A Fair to Remember
t's a tradition etched in the personal memories of millions from around the globe—a place where generations have come to gaze upon the world's tallest cowboy, soar on North America's highest Ferris wheel and consume the most exotic delicacies this side of the Rio Grande. Now attended by three-and-a-half million people every fall, the Great State Fair of Texas not only entertains, but also reflects some of the most pivotal times in American history.
A Fair to Remember takes the viewer on a roller-coaster ride chronicling the history of the fair, from its inception in 1886 to its destination today as the largest fair of its kind in the country. The film's charming characters, original music and lively animation combine with archival footage that features Elvis Presley, President Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Houdini, the Corny Dog and Big Tex. While being an evocation of everything Texan, and featuring a substantial agricultural component, this fair seeks to bring something of the nation as a whole, and the outside world in general, to its crossroads, its city and its regional audiences.
Credits
A Fair to Remember
Director/Cinematographer: Allen Mondell
Producers/Writers: Allen Mondell, Cynthia Salzman Mondell
Cinematographer/Editor/Co-Producer: Phil Allen
Composers: Carl Finch and Brave Combo
Running time:90 min.
Website: www.mediaprojects.org/pages/fair.html
About the Filmmakers
ALLEN MONDELL and CYNTHIA SALZMAN MONDELL are the founders of Media Projects, Inc., a nonprofit video production and distribution company. Together, they have produced over 35 documentaries about historical subjects and social issues. Their films have won numerous national awards and have been selected for prestigious screenings in the United States and abroad. Some have received specialized theatrical distribution and have aired on PBS and national cable networks. The Mondells have just completed The Monster Among Us, a documentary about the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe today, and are editing A Reason to Live, a documentary about depression and suicide among young adults 15 to 24 years old. Another of their films, Sisters of '77, documenting the story of the first federally funded National Women's Conference in Houston in 1977, aired nationwide in 2005 on the award-winning public television series, Independent Lens.
Highlights from the body of their work include Films from the Sixth Floor, six films about the life, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy; West of Hester Street, a docudrama about Jewish immigration through the port of Galveston in the early 1900s; Make Me a Match, a warm-hearted look at the trials and tribulations of Jewish matchmaking in contemporary society; Funny Women, a short film celebrating 50 years of women comedians in American television; and Who Remembers Mama?, an emotional look at the economic and legal problems confronting middle-aged, divorced homemakers. Together the Mondells have received such notable awards as a Lone Star Emmy, four CINE Golden Eagles, a Bronze CINDY, three Telly Awards, a Silver Gavel from the American Bar Association, and a recognition award from the Dallas Metro Association for Outstanding Contribution to the Dallas Metro Association Counseling Profession.