Burlington Free Press
"American Farm simultaneously ennobles farm life and debunks the idea that the farm is a perfect, all-American haven for family togetherness." Read the entire article here
Wisconsin State Journal
"Personal and poignant... The film dodges all the usual clichés about small-town life and gets at something more meaningful..." Read the entire article here
The Daily Cardinal - Madison, WI
"A serenely stunning portrait... an empathetic and quietly compassionate look at an American way of life as it passes or may not pass through the generations..." Read the entire article here
The Isthmus Weekly - Madison, WI
"Spione has woven the various strands of his ancestral heritage into a rich tapestry, a portrait of a whole way of life... a wonderfully personal look at that great American institution, the family farm." Read the entire article here
WAMC - Northeast Public Radio American Farm - New England Premiere
"Director James Spione's multi-generational account of the Ames family farm in Richfield Springs, New York unexpectedly documents some of the trends facing rural America, and explores some of the reasons why family farms are becoming a thing of the past..." Listen to the entire report here
The Saratogian
Film depicts dying American way of life
"The movie is a portrayal of a once-popular way of American life that is disappearing: generations of farm families tending the familial soil. The story is told through the words of the people living it on a daily basis. At the film's core, Spione said, is the story of family..." Read the entire article here
Syracuse New Times
American Farm
"James Spione's passionate 84-minute documentary is reminiscent of the sociological impact generated by the early 1970s PBS reality series An American Family..." Read the entire article here
Pulse Magazine
An Ideal 'Farm'
"American Farm is Spione's feature-length directorial debut, but he already shows the acuity of a veteran... [he] weaves together disparate voices into an elaborate mosaic that ultimately reveals a singular story..." Read the entire article here
Morning Edition News Report
WAER-FM Syracuse Public Radio
"Spione threads together vibrant footage from recent interviews and trips to the farm with the family's old photos and 8mm films… [he] easily captures intimate moments and candid reflections from the Ames family..." Listen to the entire report here
The Richfield Springs Mercury
Premiere of American Farm a Big Hit
"The premiere of American Farm, a documentary focusing on a Richfield Springs farmer, was held this past Saturday at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, and was so packed that another showing was held the next day..." Read the entire article here
The Roundtable with Susan Arbetter – WAMC-FM Northeast Public Radio
"The average age of the American farmer now is 55 years old. And every time the Department of Agriculture does their census that age goes up. What does that statistic tell you? It tells you that the younger generation is simply not choosing this way of life..." Hear the entire interview with Jim Spione
Film Documents Richfield Farm - The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY
"Directed by James Spione, American Farm is the story of a successful dairy farm, one that has been in business for five generations. But the sixth generation does not plan to carry on the tradition…" Read the entire article here
The Richfield Springs Mercury (Editorial)
"American Farm is an important story for people to see—not because it features a Richfield Springs family, but because it tells a significant story about how rural America has changed in our lifetime…" Read the entire article here
Film Examines Richfield Springs Family Farm - Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY
"Although James Spione's film American Farm is a documentary, it views more like a fictional film with its character-driven storyline. But the main characters of the movie are very real, and by the end of the film, the audience will feel as if it knows the Ames family..." Read the entire article here
The Freeman's Journal, Cooperstown, NY
"Lanny Ames is the fifth generation on the Ames farmstead in Richfield Springs. At almost seventy years of age, he still has hold of the reins, but there is no one on the other side to take hold and carry on..." Read the entire article here
