Documentary about R.I. brewers to debut
"The Craft: Rhode Island," a documentary about Rhode Island's thriving beer scene, is set to debut Saturday at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.
The film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the state's craft-beer boom through interviews with nearly a dozen brewers, including Narragansett Brewery CEO Mark Hellendrung and Revival Brewing Company owner Sean Larkin.
Produced by the Providence-based media production and marketing firm Eleven Design LLC, the documentary took nearly two years to complete.
"By the end [of filming], we realized that we had something we thought was representative of what's going on here in Rhode Island, but also nationwide," said producer Dave Ricci.
Ricci, a social studies teacher at Providence's La Salle Academy, runs Eleven Design with two of his siblings, Chris Ricci and Beth Ricci, and Beth's fiancé, Nicholas Charello. While they have previously produced projects for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Rhode Island College and the Providence Public Library, this is their first feature-length documentary.
When they began filming in 2017, there were 18 breweries in the state, Ricci said. Now there are nearly 30.
"This stuff is really exploding," he said. "And there's still a lot of untapped potential — the brewers we talked to kept throwing out the fact that craft beer represents only 15 percent of the market."
The documentary covers a range of topics, from the history of Narragansett Beer to the rise of New England-style IPAs to Rhode Island's laws on how much beer breweries are allowed to sell to individuals for off-premises consumption.
"One of the things that I think is really important to note is that Rhode Island's laws regarding craft beer are not particularly conducive to such an exploding business," Ricci said. "I think the restrictions are doing a disservice to the brewers."
Last month, a new Rhode Island law passed that allows brewers to sell a maximum of one case of 24 16-ounce beers per person, an increase from the previous limit of 24 12-ounce beers. Still, the regulations are more restrictive than they are in many other states, including Massachusetts.
The film also includes interviews with other brewers, including Nick Garrison of Foolproof Brewing, in Pawtucket, Nichole Pelletier of Crooked Current Brewery, in Pawtucket, David Witham and Joshua Karten of Proclamation Ale Company, in Warwick, and those who consume their products.
"I think it's a misnomer that craft beer is just for young hipsters," Ricci said. "In our experience, we saw a diverse crowd, not just in the people who own these breweries, but also in the craft-beer fans that we talked to."
The Rhode Island International Film Festival will screen "The Craft: Rhode Island" on Saturday afternoon. "There's already a ton of interest," Ricci said.
Plans are in the works to show the documentary at several Rhode Island breweries this fall, but dates have not yet been announced.
"The Craft: Rhode Island" will be screened on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 2:30 p.m. at the RISD Museum's Metcalf Auditorium, 20 North Main St., Providence. Tickets are $10. For more information, go to film-festival.org or eleven-ri.com/craft.
