Husband and wife filmmaking team Andy Heathcote and Heike Bachelier have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to self-fund the UK cinema release this summer of their documentary THE MOO MAN, a surprise hit at film festivals including this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Utah and London. The Moo Man will also be playing at the Sheffield Doc/Fest on 12, 15 and 16 June.

Steve Hook is a maverick farmer with a small dairy herd of fifty-five cows who is determined to keep his family farm in East Sussex small, organic and sustainable.  To achieve this he sells raw milk directly to the consumer via door-to-door delivery and at farmer’s markets rather than selling to supermarkets at a loss.

The Moo Man follows Steve and his herd as they deal with the hardships and issues faced by many British farmers today at a time where one family farm in the UK is closing everyday.

Charismatic and caring, Steve has a rare relationship with his animals, a bond that most of us have forgotten still exists which makes The Moo Man an endearing, intimate movie that tackles some surprisingly big issues. 

Director Andy Heathcote commented: “As soon as we met Steve Hook we knew we had to share his story.  At a time when we have all learned not to take for granted what we eat every day and where it comes from, we have found a true advocate for organic, healthy and sustainable food production.  Anyone who cares about the quality of the food they eat and provide to their families should see The Moo Man and take comfort that there are farmers like Steve who are working tirelessly every day to make a difference.”

Co-Director Heike Bachlier commented; “Distributing a film into cinemas costs money, and it has to be done properly.  Through Kickstarter, we are hoping to raise £20,000 to make a release campaign possible but we have only until the 12 June to get this in place. Any extra money we raise will go into even more marketing for more screenings and events around the country.”

via press release