A Look Inside the Coldwater Kitchen: A U.S. Embassy Showcase Film Sheds Light on Prison Reform and Culinary Training
The Detroit Free Press’ documentary “Coldwater Kitchen” has been recognized globally as it has been selected for the 2025 American Film Showcase. This curated film collection will be screened by United States’ embassies 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 provides an inside look at the culinary training program at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan, where students receive training in culinary skills necessary for success in fine dining restaurant kitchens, such as mastering French mother sauces and understanding wine pairings.
The film follows Chef Jimmy Lee Hill and three of his students as they navigate challenges within the prison system and work towards rebuilding their lives after incarceration. Co-directed by Free Press executive video producer Brian Kaufman and former Free Press restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik, the documentary premiered in Michigan at the Freep Film Festival in 2023 and globally at DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in the U.S. Additionally, it won the James Beard Foundation media award for best documentary in 2023.
The American Film Showcase is a cultural exchange program that aims to provide a nuanced view of American life and reflect the diversity of the American experience. With over 40 films each year, AFS allows for cross-cultural dialogue with a diverse range of international audiences through screening critically acclaimed American documentaries at U.S. embassies worldwide. For more information about “Coldwater Kitchen,” visit its website at www
