Grounded: Student Filmmakers Explore Agriculture Through Collaboration with Greenacres
Produced in partnership with Interlochen Arts Academy and Greenacres Foundation, Grounded highlights hands-on learning in agriculture, connecting students directly with working farms, research, and the broader systems that shape food and land stewardship.
From Idea to Completion: Greenacres and Interlochen’s Documentary Grounded
In 2022, Greenacres Foundation partnered with Interlochen Center for the Arts on an ambitious documentary project exploring regenerative agriculture and its connection to land, food systems, and human experience. What began as an idea between Interlochen Film & New Media leadership and Greenacres has now become a completed feature-length documentary titled Grounded.
The film, created by Interlochen Arts Academy students alongside faculty and guest artists, will premiere at the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with additional screenings taking place on April 19 and April 23, 2026.
Greenacres as a Living Classroom
Greenacres was an active supporter of the project from the very beginning. With a focus on educating young people, encouraging future farmers, and building a deeper understanding of food systems, the foundation first pitched the idea of a film to Interlochen and ultimately funded the project.
Once production was underway, Greenacres welcomed student filmmakers and faculty onto its farms in Indiana and Ohio. There, students observed and documented agricultural practices while learning directly from Greenacres staff and researchers.
These visits gave students hands-on exposure to soil health, pasture management, livestock systems, and the broader ecological relationships that shape agricultural decision-making. For many, it was their first opportunity to engage with agriculture in a working research and education setting.
Greenacres staff also provided context on regenerative farming systems and the foundation’s ongoing work in education, conservation, and land stewardship, helping ground the film’s narrative in real-world practice.
A Collaboration Rooted in Learning
Throughout production, Grounded evolved into a student-led exploration of food systems, sustainability, and the complexities within agricultural language and practice. According to Interlochen, the project involved nearly 170 students, faculty, and guest artists over multiple years of production.
Co-director Claire Collins reflected on the meaning behind the film’s title, noting its layered significance:
“It uses the word ‘grounded’ to describe both the journey of teenagers as they are becoming young adults, as well as a deeper connection to the earth through soil regeneration.”
Director of Film & New Media Michael Mittelstaedt emphasized the importance of student-driven storytelling and lived experience in shaping the project:
“The film aspires to tell a human, accessible story that will emotionally connect with, inspire and educate audiences, empowering them with knowledge to act.”
The documentary reflects not only what students learned through research and interviews, but also what they discovered through direct experience on farms and in agricultural learning environments like Greenacres.
Looking Ahead
With production now complete, Grounded is beginning its festival run, with its world premiere at RiverRun International Film Festival in April 2026. Additional viewing opportunities, including local screenings, are expected later this year.
Greenacres is proud to have supported a project that connects students to working agricultural systems and encourages deeper understanding of where food comes from and how land is cared for over time.
More information about the film and screenings can be found here:
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- RiverRun International Film Festival: https://riverrunfilm.com/
- Grounded screening page: https://riverrunfilm.com/events/grounded/
- Film website: https://www.interlochen.org/grounded
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More information about the original announcement can be found here:
https://green-acres.org/arts-and-agriculture-in-new-documentary-film/
Stay tuned for future updates on additional viewing opportunities for Grounded later in the summer or fall of 2026.
About Interlochen Center for the Arts
The nonprofit Interlochen Center for the Arts is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and the only organization in the world that brings together a 3,000-student summer camp program; a 500-student fine arts boarding high school; opportunities for hundreds of adults to engage in fulfilling artistic and creative programs; two 24-hour listener-supported public radio services (classical music and news); more than 600 arts presentations annually by students, faculty and world-renowned guest artists; and a global alumni base spanning nine decades, including leaders in the arts and all other endeavors. For information, visit Interlochen online at www.interlochen.org.
About Greenacres Foundation
Greenacres Foundation is an Ohio-based nonprofit and underwriter of the project. The foundation’s work focuses on education, conservation and generative agriculture with an emphasis on encouraging appreciation of nature by providing the public, particularly children, opportunities to study plant and animal life in their natural settings. For more information, visit Greenacres online at www.green-acres.org.