“The Natural State of America” has been selected for the Made in Arkansas program at the 5th Annual Little Rock Film Festival. The documentary was written and produced by Dr. Brian Campbell, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Central Arkansas, and co-directed by UCA Digital Film Program alums, Terrell Case, Corey Gattin, and Timothy Wistrand.
The film premieres at Riverdale 10 Cinema on June 2 at 3:20 p.m. A second show is scheduled for June 4 at 11 a.m.
“The Natural State of America” highlights a four decade effort to prevent herbicide use in the Arkansas Ozark National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service has sprayed herbicides in the Ozark National Forest for years for their vegetative management.
Recently, a rural electric cooperative that covers much of the Ozarks has started spraying to maintain their power line right-of-ways.
The film follows concerned residents, environmental activists, and organic farmers as they battle their rural electric cooperative in order to protect the region’s organic farms, wells, springs, and the Buffalo River, the first National River in the United States, from being contaminated by herbicides.
“The Natural State of America” previously won the Society for Applied Anthropology’s 2011 Annual Film competition.
The film trailer and information about the film cast, crew, and subject can be viewed at http://naturalstateofamerica.com/. Receive updates on local screenings by selecting “like” at http://www.facebook.com/NaturalStateofAmerica.