The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

"Runoff" illuminates how Big Ag is literally shifting the landscape. Starting with the soil, corporate monoliths are corrupting our American roots and bankrupting the small, family farmers who have fed our nation. If you're looking for light fare, come back and watch "Runoff" when you're in the mood to dig into what's deeply wrong with our system and the rot at its core...this movie is more heart of darkness. The acting is A+ across the board from lead Joanne Kelly, who I had never seen before to character actor Tom Bower who's been in everything from Crazy Heart to Die Hard 2. I love docs like Food Inc and movies like Erin Brockovich but if you're looking for something more challenging, you'll probably get a lot out of "Runoff."

RUNOFF is a true movie-lover's movie. It takes us into a world that most of us know little about and explores it with a sophistication and class rarely seen in a debut film. The last half hour will have you on the edge of your seat. Joanne Kelly is a true star, her face brings you in like a silent movie star's would. It was so refreshing to see a movie that could have been so righteous dogmatic, instead allow its political charge to be simply experiential. It takes a tremendous amount of faith in the characters and the story to do that. Levin doesn't just present you this world, she puts you in surround sound of it. You truly feel as if you are there. Throughout the entire piece, her camera is enveloping you in the everyday beauty of this environment, and you will (like Betty) feel compelled to protect it with all you have.

Gorgeously shot with evocative performances from actors Joanne Kelly and Neal Huff. Levin is definitely a director to watch. I was not expecting the climatic final scenes either and shocked as well as moved by the moral questions raised. Kelly's character takes actions that I would not think I'd do but her performance and Levin's strong script make you rethink how much you're willing to compromise for the ones you love as well as how your decisions affect those around you. I would absolutely see it again and recommend to anyone who can to catch this film in theaters as it definitely is made for the big screen! What a remarkable accomplishment! Look forward to seeing more of Levin's work as well as actor, Neal Huff, who'd I'd not heard of before this but gives a stoic and gutting performance.

I had missed the premiere of Runoff at the LA Film Festival, and so was very happy to catch it a few months later at the Woodstock Film Festival. I knew the film was about a woman running her family farm and dealing with big-food corporations. Without spoiling anything, I'll simply say, it's about a whole lot more.Kimberly Levin weaves an intricate tale about family traditions, faith in the community, and the survival of local agriculture amongst corporate greed... with a dynamic twist at the end. The story is told to us through the nuanced and powerful performance of Joanne Kelly, a woman fighting for her family's survival and faced with more than one dubious solution. Levin makes her heroine strong, thoughtful, and refreshingly realistic. Beautiful shots of rural Kentucky fill the frame, reminding us that the land- and specifically our use of it- is at stake. But, kudos to Levin for making a film that is much more than a morality tale. Runoff succeeds in layering suspense with each choice the characters make, building to a climax that left me shaken, and resonated for days. I love nothing more than thinking about a film long after I've left the theater-- as you will do-- when you see Runoff!