From Kiss the Ground filmmakers Rebecca and Josh Tickell, Common Ground, narrated by Laura Dern, emphasizes the need to face the reality of our food systems and how profits and power are the driving force behind them. This issue affects all Americans, from the soil we stand on to the toxic air we breathe. Fighting against agro-chemical business in favor of regenerative farming is presented as a clear, bipartisan necessity for the health of our country, its people, and our collective future.––Daniela Leal

Common Ground is the recipient of the 2023 Human/Nature Award, a prize established to amplify a film that best exemplifies solution-oriented environmental storytelling.

Join us for a short walk from the Texas Theater to the delicious Casa del Vegano for some good food, drinks and a dance party by Dallas local favorite, DJ Tony Schwa!

Donna Missal started out as a songwriter and backing artist, collaborating with artists like Tinashe, Sharon Van Etten, Macklemore, and Lee Fields, and landing a publishing contract in her early 20s. After her 2020 release of ‘Lighter’, Missal became a sought-out vocalist, tapped to contribute a cover of Cigarettes After Sex’s “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” for the Oscar-winning film ‘Promising Young Woman’. In the past five years, Donna has collected tens of millions of streams across platforms, cultivated a passionate fan base for her heartfelt songwriting, played festivals from Bonnaroo to Bottle Rock, and toured with high-profile artists including Lewis Capaldi, CHVRCHES, and King Princess. Rolling Stone calls her music “stunning”, and Billboard has hailed her “drop kick of a vocal.”

Josh Tickell is a keynote speaker, best selling author and award-winning film director who specializes in films with a social message. He has directed and co-directed a large catalogue of environmental feature films (including FUEL and Kiss the Ground, among others) that have garnered global attention and action.  He will join the 2023 festival with his latest feature, Common Ground, which he co-directed with his wife, Rebecca Tickell.

Hugh Aljoe serves as the director of ranches, outreach and partnerships for Noble Research Institute.* He also serves as a subject matter expert in the areas of pasture and range stewardship and adaptive grazing management.  Hugh will join us for a conversation about the regenerative farming movement following the screening of Common Ground.