The original ichannel documentary Milk War has been nominated for a prestigious James Beard Foundation Award.
The hour-long film, which was produced for ichannel by Stornoway Communications and The Path to Gimli, earned a nomination for best Television Special/Documentary in the Broadcast Media category.
Milk War was written and directed by award-winning journalist Kevin O’Keefe, and produced by Declan O’Driscoll. Gemini Award-winning actor Colm Feore narrates. It made its world television premiere on ichannel, Canada’s political and social issues network, on Sept. 26, 2010.
The film tells the story of Ontario dairy farmer Michael Schmidt’s battle with government authorities for the right to distribute unpasteurized milk, a practice outlawed in Canada since 1991. His opposition to the raw milk ban led to a high-profile court case and touched off vigorous public debate on a question of basic freedoms: should government have the right to decide what we, and our families, are allowed to eat?
Established in 1986 and named in honour of the legendary American chef and food writer, The James Beard Foundation (http://jamesbeard.org/) is dedicated to “celebrating, nurturing and preserving America’s diverse culinary heritage and future.”
The annual James Beard Foundation Awards (www.jbfawards.com), sometimes described as “the Oscars of the food world,” celebrate North America’s leading food and beverage professionals. The awards cover all aspects of the industry, including chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors, food journalists, and restaurant designers and architects.
The Broadcast Media award winners will be announced on May 6, 2011.
