Press Release ................................................................

Contact: ..............................................................................March 1, 2005
Susan Clayton
Press Coordinator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3rd Chicago International Documentary Festival
Opening Night Gala will feature screening of
THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN


Friday, April 1, 2005 at the Doc Films- Max Palevsky Cinema in Ida Noyes Hall (1212 E. 59th Street).

Chicago, IL - - The Chicago International Documentary Festival (CIDF) will celebrate its 3rd Opening Night Gala on Friday, April 1, 2005 at the Doc Films- Max Palevsky Cinema in Ida Noyes Hall (1212 E. 59th Street). A cocktail reception featuring live entertainment will start at 6:30pm, followed by the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to film legend Albert Maysles and the Genius Career Achievement Award presentation to retired professor and Chair of the Film/Video Dept. at Columbia College Chicago, Michael Rabiger. A screening of THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN, directed by Taggart Siegel and produced by Teri Lang, will begin at 8pm with tickets set at $50 per person to attend the reception and screening or $20 per person for the screening alone.

THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN is a personal documentary about John Peterson, a maverick Illinois farmer who transcends conventional farming methods and overcomes local prejudice to build a thriving organic farm and a progressive farm community. This powerful story captures the rise and fall of the Peterson family farm and its resurrection through John's courageous fight to establish a new form of community. This is a uniquely American tale, pitting individual resolve, freedom of expression, and innovative land use against the isolating nature of farming communities and the perils of corporate agriculture. “THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN is a culmination of 55 years of John’s life as a farmer, writer and activist, seen through family home movies, photographs, film and video. By filming the emotional events unfolding in John’s life, I’ve tried to tell a story that unearths the fate of the American farmer and the impact it has on all of us”, notes director Taggart Siegel.

Live entertainment for the gala will be provided, in part, by Farmer John’s biographer, editor and story consultant Lesley Freeman Littlefield who also plays Mrs. Bumblebee in the film. Plus, Littlefield's BUG SONG video appears in THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN and is a featured track from her recent music CD, LITTLE SONGS.

The CIDF’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to celebrated filmmaker Albert Maysles at opening night in honor of the significant contributions he has made to the genre of documentary filmmaking. Maysles most popular works include films like SALESMEN, GIMME SHELTER, GREY GARDEN, WHAT’S HAPPENING! THE BEATLES IN THE USA, plus popular shorts MEET MARLON BRANDO and MUHAMMAD AND LARRY. Likewise, opening night will feature a presentation of the Genius Career Achievement Award to Chicago film icon Michael Rabiger. Founder of the Documentary Center at Columbia College that bears his name, Rabiger is a renowned documentary filmmaker, educator and author of three books on filmmaking.

Established in 2003, the CIDF is a thought-provoking 10-day film event, dedicated to the celebration and cultivation of the documentary film. The eclectic programming is designed to extend appreciation of the art of documentary film and its unique power to inspire and communicate a world of ideas and cultures. Each edition presents an array of extraordinary programs, showcasing the work of brilliant filmmakers and providing a venue for established and emerging artists of film. This year over $50,000 in unrestricted cash plus other prizes will be awarded by a jury.

Tickets may be purchased daily from noon - 6:00 pm. at the CIDF Main Box Office, c/o The Society for Arts (1112 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622), or charged by phone at (866) 466-ARTS and online at www.chicagodocfestival.org. Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover are accepted and all charges are subject to a nominal handling charge. For up-to-date and detailed Festival information, visit www.chicagodocfestival.org or call (773) 486-9612.
Presented by the Society for Arts, the CIDF is a non-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that depends on contributions from individuals, businesses and government to make the program possible.

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