Blue Potato Movie music video
I'll find the link in a sec but the title's officially been changed to 'Beneath the Harvest Sky'
'beneath the harvest sky' to premier 7pm sunday, september 8th, 2013 at toronto international film festival
http://www.fiddleheadfocus.com/content/0017396-lajoie-growers-eagerly-await-release-039blue-potato039-movie
http://beneaththeharvestsky.com/about-the-film/ new trailer
Jay LaJoie, Farm Business Manager for LaJoie Growers, LLC in Van Buren, said,
“I get emails just about every day, from people asking when the film will be
coming out,” and laughed. “I don't really have an answer for them yet.”
The movie is about a young Valley man working his last potato harvest while confronted with the choice anyone who lives in northern Maine will recognize: to stay in his small, rural town, with all of its social and financial comforts and discomforts, or to strike out into the unknown.
The filmmakers utilized the LaJoie farm and their farm’s blue potato production as the backdrop for the coming-of-age drama.
Along with a storyline with broad appeal, the movie showcases the talents of young stars who many audience members will recognize. Beneath the Harvest Sky's Emory Cohen, one of the film's leads, has been making recent waves in “The Place Beyond The Pines;” and Callan McAuliffe, another lead, plays the young Gatsby in 2013's “The Great Gatsby.” Film-goers may also recognize Aiden Gillen, who is currently a cast member in Game of Thrones, the HBO series.
Writer/Producer/Director Gita Pullapilly said the executive team made a decision to change the name of the film from “Blue Potato” to “Beneath the Harvest Sky,” but it's the same film and has the same cast and crew as previously. She said the new name, which has been an adjustment for them as well, is a “better reflection of the [finalized] film.”
“We really love this cut,” she said, saying that the production team's mentors and film advisors have been enthusiastic about it, along with test audiences, including Terra Chips representatives.
The film is now in the marketing, messaging and branding phase of production, said Pullapilly. Test screenings in Boston, LA, and NY have provided some feedback and the filmmakers will be adjusting details, such as color correction and sound mixing, prior to submitting the film to the festival circuit and figuring out where the film will make its world premiere.
The filmmakers are on a whirlwhind schedule.
“It's 24/7 go, go, go,” she said. “We've never had a real day off in two and a half years.”
She said it will be about another year before the pace begins to slacken.
“It's a good thing we love the story so much,” she said, and laughed.
At this point, they are concentrating on getting the film noticed by distributors, festival organizers and what the industry refers to as “tastemakers,” people who champion the film and can help to release the film, the right film critics and “people who love indie film.”
“The next few decisions are key to making sure the film is as successful as possible,” said Pullapilly.
Pullapilly said the filmmakers intend to hold several screenings across the state of Maine, as they did successfully for their previous documentary film “The Way We Get By.” She said they will definitely hold one screening in northern Maine - perhaps a reflection of the relationship the filmmakers developed with the LaJoie family over the course of two years.
“It just fell into place,” said LaJoie, about their involvement in the film. Regarding the working relationship they developed with the filmmakers, he said, “We felt like one family working together.”
LaJoie Growers involves five generations, and three generations were directly involved with the film.
His grandfather, Norman LaJoie, who passed away last December, was one of the family members captured on film.
“We have that piece of him to carry on,” said his grandson.
In the end, the two teams, filmmakers and farmers, learned a lot about the ins and outs of each other's industries, said LaJoie.
The LaJoies found that the filmmaking cast and crew worked as hard as they did, regularly getting up early and staying up late to work.
The successful collaboration between LaJoie Growers and the filmmakers stemmed at least in part from the local family's commitment to promoting agriculture in Maine.
“We have a passion for agriculture,” LaJoie said, and added, “We wanted to demonstrate the beautiful scenery, hard working ethic in Maine and the wonderful community...and to put northern Maine on the map.”
“I'd like to see the state of Maine potato industry enhanced by this film,” he said, pointing out that many people don't realize that potatoes are a significant agricultural product for this state.
Hopefully, the film will inspire audience members to look up blue potatoes and to realize the health benefits, primarily from increased antioxidants, that the snack chips carry, he said.
Benefits seen in purchases of the Terra Chips product would enhance the farm's bottom line as well, and the farmers are anticipating some upcoming good news about release of the movie. However, LaJoie cautioned that nothing is certain at this point.
Pullapilly was more direct: “The LaJoies will be growing a lot more potatoes.”
Terra Chips “made a huge commitment to support the film,” said Pullapilly. “It's extremely rare that a company like Terra Chips comes and supports the film in pre-release.”
She said that a groundbreaking precedent is being set through this partnership.
“It's extraordinary, beyond extraordinary,” she said. “We're all thrilled. It will take indie film to a whole new level.”
She said, among other things, the Terra Chips company will be providing marketing assistance for the movie.
On the Beneath the Harvest Sky website at www.bluepotatomovie.com, a Harvard Business School team explains that independent filmmakers are as dependent on the financing limitations or requirements as a big studio film is, although the budgets for indie film are usually smaller.
The implication is that the funding opportunities created by a partnership with a company, such as the one modeled
http://beneaththeharvestsky.com/tag/blue-potato-movie/
LaJoie Growers eagerly await release of 'Blue Potato' movie
- Julie Daigle
- 28 May 2013
VAN BUREN – A groundbreaking marketing partnership
between Hain Celestial Group, parent of Terra Chips, producer of blue potato
snack chips, and Sunny Side Up Films, home of indie film “Blue Potato,” aka
“Beneath the Harvest Sky”, can only help to heighten the anticipation that many
northern Mainers feel about the release of the movie filmed in the St. John
Valley.
The movie is about a young Valley man working his last potato harvest while confronted with the choice anyone who lives in northern Maine will recognize: to stay in his small, rural town, with all of its social and financial comforts and discomforts, or to strike out into the unknown.
The filmmakers utilized the LaJoie farm and their farm’s blue potato production as the backdrop for the coming-of-age drama.
Along with a storyline with broad appeal, the movie showcases the talents of young stars who many audience members will recognize. Beneath the Harvest Sky's Emory Cohen, one of the film's leads, has been making recent waves in “The Place Beyond The Pines;” and Callan McAuliffe, another lead, plays the young Gatsby in 2013's “The Great Gatsby.” Film-goers may also recognize Aiden Gillen, who is currently a cast member in Game of Thrones, the HBO series.
Writer/Producer/Director Gita Pullapilly said the executive team made a decision to change the name of the film from “Blue Potato” to “Beneath the Harvest Sky,” but it's the same film and has the same cast and crew as previously. She said the new name, which has been an adjustment for them as well, is a “better reflection of the [finalized] film.”
“We really love this cut,” she said, saying that the production team's mentors and film advisors have been enthusiastic about it, along with test audiences, including Terra Chips representatives.
The film is now in the marketing, messaging and branding phase of production, said Pullapilly. Test screenings in Boston, LA, and NY have provided some feedback and the filmmakers will be adjusting details, such as color correction and sound mixing, prior to submitting the film to the festival circuit and figuring out where the film will make its world premiere.
The filmmakers are on a whirlwhind schedule.
“It's 24/7 go, go, go,” she said. “We've never had a real day off in two and a half years.”
She said it will be about another year before the pace begins to slacken.
“It's a good thing we love the story so much,” she said, and laughed.
At this point, they are concentrating on getting the film noticed by distributors, festival organizers and what the industry refers to as “tastemakers,” people who champion the film and can help to release the film, the right film critics and “people who love indie film.”
“The next few decisions are key to making sure the film is as successful as possible,” said Pullapilly.
Pullapilly said the filmmakers intend to hold several screenings across the state of Maine, as they did successfully for their previous documentary film “The Way We Get By.” She said they will definitely hold one screening in northern Maine - perhaps a reflection of the relationship the filmmakers developed with the LaJoie family over the course of two years.
“It just fell into place,” said LaJoie, about their involvement in the film. Regarding the working relationship they developed with the filmmakers, he said, “We felt like one family working together.”
LaJoie Growers involves five generations, and three generations were directly involved with the film.
His grandfather, Norman LaJoie, who passed away last December, was one of the family members captured on film.
“We have that piece of him to carry on,” said his grandson.
In the end, the two teams, filmmakers and farmers, learned a lot about the ins and outs of each other's industries, said LaJoie.
The LaJoies found that the filmmaking cast and crew worked as hard as they did, regularly getting up early and staying up late to work.
The successful collaboration between LaJoie Growers and the filmmakers stemmed at least in part from the local family's commitment to promoting agriculture in Maine.
“We have a passion for agriculture,” LaJoie said, and added, “We wanted to demonstrate the beautiful scenery, hard working ethic in Maine and the wonderful community...and to put northern Maine on the map.”
“I'd like to see the state of Maine potato industry enhanced by this film,” he said, pointing out that many people don't realize that potatoes are a significant agricultural product for this state.
Hopefully, the film will inspire audience members to look up blue potatoes and to realize the health benefits, primarily from increased antioxidants, that the snack chips carry, he said.
Benefits seen in purchases of the Terra Chips product would enhance the farm's bottom line as well, and the farmers are anticipating some upcoming good news about release of the movie. However, LaJoie cautioned that nothing is certain at this point.
Pullapilly was more direct: “The LaJoies will be growing a lot more potatoes.”
Terra Chips “made a huge commitment to support the film,” said Pullapilly. “It's extremely rare that a company like Terra Chips comes and supports the film in pre-release.”
She said that a groundbreaking precedent is being set through this partnership.
“It's extraordinary, beyond extraordinary,” she said. “We're all thrilled. It will take indie film to a whole new level.”
She said the commitment that Terra Chips is making is
not just to the upcoming “Beneath the Harvest Sky” film and to the executive
team as artists as well as filmmakers, but also to the genre of independent
film.
“Other independent films will have an opportunity to launch in a way that's
never been done before,” she said, “and we will be the model.”She said, among other things, the Terra Chips company will be providing marketing assistance for the movie.
On the Beneath the Harvest Sky website at www.bluepotatomovie.com, a Harvard Business School team explains that independent filmmakers are as dependent on the financing limitations or requirements as a big studio film is, although the budgets for indie film are usually smaller.
The implication is that the funding opportunities created by a partnership with a company, such as the one modeled
http://beneaththeharvestsky.com/tag/blue-potato-movie/
