Join Us for the Second Annual Farm Film Fest!

THE WILLIAMS COLLEGE SUSTAINABLE FOOD & AGRICULTURE PROGRAM,
STOREY PUBLISHING AND IMAGES CINEMA PRESENT
FARM FILM FEST ON SUNDAY, MARCH 13

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. (March 5, 2011) – 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.

* * * * * * *

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.