Ontario Grain Farmer March 2021

Goldberg says screenings are meant to promote dialogue among viewers. “It’s about community, and best experienced alongside friends and neighbours, even virtually,” he says. 36 Screenings are usually accompanied by a panel discussion at the end, hosted by farm association leaders or safety professionals such as Gobeil. The hosts are guided by a workbook from SILO — and occasionally, by producer Goldberg himself or another member of the production crew. They are encouraged to tailor the discussion to local or regional needs. Screenings cost hosts around $2,500 for an audience of up to 500 people. Participants are required to register in advance, then receive a date-specific link to the movie shortly before it starts. All this makes the SILO initiative much different than a typical film. But it also means there wasn’t much of a template for Goldberg and his crew to follow, which provided them with some obstacles. “SILO was produced and viewed in over 250 communities without the help of any large film studio, and with a shoe-string budget,” says Goldberg. “As a small team of entrepreneurs, we have worked tirelessly to get the film out there in a very saturated market for film and TV. We are very proud of that.” He says past screenings have generated a buzz within communities, with local first responders and with safety associations such as CASA, who have had an influx of calls asking for more information or training on grain handling safety. Next up, the team is beginning to develop a film about a struggling dairy farm and will deal with the subject of farmer suicide. For now, though, its focus remains on distributing SILO and maximizing its potentially positive impact on communities across North America. Goldberg is aiming for a wide-sweeping effect. “I hope that people will have more empathy for the plight of farmers as a result of the movie,” he says. “It's an incredibly challenging job that the rest of us depend upon for sustenance. And I also hope that farmers connect with each other and with their surrounding communities, so they can feel less isolated and more supported. They need that.” l continued from page 35 SCENE FROM THE MOVIE SILO. PHOTO COURTESY OF SILO FILM LLC. SCENE FROM THE MOVIE SILO. PHOTO COURTESY OF SILO FILM LLC.