“Soil and Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley” won Best Documentary Film at the 2025 Route 66 Film Festival.
The film, produced by Rich Saal and Noah Sabich of Long Nine Productions, was screened Nov. 7-8 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, according to a community announcement.
The documentary tells the stories of 10 individuals who have spent their lives farming in the Sangamon River Valley, an area covering about 1,500 square miles in central Illinois. It highlights the heritage of farming in the region, where knowledge and practices are passed down through generations.
“Soil and Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley” has won Best Documentary Film at the 2025 Route 66 Film Festival.
“It is a huge honor to be recognized by our own hometown film festival, and I am grateful that they recognized the hard work we put into the project,” Saal said in the announcement.
According to the announcement, the University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience played an important role in making the film possible, hosting its pre-premiere event.
Anne Moseley, director and curator of the Sangamon Experience, partnered with Saal and Sabich throughout the project as they documented the lived experiences of local farmers. The Sangamon Experience also created a digital exhibit that includes the full interviews with the farmers featured in the film and has made them available for the public to view.
“We are deeply honored to receive the Route 66 Best Documentary Film Award,” Moseley said. “This recognition celebrates the voices and stories that make central Illinois unique, especially those of the people who live, work and preserve its history. We are profoundly grateful to filmmaker Rich Saal of Long Nine Productions for his vision, dedication and collaboration in bringing these stories to life. Most of all, we thank the farmers and their families of the Sangamon River Valley for opening their homes, sharing their memories and trusting us to help preserve their legacy. This award belongs to them as much as it does to us.”
“Soil and Soul” is presented by United Community Bank, with additional funding from the Melvin Wing Charitable Trust and the Dan and Carolyn Dungan Family Fund.
This story was created by reporter Abreanna Blose, [email protected], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: ‘Soil and Soul’ wins best documentary at Route 66 Film Festival
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