Farm film fest at Images Cinema on Sunday, March 13, organized by Williams, sponsored by Storey

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- In celebration of Spring and the upcoming growing season, the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program, Storey Publishing and Images Cinema will present Farm Film Fest: A Day of Film and Food on Sunday afternoon, March 13. Hosted by Images Cinema at 50 Spring Street in Williamstown, two screenings and five films about food and farming will be presented beginning at 1 p.m. with a local cheese tasting sponsored, in part, by Mezze Catering.

"The Berkshire region is truly a leader in the 'honest food' movement – most of the issues play out here, and in the Berkshires we've found solutions that have often had national significance," said Deborah Burns, acquiring editor at Storey Publishing. "The Farm Film Fest is an opportunity for our local community to connect with global issues surrounding the food movement."

This is the second year for Farm Film Fest, which originated from the surging interest in food and farm issues and the many films that are addressing various aspects of this urgent subject.

"The Farm Film Fest ties in directly with our program's mission and is an excellent opportunity to learn about sustainable food from many perspectives," said Katharine Millonzi, manager of the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program.

At 1 p.m. Images Cinema will present The Economics of Happiness. At 2:30 p.m., Images will present the Know Your Food: Shorts Program with four films including The Mast Brothers, Some Like It Raw, Obsessives: Urban Farming and Obsessives: Soda Pop.

Mezze Catering will present a cheese tasting between screenings featuring local cheeses from Massachusetts, Vermont and New York State.

The Economics of Happiness features a chorus of voices from six continents, including Vandana Shiva and Bill McKibben, calling for systemic economic change. The documentary describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. Directed by Steven Gorelick, Helena Norberg-Hodge and John Page; Not Rated; 1 hour 5 minutes.

The Mast Brothers documentary offers a tour of the Mast Brothers' bean-to-bar chocolate factory – one of just a handful in the U.S. The Brooklyn-based chocolatiers, Rick and Michael Mast, walk the viewer through their uniquely intensive process, DIY machines and a little of their food philosophy. Produced by Cool Hunting; Directed by Michael Tyburski; 4 minutes.

Some Like it Raw is an animated documentary about raw milk, made using wire-armature dolls, watercolors and fabric cutouts. Directed by Andrea Love; 10 minutes.

Obsessives: Urban Farming features Novella Carpenter, urban farmer and author of Farm City, who started small with some plants in an empty lot next to her home in Oakland, Calif. A couple of years later, she was tending to a full-blown farm with goats, turkeys, ducks, pigs and a robust garden. This video tackles questions of neighborliness (which is more offensive: police sirens or roosters crowing?), environmental poisons (raised beds are key), and the all-important slaughter question. Produced by Chow.com; 13 minutes.

Obsessives: Soda Pop is a documentary featuring John Nese, the proprietor of Galcos Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles. His father ran it as a grocery store, and when the time came for John to take charge, he decided to convert it into the ultimate soda-lovers' destination. About 500 pops line the shelves, sourced lovingly by John from around the world. John has made it his mission to keep small soda-makers afloat and help them find their consumers. Produced by Chow.com; 13 minutes.

The cost is $5 per screening ($5 for the 1 p.m. and $5 for the 2:30 p.m) with a complimentary cheese tasting for patrons who attend the film(s). For more information, including a detailed list of films and events, visit www.farmfilmfest.com or contact Images Cinema at 413.458.5612.

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The Farm Film Fest is sponsored by the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program, which aims to foster in future generations a passion for responsible environmental stewardship and the rediscovery of vital food. Their mission is to coordinate, inspire and provide leadership to further develop academic resources, extra-curricular opportunities and practical approaches to sustainable food from a broad range of perspectives – social justice, environmental, cultural and economic. Visit http://sustainability.williams.edu/category/food/about-sfap for more info.

The mission of Storey Publishing, in North Adams, MA, is to serve its customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. For more information on Storey Publishing, visit www.storey.com

The only one of its kind in Berkshire County, Images Cinema is a year-round non-profit, member-supported community film house that presents a wide range of films that impact filmmaking and our culture. Images continuously seeks to entertain, educate and engage the community with quality programming, while maintaining its dedication to independent film and media. Images Cinema serves organic popcorn, real butter, locally made baked goods and naturally-sweetened sodas, as well as traditional concessions fare. Images Cinema is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Located at 50 Spring Street in Williamstown, Images Cinema can be reached at 413.458.5612 (movie line), 413.458.1039 (office) or by visiting their website at www.imagescinema.org.

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Source:
ANGELA CARDINALI | Marketing Communications + Strategic Planning
e: angela@angelacardinali.com | p: 413.458.9053
For additional information contact:
Katharine Millonzi, 413.597.4422 or <Katharine.B.Millonzi@williams.edu>