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Mar
5
8

An Appeal to America’s Independent Brewers

From the Filmmaker behind Beer Wars

As a response to my CALL TO ACTION asking folks to spread the word about the recent availability of Beer Wars, I received this reply from Daniel Curran from Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company:

$400,000 / 1,600 craft breweries in the US = $250 per brewery. My brewery will send you $500 because we know Beer Wars had contributed to at least that much in additional revenue. In return – I want to be able to give a copy to every single person that I meet. At every summer event, at every brewers festival, at every bar and restaurant our beers are on tap. Who is in? How do we organize it?

Just so I am clear – why WOULDN’T each and every craft brewery in the US donate? Yes money is tight for all of us – but $250 / $300 is very reasonable. Breweries could raise that from their fan base in no time. Hell, we could finance your next film. The key in my opinion is the ability to get a copy in everyone’s hands I meet.

Wow! This was completely unexpected. And it got me thinking. Other than a few breweries like Stone, The Bruery, and 21st Amendment who have supported the film by buying DVDs and hosting screenings, where are the other breweries? Why am I not hearing from them?
Read the rest of this entry »

FILED UNDER: Community, DVD
Comment
Feb
22
40

CALL TO ACTION

Why Beer Wars Matters

OK, this may seem self-serving coming from me but before you judge, please read on for at least another paragraph or two. Obviously Beer Wars matters to me. After all, I invested 3 years of my life making the film and another year securing distribution and promoting it. And as many of you know, I don’t (can’t) drink beer because of my alcohol allergy. I made this movie because I believe in its bigger message –consumer choice. (If you want to skip to the “call to action” then click here.)

And speaking of choice, Beer Wars is now available to virtually everyone with a TV or computer through several distribution deals with major media companies who obviously think the film has merit. So let’s take a minute to celebrate that. Woo hoo! After all, distribution (like in the beer business) is step one. After all if it’s not available, people can’t buy it.

The bigger issue is AWARENESS. It’s one thing to have the movie available along with hundreds of well-known movies (on cable and satellite on demand) or among thousands of films (on iTunes, Amazon, Netflix) but it’s another for people to actually buy or rent it. Just like in beer, the “shelf” is dominated with big names. Sure it’s easier to engage viewers on Netflix because people see it as “free” with their membership. But getting people to plop down $3.99 on a film they’ve never heard of, well that’s something else entirely. Read the rest of this entry »

FILED UNDER: Community, DVD
Comment
Feb
14
0

Happy Valentine’s Day

I received the most amazing Valentine. A friend sent me the link to IMDb’s Most Popular Documentaries and there was Beer Wars, right below the king of pop. Pretty cool for this independent film with no marketing budget, celebrity or Oscar nod.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the film. Please continue to spread the word.

IMDb Most Popular Documentaries

FILED UNDER: Community
Comment
Dec
14
7

Over to you…

When I made the film, I ended up with over 180 hours of footage. The film is only 85 minutes long. So… lots of footage is just sitting there waiting (begging) to be seen. And there’s some FABULOUS stuff, especially the interviews and brewery visits with some of the who’s who in beer.

I’m planning to edit some more videos but I need your help. Who do you want more of? Please give me your top 5.

I want to see more of...

Loading ... Loading ...
FILED UNDER: Community, Extras
Comment
Jun
26
9

Does Size Matter?

I just read this comment about the trailer on YouTube : “This is such propaganda! Why is Jim Koch talking about his products when everyone knows that most of the Sam Adams line is contract brewed by Miller. In addition, he is one of the largest brewers in the country. I personally like a lot of different styles of beer, and I think it is up to the consumer as to what they drink. You can’t sit here and tell me that every micro brew out there would not like to sell more of their product! The elitist attitudes will destroy the craft beer movement.”

Wow. This guy is certainly passionate. And some of his comments were echoed by people I met at screenings and panels over the past few weeks.

One thing is certain. There is no singular craft beer enthusiast. And perceptions vary widely.
Read the rest of this entry »

FILED UNDER: Community, Events, General
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Jun
10
2

Taking the Show on the Road

I’m excited to take Beer Wars out to Texas this weekend and Boston the next. This will be my first opportunity to interact directly with theater audiences which is a great opportunity to actually have a conversation.

I’m looking forward to joining Greg Koch (Stone) in Austin, Claus Hagelman (Dogfish Head) in Houston, and to finally meeting Brock Wagner (St. Arnold) in San Antonio, all at the Alamo Drafthouse who have been waiting patiently for the film’s release for quite a while. I’m expecting the Q&A to be quite lively and I look forward to hearing what’s on people’s minds and sharing my experiences and perspective on the issues. Read the rest of this entry »

FILED UNDER: Community, Events, News
Comment
Jun
9
4

I’m back…

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to get the conversation started with a bigger audience. After all, that’s why I made the film – to get lots of people to watch it and talk about it. Beer Wars Live was a great launch pad but there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people around the world who have never heard of Beer Wars. So how do you get the word out in this heavily saturated, heavily messaged era we live in? And how do you do it without a multi million dollar advertising campaign? Read the rest of this entry »

FILED UNDER: Community, News
Comment
Apr
26
26

My response to (some) beer bloggers

It’s been 10 days since the big night. I wanted to let everyone else have their say, before jumping in. The good news is that there has been a great deal of positive feedback from people who saw the film. But it is the beer bloggers who have raised issues. So I have mixed feelings about addressing their feedback; is this really what I want to engage in? But ultimately, I’d like to articulate my thoughts and move forward with everyone. To the actual issues the film addresses.

Spoiler alert: If you have not seen the film then you may want to stop reading and make up your own mind at a future screening or from the DVD. Read the rest of this entry »

FILED UNDER: Community, Events
Comment
Oenophiles have SIDEWAYS and BOTTLE SHOCK; now their beer-loving counterparts can claim a film as their own.
- Rotten Tomatoes
A David and Goliath story pitting the country's smallest brewers against the largest.
- CNN
Beer Wars: Brewed in America, is an eye-opening, funny and righteosly infuriating documentary by first-time filmaker Anat Baron. Her film (think of it as Suds: A Love Story) is also a pretty damning idictment of not just the beer industry but contemporary unfettered unregulated capitalism's disturbing excesses.
- Box Office Magazine
In Beer Wars, entrepreneurialism and opportunity go awry when tainted by greed and a thirst for power.
- Los Angeles Times
Beer Wars certainly raises some interesting questions, the most potent of which is, is this what capitalism is meant to be?
- New Times
For those who are keeping the American dream alive, this spirited documentary raises a toast.
- St Louis Post-Dispatch
A trenchant analysis unapologetic in its rebuke of Big Beer, Beer Wars is heartily recommended for patrons already inclined to opt for the local brew at every tap. It will also appeal to patrons interested in craft foods as well as homebrewed beer and wine and others particular about quality.
- Library Journal