Fair Field Productions wins Emmy Award for film ‘Parsons’

FAIRFIELD – Fair Field Productions has received much praise and recognition for its Fairfield History Series, and this week the group announced it had received the most prestigious award of all - an Emmy.

Fair Field Productions won an Emmy Award for its film “Parsons: The School That Changed the Rules” about the college that called Fairfield home from 1875-1973. “Parsons” was one of four films to receive a nomination in the category Historical Documentary for the 48th Annual Mid-America Regional Emmy Awards.

Dick DeAngelis, who directed and produced “Parsons,” said he was invited to attend the black-tie gala in Kansas City held Saturday, Oct. 26, but was unable to go. At the time of the gala, DeAngelis was invested in the World Series matchup between his New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and that’s when he got a phone call from Jason Strong, Fair Field Productions’ directory of photography who also co-edited the film “Parsons” with DeAngelis.

“He goes, ‘I just had to tell you that we won,’” DeAngelis said. “I didn’t even know what he was talking about, and then I was like, ‘Oh!’ It was a little surreal.”

DeAngelis told The Union on Wednesday that he is eagerly awaiting his Emmy to come in the mail.

“I’m thrilled our team is getting this attention,” he said. “It’s well deserved. We have a lot of talented people involved in this.”

DeAngelis said every group of judges that has seen the film has commented on how impressed they were with its music and sound quality.

“We don’t just pick up our music from the internet or some free archive. We actually work with local musicians,” DeAngelis said. “It’s a very unique process we go through.”

DeAngelis is excited to share that the sixth film in the Fairfield History Series should be ready to debut in May 2025 and will be called “When Maharishi Came to Town,” about the arrival of Maharishi International University to Fairfield in 1974. DeAngelis said the film will focus on the university’s first five years, and how it was received by the town. He said he’s planned its debut to coincide with graduation week at MIU, and is preparing a sneak peek of the film on campus in addition to showing it at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

Those interested in learning about the Fairfield History Series and purchasing DVDs or streams of the documentaries in the series can visit fairfieldhistoryseries.com.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com