Fridays at the Farm

Feeling disconnected from their food, a filmmaker and his family decide to join a local community supported organic farm. As he photographs the growing process, the filmmaker moves from passive observer to active participant in the planting and harvesting of vegetables. Featuring lush time-lapse and macro photography sequences compiled from nearly 20,000 still images, this personal essay is a father WATCH NOW ON THESE PLATFORMS Feeling disconnected from their food, a filmmaker and his family decide to join a community supported organic farm in suburban Philadelphia. Using a digital still camera, the filmmaker takes nearly 20,000 pictures of vegetables and herbs, insect life, and human activity on the farm. When the farm loses its intern due to budget cuts, he moves from passive observer to active participant in the planting and harvesting of vegetables and discovers the joy of working with the earth. Along the way, he notes his three-year old son’s increased interest in the growing process and marvels about the baby girl gestating inside his wife’s body. The farm emerges as more than a place to get fresh local food- it is a haven where members meet and share in the pitfalls and bounty of life. Technically, the entire film is animated using still photos. Humans appear static, while plants are in constant motion. The reversed roles create a unique staccato feel to the piece, and the lush time-lapse and macro photography befits the sweet tone. The film offers an intimate visual and aural diary of his personal experience as a member of a community farm. CREDITS: Director: Richard Power Hoffmann Producer: Coyopa Productions Format: NTSC Region: All Regions Number of discs: 1 DVD Release Date: June 2007 Run Time: 19 minutes, + 45 minutes bonus material AWARDS: Best Short Film, The Green Film Festival in Seoul, Korea Best Documentary, Sapporo International Short Film Festival, Sapporo, Japan FESTIVALS: Florida Film Festival, Orlando, FL Ashland Independent Film Festival, Ashland, OR Newport Beach Film Festival, Newport Beach, CA Mountainfilm in Telluride, CO Seattle International Film Festival, Seattle, WA Festival International du Film d'Environment, Paris, France Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Nevada City, CA Cucalorus Film Festival, Wilmington, NC West County Film Festival, Sebastopol, CA Woods Hole Film Festival, Cape Cod, MA Taos Mountainfilm festival, Taos, NM San Diego Film Festival, San Diego, CA Planet in Focus Film Festival, Toronto, Canada DOCSDF, Mexico City, Mexico Newport International Film Festival, Newport, RI Kansas City Film Festival, Kansas City, MO Earthdance Film Festival, Oakland, CA Rossland Mountain Film Festival, British Columbia, Canada Lone Star Film Festival, Fort Worth, Texas Cinestrat Film Festival, Finestrat, Spain Byron Bay Film Festival, Byron Bay, Australia Spokane International Film Festival, Spokane, WA Frozen River Film Festival, Winona, MN North American Berry Conference, Hershey, PA Slow Food International Film Festival, Bologna, Italy Far North Conservation Film Festival, Fairbanks, AL Green Festival, Washington, DC Eco Film Forum, Green Festival, Philadelphia, PA Best of Fest, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, TX