DOWN ON THE FARM 
six short films about farmers and farming in north Devon

Read more about this short film commission and how the films were created on our news pages.
Down on the Farm is a collection of six short documentary films about farmers and farming in north Devon.  These intimate studies of farming life reveal passion in their personal stories, enlightening local communities and consumers and connecting us with our farming neighbours.

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Thanks to our generous funders and project partners these films will be available for public screenings from 1 December 2019.  This means you can show the films to your community group, club, local cinema, school or college without a licence fee.  Each film is 5 minutes in duration - total running time 31 minutes.

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​DOWN ON THE FARM: LIFELONG FARMERS
BY LINDA MASON

Synopsis:
Rose and Freddy Manning have been living on a farm all their lives and have seen many changes in farming.  They both have a real love for their way of life; the film is a very intimate portrayal of a small scale British Farm shown through routines of keeping livestock.
 
Film Maker Bio:
Linda Mason began filming in 2007; she obtained her MA Documentary Practice in 2014. Her films have played at various festivals.  She’s interested primarily in people, she loves documentary partly because you have to be led by the people and events you encounter. She’s co-founder of Egg and Spoon Films. 
​DOWN ON THE FARM: WEST ILKERTON FARM
BY FLORENCE BROWNE

Synopsis:
This film follows the Eveleigh family’s decision to produce and sell their own meat using their local abattoir, and selling meat boxes online. It explores the importance of local, small-scale farming for the animals’ welfare and the difficulty faced by farmers of caring for livestock raised for meat.
 
Film Maker Bio:
Florence Browne has a background in ethnographic film, with an MA from UCL, and is based in West Cornwall where she has worked as a freelance documentary filmmaker and sound designer for the past two years. She is keen on exploring rural stories through film, and is a BBC New Creative 2019. 
DOWN ON THE FARM: GET BIGGER, GET DIFFERENT OR GET OUT
BY JAMES COX

Synopsis: 
‘Get Bigger, Get Different or Get Out’ (2019) is an expository documentary, employing animated still image to tell the story of one farmer’s family.  Wayne Copp is an ethical and sustainable beef farmer, working in the North Devon Biosphere. The documentary explores the family’s farming history, who have lived and worked on the farm for over 150 years. 
 
Film Maker Bio:
​James Cox is a videographer, musician and motion graphics artist with nearly a decade in creative practice.  Working mainly in commercial based media and the television industry, James developed a love for documentary film and creative storytelling at university. 
​DOWN ON THE FARM: PORTRAIT OF A GRAZIER
BY JOANNA RYAN

Synopsis:
Portrait of a Grazier focuses on Ronald Griffey, who has grazed sheep on the common land of Northam Burrows for over 40 years. The film explores Ronald’s connection to the landscape and some of the challenges and issues he faces as a grazier, like lambing and dogs chasing his sheep.
 
Film Maker Bio:
Joanna Ryan is a Devon-based independent filmmaker who started making films around three years ago. She is passionate about creating documentaries with a social or environmental purpose, whether that’s about heritage, inspiring enterprises, or special places or people, and believes in the power of film to help bring about positive change.
​DOWN ON THE FARM: ONE ACRE
BY BLACK BARK FILMS

Synopsis:
We follow a young new entrant farmer as she reflects on her experience of farming; from climate change, to community and the art of letting go of control. One Acre highlights the delicate balance involved in farming on a small scale, and the reality of living life by the land. 
 
Film Maker Bio:
Dee Butterly is a farmer and food activist who works for the Landworkers’ Alliance. Jo Barker and Holly Black are a female led film company; Black Bark Films. Previous works include ​In Our Hands ​ (2016) an award-winning feature length documentary made in association with the Landworkers' Alliance.
DOWN ON THE FARM: THE WOMEN OF REED FARM
BY MICHAEL BALSDON

Synopsis:
This lambing season on Reed Farm we take at look at the level of work that each generation of the Balsdon women put in. We follow Mel, Amanda, Stacey and 3-year-old Lola as we get to see what it’s like for these women during this demanding time on the farm.

Film Maker Bio:
For the past 19 years I’ve grown up on my family’s farm. However, farming was a career I didn’t want to pursue in life. Instead I have a deep passion and appreciation for filmmaking and I really enjoy experimenting with different genres and take pride in producing high-quality media projects.

With thanks to our Down on the Farm Supporters