WASHINGTON, DC – The PBS series Chefs A’ Field: Culinary Adventures That Begin on the Farm, has been awarded the esteemed 2004 CINE Golden Eagle Award. The CINE Golden Eagle Awards recognizes excellence in film and television and are renowned internationally as symbols of the highest production standards in filmmaking. CINE, founded in 1957, has awarded great talents throughout the years–including Ken Burns, Steven Spielberg, Charles Guggenheim, and George Lucas.
“The CINE Golden Eagle is an incredible honor,” says Heidi Hanson, Producer of Chefs A’ Field. “I believe we are the first cooking show to ever win the Golden Eagle. The award is a testament to the high production value and documentary style approach we have brought to the world of cooking as well as the series’ strong message regarding sustainable agriculture. The outstanding farmers, fishermen, and chefs we feature in Chefs A’ Field provide exceptional content.”
In the Spring 2004 Competition, over 300 judges viewed and evaluated hundreds of distinguished entries. Experienced professionals in the field of film and television production, as well as subject matter experts, judged the entries using standards of overall excellence—evaluating such criteria as writing, sound, editing, creativity, visuals, insights, and the extent to which the film met its stated goal and communicated with its intended audience.
In May, Chefs A’ Field won the 2004 James Beard Award for “Best National Cooking Show.” It is the first American cooking series produced in HDTV (1080i-High Definition TV) and appears on over 250 PBS stations nationwide. The series is produced by Warner Hanson Television.
Chefs A’ Field is a series of 13 half-hour programs exploring the vital relationship between great chefs and their food sources. Shot in locations across the United States, the series showcases regional cuisine and is filled with picturesque scenes shot at the peak of seasonal harvest. Each episode features a top American chef, who travels to the field to explore the offerings of farmers and fishermen and then returns to the kitchen, where the fresh, locally grown ingredients are transformed into the delectable dishes found on the menus of America’s finest restaurants. As the chefs interact with local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen, viewers see how environmental practices make a difference in how foods taste and hold their nutritional value. The ideas of sustainable agriculture are at the forefront of the subject matter.
The series features some of America’s most notable chefs, including: Cory Schreiber-Wildwood (Portland, OR), Patrick O’Connell-The Inn at Little Washington (Washington, VA), Tom Douglas-Palace Kitchen (Seattle), Traci Des Jardins-Jardiniere (San Francisco), Rick Moonen-RM (New York), Nora Pouillon-Nora (Washington DC), Stan Frankenthaler-Salamander (Boston), John Sundstrom-Earth & Ocean/Lark (Seattle), Anne Quatrano-Bacchanalia (Atlanta), Peter Hoffman-Savoy (New York), and Odessa Piper-L’Etoile (Madison, Wi).
Chefs A’ Field will release a second season of 13 episodes in Winter 2004/2005 on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings. Chefs A’ Field is a production of Warner Hanson Television and KCTS/PBS-Seattle. Producer: Heidi Hanson. Executive Producer: Chris Warner. Writer/Correspondent: Jed Duvall. The series is distributed by American Public Television.
Chefs A’ Field is made possible by the generous support of Whole Foods Market, The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, The Park Foundation, USDA/SARE, The Wallace Genetic Foundation.
The Chefs A’ Field Companion Book is available at www.channel9store.com and at amazon.com.
For more information, visit www.chefsafield.com.
