Watch the Powerful Documentary “Farming in Fear” Exposing Cronyism Now

From IMDB:

A young, idealistic woman buys a small farm in Paris, Virginia, fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming an organic farmer, only to discover that corruption lurks just below the surface in Fauquier County.

From The Chalres Koch Institute:

At first glance, a Virginia farm and the city of Las Vegas may appear to be an odd combination, but this past weekend proved otherwise, as Farming in Fear, the latest production from Honest Enterprise, won two awards at the Anthem Film Festival. A project of the Charles Koch Institute, the film received the Excellence in Filmmaking (Short Documentary) and Audience Choice awards at the closing gala for FreedomFest, which hosted the festival.

Farming in Fear tells the story of Martha Boneta, who fulfilled her childhood dream of buying and operating a small organic farm, but quickly ran into a series of actions by well-connected organizations and individuals that threatened to put her out of business. For Martha, the widespread audience support for the film reaffirmed her decision to fight back.

“This was my family’s struggle, and receiving [the Audience Choice award] reinforces what I know deep down, that as Americans, we all share that bond—we all crave liberty.”

Sean Malone, who directed the film, was equally thrilled (and somewhat relieved) by the audience response. “As a producer, the first screening of any film is always a nerve-wracking experience. Will people understand what I’m trying to say, do the beats land the right way, is the subject engaging enough? Until the lights come back up, I can only hope,” Malone said.

Indications of the film’s popularity were evident at a private screening of Farming in Fear, held the evening before its premiere at the film festival: as the credits rolled, both Martha and director Sean Malone received a standing ovation.