“Soil and Soul” Documentary Earns Top Honor at Film Festival

A film chronicling the lives and traditions of farmers in central Illinois has brought regional storytelling to the forefront. Soil and Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley—supported by University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience—was awarded the prestigious Best Documentary Film at the 2025 Route 66 Film Festival, held Nov. 7 – 8 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.

Produced by Long Nine Productions’ Rich Saal and Noah Sabich, the film centres on the stories of ten individuals whose lives have been shaped by farming across the 1,500-square-mile Sangamon River Valley. It explores how generational knowledge and land stewardship continue to define the region’s agricultural identity.

Saal expressed deep appreciation for the award, noting the local validation of their work and saying the recognition was a “huge honor.” The Sangamon Experience, led by director and curator Anne Moseley, played a pivotal role—partnering throughout production, hosting a pre-premiere event, and curating a connected digital exhibit featuring full interviews with the featured farmers.

Moseley remarked that the award “celebrates the voices and stories that make central Illinois unique,” extending gratitude to both the filmmakers and the farming families who shared their memories and welcomed the project into their lives.

Presented by United Community Bank with additional support from the Melvin Wing Charitable Trust and the Dan & Carolyn Dungan Family Fund, the documentary aligns with the Sangamon Experience’s mission—since its founding in 2020—to illuminate regional history through community-based exhibitions and storytelling.

The Route 66 Film Festival, launched in 2002 and inspired by renowned film critic Roger Ebert, has grown into a major cultural event in Springfield. It showcases films from around the world and has been a launching point for titles that later achieved broader distribution or awards recognition.

With this accolade, “Soil and Soul” not only honours local heritage but also positions central Illinois’ narrative on a platform of broader cultural significance.