Food and Drink, The Features

Food Films at the 10th Annual Silverdocs

Photo courtesy of Kevin H.
Silver Strollers
courtesy of Kevin H.

Want to eat with your eyes? The 10th Annual Silverdocs Festival has seven films about food that might make you think a little more about what you’re eating and the food industry.

While Silverdocs has already been in full swing since June 18th, below are the food-focused films and you’ll find the rest of the list after the jump. You can purchase tickets online or at the AFI Silver Theatre Box Office. General tickets are $13. Films are playing at the AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD) and Discovery HD Theater (One Discovery Place, Silver Spring, MD), so make sure you end up in the right place.

Betting The Farm by Cecily Pingree and Jason Mann
Showing: Friday, June 22, 6:45 PM and Sunday, June 24, 8:30 PM
Country: USA
What they say: “When a group of Maine dairy farmers are dropped by the national milk company that has been their bread and butter for years, their livelihood is in danger. Refusing to go down without a fight, the farmers take matters into their own hands, banding together to form their own organic milk company, MOO.”

Canned Dreams by Katja Gauriloff
Showing:  Friday, June 22, 12:15 PM and Saturday, June 23, 2:30 PM
Country: Finland
What they say: “What all goes into a can of ravioli on the supermarket shelf? The answer is more complicated than one might think. This fascinating film explores the inner workings of food production, as well as the blood, sweat and tears of the human laborers whose personal hardships have often stood in the way of a better future.”

I Kill by David White and Paul Wedel
Showing: Saturday, June 23, 10 AM and Sunday, June 24, 3:45 PM (As part of the Short Programs: Odd Jobs films)
Country: New Zealand
What they say: “Small farms need small solutions, and in rural New Zealand that is a “mobile slaughterman,” traveling from farm to farm, shooting, skinning and gutting cattle. The rich colors of the lush landscape reinforce the slaughterman’s belief that cattle meeting their end in familiar surroundings is more humane than in a factory slaughterhouse.”
Continue reading

Entertainment

Silverdocs 2011 Packed With Award Season Hopefuls

Summertime means movies, typically of the blockbuster variety. However it’s not all about scene-by-scene rehashes or nuptial catfights. June also marks the return of AFI-Discovery Channel’s annual Silverdocs Documentary Festival. I’ve had the chance to cover the festival in the past and it’s a great experience for cinephiles to see some great stories unfold without having to travel to Cannes, Tribeca, or Austin.

The slate of films for the 2011 festival has already been announced and as an avid Oscar Watcher, I’m especially excited to see several early Academy Awards frontrunners among the list.

Here’s what I’m looking forward to at this year’s Silverdocs.

Continue reading