Slow Food® Utah

"Fast Food Nation is a Recorded Picture Company production, directed by Richard Linklater and written by Eric Schlosser and Richard Linklater. Produced by Jeremy Thomas and Malcolm McLaren. Co–produced by Ann Carli. The film is financed by Jeremy Thomas’ HanWay Films, Participant Productions and the BBC."

"Don Henderson (Greg Kinnear)–a marketing executive at Mickey’s Fast Food Restaurant chain, home of "The Big One"–has a problem. Contaminated meat is getting into the frozen patties of the company’s best–selling burger. To find out why, he’ll have to take a journey to the dark side of the All–American meal. Leaving the cushy confines of the company’s Southern California boardroom for the immigrant–staffed slaughterhouses, teeming feedlots and cookie cutter strip malls of Middle America, what Don discovers is a "Fast Food Nation" of consumers who haven’t realized it is they who are being consumed by an industry with a seemingly endless appetite for fresh meat."

"The Recorded Picture Company production FAST FOOD NATION, a character study set in the fast food industry, is based on material from the book of the same name written by Eric Schlosser. Fast Food Nation, published in 2001 and a New York Times bestseller, [is] an incendiary nonfiction exploration of the industry."

"Fast Food Nation," the movie, opened in theatres across the United States on November 17th, 2006.

"Fast Food Nation," the movie on DVD, is set to release March 6, 2007. This DVD release will include the DVD release of "The Meatrix" films. Visit The Meatrix – News or Sustainable Table for more information.

Written, directed, and produced by Deborah Koons Garcia.

A Lily Films production.

"The Future of Food" is a film that "examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world’s food system. The film also explores alternatives to large–scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today."  (From the films’ Web site.)

(See the films’ Web site for links to various Web sites germane to the topics covered in this film.)

The Future of Food was shown at Brewvies Cinema Pub in Salt Lake City on February 23, 2006, as a benefit for both Slow Food Utah and Wasatch Community Gardens.

Brought to you by:

Sustainable Table and Free Range Graphics.

"The Meatrix returns with The Meatrix II½. This time, our heroes Moopheus, Leo, and Chickity take on another facet of industrial agriculture – meat processing. Picking up from their last adventure at a dairy farm, Leo and Chickity attempt to rescue Moopheus, who has been kidnapped and taken to a slaughterhouse.

The Meatrix II½ has been created and produced by Sustainable Table and Free Range Studios for Participant Productions and their social action campaign around the Fast Food Nation movie.

Spoofing the Matrix films, The Meatrix II½ follows the action from the original The Meatrix and The Meatrix II: Revolting, which have reached more than 15 million viewers worldwide."

"Fast Food Nation," the movie on DVD, is set to release March 6, 2007. This DVD release will include the DVD release of "The Meatrix" films. Visit The Meatrix – News or Sustainable Table for more information.

Brought to you by:

Sustainable Table and Free Range Graphics.

"Thank you for helping us spread the word about ’The Meatrix II: Revolting’. We’ve had an amazing response from Meatrix fans and sustainable food proponents from around the world, all offering to help.  We hope to bring many more people onboard as we educate the public about issues surrounding factory farms, specifically, dairy factories, while promoting more wholesome sustainable dairy options."

"Watch a sneak preview of ’The Meatrix II: Revolting’ and join our heroes Moopheus, Chickity and Leo as they help save family farmers, in the sequel to the Webby–award winning Meatrix."

"The original Meatrix changed the way we look at meat. The sequel will change the way we feel about cheese."

"Some suggestions about what you can do to help out."

Brought to you by:

Sustainable Table and Free Range Graphics.

"The Meatrix (www.themeatrix.com) is a humorous 4–minute Flash™ animation that spoofs The Matrix films and highlights the problems with factory farming. Instead of Keanu Reeves, The Meatrix stars a young pig, Leo, who lives on a pleasant family farm... he thinks. Leo is approached by a trench coat–clad cow, Moopheus, who shows him the ugly truth about agribusiness, complete with a send–up of the "stop–motion" camera work immortalized by the Matrix. The mix of humor, pop culture references, and an important message clearly resonates with a wide segment of the web–using public."

"In early 2003, web and design firm Free Range Graphics invited nonprofit groups from around the country to submit proposals for their first–ever Free Range Flash Activism Grant. After reviewing over 50 proposals, Free Range awarded the grant to the Sustainable Table division of the GrassRoots Action Center for the Environment (GRACE), a program committed to educating the public about factory farms and promoting sustainable agriculture."

"With background material provided by Sustainable Table, the Free Range Graphics team created The Meatrix film. Their decision to spoof The Matrix was based on the many similarities between the film and today’s corporate system of agriculture."

To read the rest of the story, please visit the Meatrix Film Biography

Produced by: Arts Engine.

"Ready for some Film for Thought?

Arts Engine presents ’Media That Matters: Good Food’, a collection of independent shorts that inspire audiences to take action for a healthy, sustainable and delicious future.

The Media That Matters Film Festival is the premiere showcase for short films on the most important topics of the day. From gay rights to global warming, the jury–selected collection represents the work of a diverse group of independent filmmakers, many of whom are under 21. The films are equally diverse in style and content, with documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental work and everything else in between. What all the films have in common is that they spark debate and action in 8 minutes or less.

The festival presents a variety of shorts, from the humorous to the documentary, to the humorous documentary, focused on food and food issues.

Advocating action and education around the issues, Media That Matters: Good Food is more than just a film festival.  Streaming, DVD, broadcasts and screenings around the country, all year long, the collection launched October 10, 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Partners include Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment, Chefs Collaborative, Community Food Security Coalition, National Farm to School, Food and Society Policy Fellows, The Food Project and Slow Food U.S.A. Slow Food USA and Slow Food in Schools will be working with Arts Engine to develop and distribute educational information in conjunction with the film collection.

Arts Engine supports, produces and distributes independent media of consequence and promotes the use of independent media by advocates, educators and the general public. By fostering the production and use of independent film, video and new media, Arts Engine connects media makers and active audiences in order to spur critical consideration of pressing social issues."

Directed and Cinematography by: Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Edited and Dramatic Structure by: Wolfgang Widerhofer

Script: Wolfgang Widerhofer, Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Research: David Bernet, Ivette Löcker, Michael Kitzberger, Maria Arlamovsky

Film Producer’s Synopsis: "Welcome to the world of industrial food production and high-tech farming! To the rhythm of conveyor belts and immense machines, the film looks without commenting into the places where food is produced in Europe: monumental spaces, surreal landscapes and bizarre sounds — a cool, industrial environment which leaves little space for individualism. People, animals, crops and machines play a supporting role in the logistics of this system which provides our society’s standard of living. Our Daily Bread is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn’t always easy to digest — and in which we all take part. A pure, meticulous and high–end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas."

Slow Food USA Description: "Opening on November 24th, 2006, this documentary goes behind the doors of high–tech agriculture, animal husbandry, and industrial food processing. A compilation of images with a soundtrack of the industrial food world, the documentary provides insight into how our food is made by transporting the viewer into the world of food processing. The film aims to comment on today’s society in which things are produced quickly, in abundance, and with little human contact.

Original Title: UNSER TÄGLICH BROT.

Filmed between October 2003 and October 2005 in Europe.

Produced by The Visioneering Group: David Langer and John Raatz.

"The Real Dirt on Farmer John is the award–winning true story of third–generation American farmer John Peterson’s hero’s journey of success, tribulation, failure and rebirth, through his childhood in the ‘50s, the tumultuous ‘60s, the hippie–influenced ‘70s, and the farm–crisis ‘80s, culminating in his transformation–based creation of a biodynamic, organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm serving 1500 families in the Chicago area with weekly fresh produce."

"With The Real Dirt on Farmer John, our goal is to help protect and preserve family farms and to create alternative communities that link urban and rural dwellers into creative partnerships."

See Farmer John’s Cookbook in the Slow Food Utah Books listings.

Directed by Morgan Spurlock. Executive Producers are Heather Winters and J. R. Morley. Produced by Morgan Spurlock and The Con.

"Why are Americans so fat? Find out in Super Size Me, a tongue in–cheek — and burger in hand — look at the legal, financial and physical costs of America’s hunger for fast food. Ominously, 37% of American children and adolescents are carrying too much fat and 2 out of every three adults are overweight or obese. Is it our fault for lacking self–control, or are the fast–food corporations to blame? Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock hit the road and interviewed experts in 20 U.S. cities, including Houston, the "Fattest City" in America. From Surgeon Generals to gym teachers, cooks to kids, lawmakers to legislators, these authorities shared their research, opinions and "gut feelings" on our ever–expanding girth. During the journey, Spurlock also put his own body on the line, living on nothing but McDonald’s for an entire month with three simple rules: 1) No options: he could only eat what was available over the counter (water included!). 2) No supersizing unless offered. 3) No excuses: he had to eat every item on the menu at least once. It all adds up to a fat food bill, harrowing visits to the doctor, and compelling viewing for anyone who’s ever wondered if man could live on fast food alone. The film explores the horror of school lunch programs, declining health and physical education classes, food addictions and the extreme measures people take to lose weight and regain their health. Super Size Me is a satirical jab in the stomach, overstuffed with fat and facts about the billion–dollar industry besieged by doctors, lawyers and nutritionists alike. "Would you like fries with that?" will never sound the same!" (From the Website.)

According to WikiPedia: "The film opened in the U.S. on May 7, 2004, and grossed a total of $28,548,087 worldwide, making it the 7th highest grossing documentary film [BoxOfficeMojo]. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary, but lost to the film Born into Brothels."

Produced by Putumayo World Music.

"Music from the Wine Lands is a full-bodied selection of songs from the world’s leading wine-producing regions: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Greece and the United States.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote ‘Music and wine are one.’ No matter where grapes are grown, wine is enjoyed, or songs are sung, it’s undeniable that one complements the other. Now, Putumayo World Music has brought the two together on a unique collection for the music lover and the wine drinker in everyone. Indulge your senses with Music from the Wine Lands, a full–bodied selection of songs from the world’s premier wine–producing regions and the 4th release in the Putumayo CD series that includes Music from the Coffee Lands, Music from the Chocolate Lands and Music from the Tea Lands.

A portion of Putumayo’s proceeds from the sale of Music from the Wine Lands will be donated to Slow Food in support of their Terra Madre World Meeting. Terra Madre provides a forum for those who seek to grow, raise, catch, create, distribute and promote food in ways that respect the environment, defend human dignity and protect the health of consumers. For more information about Slow Food, visit www.slowfood.com." (From the CDs’ Website.)

By special arrangement, Slow Food Utah has obtained a limited number of the Music from the Wine Lands CD, which are for sale for $10 (plus nominal shipping), of which $5 will support Slow Food Utah. Please e–mail Slow Food Utah if you would like to purchase a copy to benefit Slow Food Utah. (Thank you for your support, and thank you to Putumayo for theirs.)

To enjoy a selection from the CD, launch the "Wine Lands e-card!" or, visit the Website where you can sample the songs from the CD.