Germinate International Film Fest Premiering August 16 & 17
Brooke Beam, PhD
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
OSU Extension, Highland County
July 30, 2019
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.
Over 60 films will be shown during the film festival. Films shown range from a 90 second film by Ashton Bain, a Highland County 4-H member, to international feature length films. Topics of the films range from astronomy to water quality, and provide a new perspective on agriculture for even the most seasoned agriculturalists. Below is a list of the selected films and a description of each. Several of the films scheduled to be shown have been screened in multiple film festivals around the world and large-budget, high-quality productions. Having an opportunity to showcase this kind of filmmaking in Hillsboro is a great opportunity for all kinds of film and entertainment enthusiasts, as well as an opportunity for agricultural producers to expand their knowledge on a variety of topics relevant to their production practices.
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. 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, including uptown Hillsboro, Southern State Community College, and Karnes Orchard.
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. Programs with a full schedule and list of films is available at the Extension Office.
Upcoming Programs:
Cover Crop Field Day Planned: The Highland SWCD and the Highland County Farm Bureau have partnered together to host a field day to uncover the importance of planting cover crops. The event is scheduled for August 21, 2019 from 9:30am-4pm at Brown Farms in Highland County. Information will be provided on fertilizer recommendations, the importance of improving soil health and a tour of a cover crop plot. Various events will be held throughout the day, such as in-field and an aerial seeding demonstrations. This field day will offer a unique on-site opportunity for landowners to carefully consider all cover crop options that can be implemented to advance their farming operation while capturing nutrients for a long-term investment. This field day will offer CCA Credits for Certified Crop Advisors and has a great line-up of cover crop door prize donations. Lunch will be provided with pre-registration by August 14. Please visit www.highlandswcd.com/events.html or call the Highland SWCD office at 937-393-1922 Ext 3 to register.
