Fresno Filmworks' 2nd Annual World Film Festival
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
May 5, 6, 7, 2006

The Real Dirt on Farmer John
Short film: Badgered
Friday May 5, 2006
7pm
The Tower Theatre
815 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno
Festival passes:
$40 - Festival Pass includes all films & invitation to Opening Night Champagne Reception
$20 - Opening Night Film & Opening Night Champagne Reception
$10 - General tickets
$8 - Student & Senior tickets

Synopsis

Art and agriculture take flight together in this terrifically entertaining chronicle of the life and times of John Peterson, the last of a line of Midwestern farmers, who lost his family's homestead during the farm crisis of the 1980s only to triumph as a leader in the contemporary organic movement. After the death of his father in the late 60s, Peterson aimed at being a writer and transformed his traditional Illinois farm into a colony for hippies, radicals and artists. Later he would be a pariah based on unfounded local rumors of orgies, devil worship and drug-running, but this natural-born iconoclast eventually wins back his neighbors' admiration when he creates Angelic Organics and adapts his property into a thriving Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm.

Directed by Taggart Siegel
2005, USA
Not rated
35mm; 83 min.

Reviews for The Real Dirt on Farmer John

"...a beguiling combination of agrarian ode and the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test."
- J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader

"I loved this outrageous film!... It told a deeply personal story in an engaging, moving and highly entertaining manner and allowed the audience to draw their own conclusions about the bigger implications of the plight of family farms in this country, sustainable agriculture and freedom of artistic expression."
- Audrey Philpot, Malibu Chronicle

"This documentary... was by far the great hidden treasure of both the Brooklyn and Seattle Festivals."
- Joshua Tanzer, OffOffOff Film

"The film evolves into a deeply moving metaphor for the struggles of an entire generation. His triumphant story is essential for all us city folk who have found ourselves despairing for the earth and what has seemed like our inevitable alienation from it." - Mark Achbar, director, The Corporation

Short Film

Badgered The tale of a grumpy badger who just wants the world to let him sleep. Oscar Nominee for Best Short Animated Film. Directed by Sharon Colman. 2005, USA; Video; 7 mins.

Advance tickets may be purchased at the following locations: Fig Garden Books in Fig Garden Village Shopping Center, The Movies located at 1435 N. Van Ness and the Tower Theatre Box Office, and all TicketMaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or at 485-TIXS

BACK TO THE 2006 FESTIVAL PAGE