Netflix Adds ‘Farmland’ Documentary Funded by Big Agriculture Group to Streaming Queue
“Farmland,” a documentary sponsored by major U.S. agricultural companies that depicts the lives of six farmers and ranchers in their 20s, is now available for streaming on Netflix.
The docu is available to Netflix customers in the U.S. and Canada. The film from Academy Award-winning director James Moll was made possible by grants from the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, whose members include Monsanto and DuPont.
“I’m thrilled that ‘Farmland’ has found a new home at Netflix,” Moll said in a statement. “There’s a lot of interest out there in the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and Netflix is a great venue to meet and be inspired by these six hard-working Americans.”
Moll won an Oscar for 1998 documentary “The Last Days,” in which five Jewish Hungarians who became U.S. citizens relay their stories from the Holocaust.
“Farmland” premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. In addition to streaming on Netflix, “Farmland” is currently screening on college and university campuses across the U.S. It’s also available for rent or purchase at Walmart retail locations nationwide, Walmart.com and via digital download on Apple’s iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Dish’s Blockbuster On-Demand, Sony PlayStation, Vudu.com, Microsoft’s Xbox and YouTube.
Produced by Moll’s Allentown Prods., “Farmland” is positioned as a piece of Americana — highlighting a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Netflix has made a concentrated effort to expand its documentary lineup. Last month it ordered “Our Planet” — its biggest documentary gambit to date — an eight-part nature series exploring remote wilderness areas across the globe from the creators of “Planet Earth.”
Other docus Netflix has acquired rights to include Mike Fleiss’ “The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir,” about the legendary Grateful Dead co-founder; “What Happened, Miss Simone?,” about legendary singer and pianist Nina Simone, from filmmaker Liz Garbus; foodie docu “Chef’s Table” from David Gelb; and “E-Team,” about four Human Rights Watch workers who were first-responders investigating abuse allegations in Syria and Libya.
Netflix also recently inked a first-look deal with Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way production company for docus with environmental and conservation themes. Appian Way previously teamed with Netflix on “Virunga,” the Oscar-nominated documentary about endangered gorillas in the Congo’s Virunga National Park.
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