‘Coldwater Kitchen,' a Free Press film, wins James Beard Award for best documentary

The Detroit Free Press’ own “Coldwater Kitchen” took home a James Beard Foundation media award for best documentary Saturday evening.

The documentary, which follows the Food Tech program at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan, highlights the complexities of the criminal justice system through the journeys of four men involved in the culinary arts program. It features Chef Jimmy Lee Hill — who has led the culinary training program at the prison for nearly 30 years — and three of his students, who must navigate incarceration and the challenges of transitioning back into society after leaving prison.

"The James Beard award not only validates the power of the film, but also the power of Chef Hill’s program to support and transform the lives of incarcerated men through the restorative power of food," said Kathy Kieliszewski, senior news director for visuals at the Free Press and a producer of the film. "We are honored and humbled to have been able to tell and share their stories."

More: Free Press documentary 'Coldwater Kitchen' gets James Beard nomination

More: 'Coldwater Kitchen' nominated for James Beard Media Award; See the Freep doc Friday night

Co-directed by Free Press Executive Video Producer Brian Kaufman and the paper’s former restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik, “Coldwater Kitchen” premiered in November at Doc NYC, the nation's largest documentary film festival, and made its Michigan debut during the 10th annual Freep Film Festival at the Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit Film Theatre in April.

“Celebrating the art of storytelling and its ability to connect us to the power of good food is at the heart of the James Beard Media Awards,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation in a news release when the Media Awards nominees were announced in April. “As we honor this year’s nominees, we recognize the profound impact that their stories have in educating, inspiring, and transforming our relationship to food, as well as each other.”

Kurlyandchik gave an acceptance speech to a lively Chicago crowd during the Saturday evening ceremony.

"Institutional cooking is not sexy," he said, and so this foundation and many in this room have not historically given our fair due to those who cook in our schools, who cook in our hospitals, for the sick and infirm, for folks who cook in these large places like prisons, who really are the ones who are impacting our community — and so the fact that the James Beard Foundation recognizes this film with this award, it means that it really is about good food for good.

"And hopefully this means that we will find a distributor so that you all can see this film really soon. This one's for Detroit."

The James Beard Foundation Media Awards have been held since the early 1990s, with a mission to recognize excellence in broadcast and print food journalism and among literary works centered on food and beverage subjects. The honor has been bestowed upon food journalists from esteemed publications and networks, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Hulu and more. This is the Detroit Free Press’ first James Beard Foundation Award.

More from the awards ceremony: Free Press restaurant critic Lyndsay C. Green wins James Beard Award as 'Emerging Voice'

Visit coldwaterkitchen.film for future screenings.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: ‘Coldwater Kitchen,' wins James Beard Award for best documentary