Franklin Street Works is
pleased to present the new documentary film Fair
Tomatoes: A Story About Justice, Dignity, and Sustainability on Thursday,
March 13 at 7:00 pm, followed by a Q & A with its directors, Ernie Zahn and
Ron Williams. The 25-minute film focuses on the plight of farmworkers in
Immokalee, Florida, and their organized efforts to correct abuses and wage
issues that persist today. This free, public screening with the film’s directors invites the community to join in conversation about fair-food practices and
workers’ rights. It’s an informative and inspiring event for everyone,
including food lovers, consumer advocates, chefs, and civil liberties
activists! Franklin Street Works will feature a tomato-inspired snack and each
audience member will receive one complimentary beer or wine.
Immokalee, Florida, is the tomato capital of America, but it is also home to abuse, stagnant wages, mistreatment, and unjust labor conditions. In the last decade, the workers have organized the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The group hopes to raise awareness about corporate social responsibility, community organizing, and sustainable food, while also ending modern-day slavery and other labor abuses. The film explores their efforts in Southwest Florida, but also addresses what restaurants, chefs, and consumers can do to support sustainable food practices.
Produced by All Kicker, the Greenwich-based arts and activism blog, in association with Taranta, a Boston North-end restaurant dedicated to socially responsible food practices, the film is currently on tour to increase the visibility of this issue and to continue to make the workers’ experience part of the conversation on sustainability.
ABOUT ERNIE ZAHN:
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Ernie Zahn is the current Executive
Director of NPeaches. He began his media filmmaking career in high school with
his first short film which went on to be screened in film festivals domestically
and internationally. His skills in media merged with his activism shortly after
college when he was hired by Mozilla Foundation to be a part of the organizing
team for the Open Video Conference, an annual event focusing on issues such as
digital rights, human rights and egalitarianism through online video. Ernie has
since gone on to found a social justice non-profit that focuses in media,
NPeaches – seving as the parent company to All Kicker.
ABOUT RON WILLIAMS:
Ron
Williams is a producer at NPeaches. Applying his skills in kendo, fencing, and
other martial arts, Ron entered the film industry as a fight choreographer. He
later moved in front of the camera as the host of the web series Ronaldo Tours,
a food and travel series focuses on Italian culture in America. Ron has since
moved into various roles in filmmaking through NPeaches as one of the
organization’s founding members.
