The Highland County office of Ohio State University Extension is pleased to announce the inaugural Germinate International Film Fest will be held on August 16 and 17, 2019 in Hillsboro, Ohio. Germinate means to grow, and the purpose of this film festival is to grow knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

Historically, rural communities and the agricultural industry have been depicted in entertainment media as outdated and uneducated; and they have been used as fodder for comedic material in film and television programming. However, online streaming platforms (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Apple iTunes) have recently curated films related to food production and culinary expertise. These films represent consumers’ desire to learn more about how their food is prepared and where it is grown. The Germinate International Film Fest aggregates films that represent rural communities and their associated industries accurately, including current technologies, practices, and programs.

This event will provide a forum for open discussion about agricultural, environmental, and rural community development topics important to the public. While rural areas represent 97 percent of the United States’ landmass, only 19.3 percent of the population resides in a rural area and less than 2 percent of the nation’s population identifies as farmers. This film festival will showcase the agricultural industry from the perspective of agricultural producers, researchers, and rural community members.

Rural communities face many challenges. Germinate International Film Fest has curated films that highlight the resiliency of rural communities and the individuals who are making these communities thrive. The festival fills a void and differs from thousands of other film festivals, because the films have been selected based on their ability to tell a compelling and logical story, as well as provide factual information about the topic discussed. A number of local filmmakers works will be shown, allowing attendees to connect with producers and filmmakers from the area surrounding Highland County, Ohio. Filmmakers of all skill and expertise levels have submitted films. There is also a still photography and virtual reality division.

Southern State Community College will host the screenings of the festival at its central campus in Hillsboro, Ohio. Hillsboro is located about an hour from Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus. In addition to live screenings of films, attendees can participate in a series of hands-on workshops on video production, photography, agriculture, natural resources, and community development topics. The workshops will be held at various locations in Highland County.

For more information about the festival or to purchase tickets, visit u.osu.edu/germinateinternationalfilmfest or contact the Highland County office of OSU Extension at 937-393-1918.