US State department to feature Free Press documentary 'Coldwater Kitchen,' around world

Detroit Free Press

Chef Jimmy Lee Hill (left) talks with Bradley Leonard about the hardships of incarceration while sitting in the garden at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Mich. Chef Hill runs a highly regarded culinary training program that gives incarcerated men new skills and new hope. The program, Chef Hill and Bradley Leonard are part of the feature-length documentary film Coldwater Kitchen, produced by the Detroit Free Press.
Photo Credit: Brian Kaufman

The Detroit Free Press’ documentary “Coldwater Kitchen” is going international.

The news organization's latest film has been selected for the 2025 American Film Showcase, a curated film collection that United States' embassies will screen for local audiences around the world as part of a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.

The documentary takes viewers into the culinary training program at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michichigan. There, students learn the culinary skills needed to succeed in fine dining restaurant kitchens, from making the French mother sauces to understanding the art of pouring and discussing wine. The film follows Chef Jimmy Lee Hill and three of his students, as they navigate challenges in prison and work to rebuild their lives after incarceration.

The film was co-directed by Free Press executive video producer Brian Kaufman and former Free Press restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik and had its Michigan premiere at Freep Film Festival in 2023 and world premiere at DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in the U.S. It also won the James Beard Foundation media award for best documentary in 2023.

AFS films have included Oscar-winning documentaries such as "Crib Camp," "Free Solo," and "Summer of Soul." Each year, these 40+ films provide a nuanced view of American life, reflect the diversity of the American experience, and provide space for cross-cultural dialogue with a wide range of international audiences. American Film Showcase is the United States’ flagship film and TV cultural exchange program connecting people through the power of visual storytelling. AFS partners with American filmmakers and distributors to offer U.S. Embassies an annual collection of critically acclaimed American documentaries to screen.

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Learn more about the film at www.coldwaterkitchen.film.