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Local film and filmmaker feted in D.C.

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Sonoma Valley Sun
Congressional Wine Caucus Co-chairs Rep. Mike Thompson greets Sonoma filmmaker Julie Morrison at a D.C. screening of her documentary film.

Call of the Valley: The Enduring Lure of Sonoma, the unique historical documentary film about Sonoma Valley, has traveled to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. where it screened before a well-attended bi-partisan Congressional audience.

Co-hosted by the Congressional Wine Caucus and the Wine Institute, the January 8 event drew over 100 people, including 25 members of Congress from across the country, and featured a wine reception of Sonoma wines and a private screening of the film. 

Congressional Wine Caucus Co-chairs Rep. Mike Thompson toasted filmmaker Julie Morrison and the special role that the Sonoma Valley has played in the history of the state of California and early development of California’s wine industry. Thompson founded the Congressional Wine Caucus more than 20 years ago to protect and advocate for the interests of the American wine industry and its economic impact in the country. 

“It was an absolute honor to welcome local filmmaker Julie Morrison to Capitol Hill for a screening of her movie, Call of the Valley. Her moving history of our region has helped to bring our story to our nation’s Capital and I was proud to stand with her,” said Thompson.

Morrison wrote, directed and produced the film, three years in the making. “It was an incredible honor and privilege to share Sonoma Valley history with our esteemed Congressional representatives,” she said. “I was deeply touched by the warm reception and the acknowledgment of the outsized role that our little valley has played in the history of California and of the wine industry.”

A second event to honor Morrison and the documentary film was held on Jan. 11, at the Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, also on Capitol Hill.

Morrison describes Call of the Valley as a grassroots effort made by and about the people of Sonoma Valley. Local historians and longtime residents share tales of cultural clashes, political maneuverings and the rise and fall of Sonoma’s fortunes, sparking the birth of the state of California and the emergence of Sonoma as a renowned wine and food destination.

The film will screen again at Sonoma’s Sebastiani Theatre on Sunday Feb. 16, at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are available at sebastianitheatre.com, or at the box office. For more information on the film, visit www.callofthevalley.net.




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