“What’s Organic About Organic?” will kick off its national tour with a week-long premiere at HERE’s Dorothy B. Williams Theater in New York City from June 21st to 27th. The premiere will also serve as the launch of the film’s Screen & Green campaign, which aims to partner with local organizations and companies nation-wide and encourage the audience to take the next step beyond watching the film and become an engaged participant in the organic food movement.
With the support of co-host organizations such as Just Food, GrowNYC and NOFA-NY, Rogers will hold post-screening panel discussions each evening of the premiere to provide local perspective and context for the film’s message. Guest speakers will include: Joan Gussow, Professor Emerita of Nutrition Education at Columbia University, Marion Nestle of New York University and Jacquie Berger, Executive Director of Just Food along with many other thought leaders in the agricultural and food world. Characters from the film will also be in attendance to discuss their experiences.
The film’s premiere week will also include a Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21st and a post-screening fundraising party for NOFA-NY on June 25th at HERE’s adjoining café, Dom Hudson Square. A $20 donation is requested to come enjoy a free drink and local, organic food grown by several farmers in the film.
Screening Dates: June 21 – 27, 2010
Time: 7:00pm / additional matinee screening at 2:00pm on June 26th & 27th
Location: HERE, Dorothy B. Williams Theater,145 Avenue of the Americas (enter on Dominick Street one block south of Spring), New York, NY, 10013
Online ticket sales, $10: To avoid disappointment please purchase tickets in advance as seating is limited https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/743255 ,
Post-Screening Schedule of Panelists
Monday, June 21 – 7pm screening
Topic: The challenges of bringing organic food to the NYC population, the trend of urban farming and the replicability/scalability of the organic farming model
Jacquie Berger, Executive Director, Just Food
Hilary Baum, Co-Founder of Food Systems NYC and Founder, Baum Forum
Richard Mandelbaum, Social Justice Coordinator, CATA, Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas
Barbara Shinn, Shinn Estate Vineyards
Tuesday, June 22 – 7pm screening
Topic: Organic farming as a solution for climate change
Paul Mankiewicz, Executive Director, Gaia Institute
Karen Washington, President, NYC Community Gardens Coalition
Maria-Paolo Sutto, Program Coordinator, Urban Design Lab of Columbia’s Earth Institute
Urvashi Rangan, Environmental Health Scientist, Consumer’s Union and “character” in WOAO?
Anna Lappe, Small Planet Institute & Author of Diet for a Hot Planet
Wednesday, June 23 – 7pm screening
Topic: The ability of farmers’ markets to create a direct relationship between people and their food and farmers
Michael Hurwitz, Director, Greenmarket Program, GrowNYC
David Hughes, Operations Manager, Greenmarket Program, GrowNYC
Bob Lewis, NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets
Challey Comer, Farm to Market Manager, Watershed Agricultural Council
Fred Kirschenmann, Board President, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
Thursday, June 24 – 7pm screening
Topic: Restaurants and organic farming
Elizabeth Meltz, Director of Sustainability, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group
Patrick Martins, Co-Founder, Heritage Foods USA
Jimmy Carbone, Owner, Jimmy’s 43
Carlos Suarez, Owner, Bobo Restaurant
Ian Marvey, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Added Value
Friday, June 25 – 7pm screening, for NOFA-NY fundraiser to follow at 9pm
Topic: Reconnecting urban and rural food systems
Scott Chaskey, President, NOFA-NY
Peter Hoffman, Chef, Back Forty and Savoy, Member of Chef’s Collaborative
Adriana Velez, Communications Coordinator, Brooklyn Food Coalition
Liana Hoodes, National Organic Coalition
Greg Swartz, Willow Wisp Organic Farm & Character in the film
George Stoney, Documentary Film Professor, NYU
Saturday, June 26 – 2pm matinée
Topic: The benefits of organic food for child health and development
Annie Novak, farmer and founder of Growing Chefs
Annie Hauck-Lawson, Associate Professor at Brooklyn College, President: Association for the Study of Food and Society, Nutritional Educator
Saturday, June 26 – 7pm screening
Topic: The benefits of a field-to-fork relationship
Joan Gussow, Professor Emerita of Nutrition Education, Columbia University
John Gorzynski, Farmer/Owner, Ornery Farm and “character” in WOAO?
Claudia Keel, President, Traditional Nutrition Guild; NYC Chapter Leader of Weston A Price Foundation
Sunday, June 27 – 2pm matinee
Topic: Composting and urban farming
Christine Datz-Romero, Founder & Director, LES Ecology Center
Yonnette Fleming, Vice President, Hattie Carthan Community Garden & Founder, Hattie Carthan Community Market
Sunday, June 27 – 7pm screening
Topic: Organic nutrition and food retail
Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, New York University
Anne Saxelby, Owner, Saxelby Cheesemongers
Urvashi Rangan, Environmental Health Scientist, Consumer’s Union and “character” in WOAO?
Dennis Derryck, Founder, Corbin Hill Farm
Marty Mesh, Executive Director, Florida Organic Growers, Co-producer and “character” in WOAO?