about
Render & Rise, the food-focused offshoot of Phase 4 Media, was founded in 2021 by award-winning filmmaker, Sarah Hesterman. Sarah has been producing content for brands, global creative agencies, production companies, foundations and non-profits for over 15 years.
Our style of storytelling is rooted in documentary film, always in search of authenticity and ways to allow folks to tell their own story in their own words. We pair that with beautiful images, elevated production value and a story arc that drives a call to action, to create original, quality, content that will engage, inform and inspire.
For over 10 years, our team has partnered closely with national non-profit, Fair Food Network, to produce numerous awareness campaigns to promote their mission of growing community health and wealth through food. In 2020 we developed and produced multiple content campaigns for Double Up Food Bucks in Michigan. In 2018 and 2019 we produced a campaign of original content for the Michigan Good Food Fund highlighting farmers, families and good food entrepreneurs for digital and social media and fundraising. In partnership with the Wallace Center at Winrock International, we produced the interview series “Lifting Up Leadership” for the Food Systems Leadership Network. In 2016, we produced the TV and online PSA campaign for "Double Up Flint" to promote healthy food access in the wake of Flint's water crisis. Our short film highlighting the success of Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program in Detroit was a winner at the 2011 Michigan Good Food Film Festival.
Founder, Director and Executive Producer, Sarah Hesterman, grew up in East Lansing, Michigan and is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a B.F.A. in Film & Television. After establishing her production career in New York City over the last 15+ years, Sarah recently relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Traverse City, MI to buy a farm and live more closely aligned with her passion of food and farming. Sarah is dedicated to creating media that inspires, educates and engages audiences in critical social issues and her life goal is to raise awareness and understanding through film.
clients.
The team behind Render & Rise has spent the last 15 years producing powerful content for organizations large & small. Here is a sampling of some of the food-focused clients with whom we’ve had the pleasure of working.