nominee in the category, “Writer: Program.”
"Splinters & Sand: Rebuilding our memories. Rebuilding the Jersey Shore." A Ledger Live Special Report - In a tour of the Hurricane Sandy ravaged Jersey Shore in the weeks after the storm, longtime reporter and shore resident, Brian Donohue, explores the emotional attachment people have to the Jersey Shore and what makes it so broad and deep. In conversations with boardwalk business owners, homeowners and visits to emotionally significant shore spots from his own life, he looks for clues as to how the shore might be rebuilt after the storm. Donohue makes the case that the emotional and cultural value is a powerful and legitimate factor that needs to be considered as the shore is rebuilt. "Splinters & Sand" is an extended mini-documentary length episode of the Ledger Live video webcast. (Video by Brian Donohue and Bumper DeJesus)
The original "Splinters & Sand" followed by an epilogue aired on NJTV on May 2, 2013. The documentary also played on the large screen at the Victoria Theater at the New Jersey Performing Arts center during the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy as part of a multimedia remembrance of the devastation.
Winner of the 2014 New York Emmy Award in the category, “Writer: Program.”
First place winner: NJPA for best multimedia element
First place winner: Northern Short Course for best Team multimedia
"The Choice: How Reconstruction Revolutionized the Treatment of Breast Cancer" explores the ways surgical advances have given patients more control over their recovery -- and the new set of deep difficult questions they must confront over body image and personal identity. Four women who faced the time-sensitive decisions about mastectomies recount their struggle through questions over physical appearance, changes in sexuality and the psychological effects of surgery. (A film by Adya Beasley / The Star-Ledger)
"The Bottom Rope: Inside the world of independent wrestling" - In high school gyms and VFW halls in New Jersey, there exists a place where pro-wrestlers are made - and where former stars go to hang on. Over the course of 60 nights a year, National Wrestling Superstars spotlights these die-hard showmen and their unwavering desire to practice their craft. The Bottom Rope goes beyond the ring to look at four wrestlers, their stories, and what keeps them coming back for more. (A film by Michael Monday / The Star-Ledger, editing by Bumper DeJesus and Seth Siditsky)
See the trailer: vimeo.com/43687974
The Star-Ledger presents "The Lost Valley: Rising Water, Sinking Hopes" - On Aug. 28 2011 Hurricane Irene dumped record amounts of rainfall on the borough of Manville. Manville has a history flooding and Ken and Letty Burlew have rebuilt their house three times in a span of seven years living in the Lost Valley section of town. With upwards of seven feet of water on the first floor of some homes, residents have to rebuild and wait. They wait on FEMA money, they wait on news about a government buyout, and they wait on the next major storm that could put them under water again. (A film by Andre Malok, editing by Bumper DeJesus and Seth Siditsky)
2013 New York Emmy nominee for Best Documentary
"The Twinkles: Chasing perfection" - Cheer documentary. Meet The Twinkles. They are competitive cheerleading's elite. This group of 8-12 year-old girls compete at the highest level for their age group. They mix tumbling, modern cheerleading and precise choreography to create a mind-blowing two-and-a-half minute routine that seems impossible for athletes this age. Follow them through the season - as routines are built and re-built, as they balance a grueling schedule with family life, as The Twinkles chase perfection. A Star-Ledger video production. Written, filmed, narrated and edited by Nyier Abdou. Produced and edited by Bumper DeJesus and Seth Siditsky.
Video teaser for The Twinkles: Chasing Perfection documentary.
Read moreVideo teaser for the documentary The Lost Valley: Rising Water, Sinking Hopes.
Read moreVideo teaser for The Bottom Rope: Inside the world of independent wrestling.
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Winner of the 2013 New York Emmy award in the Human Interest Program or Special category.
Winner of the 2012 New York Broadcasters Association Awards for Best Documentary.
Winner of the 2012 Laughlin International Film Festival Awards for Best U.S. Short Documentary Film.
The Star-Ledger documentary, "State of Reflection: New Jersey Ten Years After 9/11", examines how the tragedy has changed the physical and emotional landscape of New York's sister state, New Jersey, and explores the many ways New Jerseyans are honoring the lost. This project was inspired by video interviews Star-Ledger's Jennifer Brown did with families and friends who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. (Video, writing and narration by Adya Beasley, Produced and edited by Bumper DeJesus and Seth Siditsky)
Watch the preview.
Video teaser of the documentary State of Reflection: New Jersey ten years after 9/11.
Read moreThe Lady Mary left the Port of Cape May on the morning of March 18, 2009 on a routine scallop fishing trip. The vessel with it's crew of seven traveled 66 miles to the restricted scallop fishing area known as the Elephant Trunk. Some time between 5:10 and 5:40 a.m. on March 24, the boat sank and six of the seven crewman were killed. Jose Arias was asleep below deck when the accident occurred, managed to put his survival suit on, and was rescued. He has no idea what sent the Lady Mary 211 feet to the bottom of the ocean. Was it swamped in rough seas? Or did a passing container ship strike the boat without ever knowing it? After months of reporting the Star-Ledger has tried to uncover the mystery of the wreck of the Lady Mary. (Video by Andre Malok / The Star-Ledger)
Story by Amy Nutt Ellis
Editing by Bumper DeJesus and Seth Siditsky
The Star-Ledger wins Pulitzer Prize for "The Wreck of the Lady Mary"
