Eastern Life Films

The Company

Eastern Life Films was founded in New York State in 2004 as a not-for-profit film production company by its president, Alec Hirschfeld, before moving to Florida in 2024.  The Company produced a three-film series, Out Here in the Fields, on farmland conservation in association with The Peconic Land Trust. The series was selected for screening at dozens of film festivals around the country.

Eastern Life Films, Inc. is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in Miami, Florida formed for the development of films that focus on environmental and cultural issues. In the next year, the Company plans to complete production of Balmaceda, a short documentary about a young autistic man who aspires to be a voiceover artist and content creator. 

The Production Team

  • Alec Hirschfeld, Director

    Alec Hirschfeld is a retired cinematographer who has worked with Martin Scorsese and James Cameron. Mr. Hirschfeld was the camera operator for the TV series pilot of Law & Order and helped establish the handheld camera work that became a hallmark of the show. Mr. Hirschfeld is associated with two films that have been included in the National Archive of the Library of Congress: …No Lies and Mean Streets. His credits include assistant cameraman for Taxi Driver, second unit photography for Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets and cinematographer for Love Letters, starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

  • Janet Raskin, Producer

    Janet Raskin produced and directed the documentary First Class for Miami Dade College’s School of Education about immigrant teachers in Miami. She wrote and directed the student film Best Shot, a romantic comedy selected for the MDC Student Showcase in 2024. She is an actor and acting teacher at MDC.

  • Andres Garcia-Ruiz, Cinematographer / Editor

    Andres Garcia-Ruiz is a cinematographer, camera operator, and editor with credits that include the music video Blayd, selected for the MDC Student Showcase in 2025, and student films Late., Best Shot, and Unseen Shadows.

  • Raymond James Mason, Composer

    Raymond James Mason is one of the most sought-after trombonists in pop music. He has shared stages and recordings with icons like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, and Erykah Badu. He is currently the trombonist and horn section leader with Lauren Daigle and performs with Elvis Costello.