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DOCWEEK MIDDLEBURG: TOM FOSTER
DOCWEEK MIDDLEBURG: TOM FOSTER
It began in 2020 and now, four years and five events later, DocWeek Middleburg has become an essential date on the calendar. This year it runs from Tuesday, May 14 through Saturday, May 18.
The board of directors consists of five people, each bringing a unique vision to the table. And, the most impressive fact about this Fab Five is that they always agree on every film chosen for the final showing. They all have to watch each film for the final process under consideration to be shown, and the final vote must be a unanimous yes.
DocWeek Middleburg begins with an option for pre-purchased picnic supper from a local restaurant at 7 p.m. and films at sunset around 8:15 p.m. “We show only one film per night,” said festival founder Tom Foster. “So our community is truly having a single shared experience, unlike traditional festivals where many films are offered at the same time.”
Tom was a board member of the Chicago Media Project (CMP) and first hosted an event known as “Doc5” in Middleburg. It began during Covid and was presented on the lawn in the mini amphitheatre at the Middleburg Community Center. He divided the seating spaces with hula-hoops.
Now known as DocWeek Middleburg, Tom said, “Documentaries can take us all to corners of the world and human behavior that we simply wouldn’t be otherwise exposed.”
His favorite Doc of all time is David Attenborough’s “A Life on Our Planet.”
“It’s a riveting film, both beautiful and disturbing to watch,” he said. “So important.”
His favorite part of serving on the board are his fellow board members: Anne Clancy, Jason Vickers, Joan Faville Ramsay and Robert Dove. “We each bring different talents and skill sets to this DocWeek Middleburg. We have a fantastic time pulling it together. None of us could do it alone and we all love doing it as a team. It’s a magical group.”
“We’re living in unprecedented times of polarization. I’m a believer that we all have many more in things in common with each other than we do differences. DocWeek Middleburg is one simple way to bring our community together to bond over good food, good wine and the magic of movies”
Meet the others…turn the page
