Freep Film Festival to feature 'Coldwater Kitchen' on life-changing culinary program
Opening night of the 2023 Freep Film Festival will take viewers inside a high-quality, high-pressure culinary school where students learn to prepare exquisite gourmet meals.
These students learn the French mother sauces, service à la russe and how to pour and discuss wine — all inside Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan.
The documentary, "Coldwater Kitchen," features Chef Jimmy Lee Hill — who has led the culinary training program at the prison for nearly 30 years — and three of his students, who must navigate incarceration and the challenges of transitioning back into society after leaving prison.
Coldwater will have its Michigan premiere at Freep Film Festival next month, as the festival celebrates a decade of showcasing documentaries with local connections.
Produced by the Free Press, Coldwater Kitchen premiered in November at DOC NYC, the nation's largest documentary film festival. Co-directed by Free Press executive video producer Brian Kaufman and former Free Press restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik, the film is among several full-length and short films produced by the Free Press, including "12th and Clairmount," about the unrest in Detroit in 1967, and "Packard: The Last Shift." Free Press films have been a centerpiece of the Freep Film Festival for the past 10 years.
“The Free Press, and by extension, the festival, is committed to telling important Michigan stories. The experiences of the men and their families featured in 'Coldwater Kitchen' are rooted in that mission,” said Kathy Kieliszewski, senior news director for visuals at the Free Press and artistic director for the festival.
In addition to the Michigan premiere, tickets are on sale for a VIP reception at Detroit's Scarab Club before the screening that will feature appetizers inspired by the film's four stars.
The movie will be available for at-home streaming from Thursday, April 27 through Sunday, April 30. The total number of viewers will be capped, so early ticket purchases are recommended.
'Coldwater Kitchen'
Opening night, Freep Film Festival
When: 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Wednesday, April 26
Where: Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave.
Tickets: Three ticketing options are on sale now at https://www.goelevent.com/Freep/e/ColdwaterKitchen
Tickets for the DFT screening are $15 tickets
VIP tickets are $65. Each ticket includes a seat to the DFT screening, and entrance to the 5:30 p.m. VIP event at the Scarab Club, 217 Farnsworth St.
Reservations for at-home streaming of the film are $12. Streaming begins Thursday, April 27, with availability lasting through Sunday, April 30
Freep Film Festival
When: April 26-April 30
Where: A variety of metro Detroit venues
The full lineup will be announced later this month. Sign up for updates at www. freepfilmfestival.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Freep Film Fest to feature 'Coldwater Kitchen' on prison culinary program
