Imagine dynamic conversations in the worlds of film, music, art, culture, and storytelling. Sprinkle in film screenings and performances by outstanding musicians, and set it all amidst the rolling green hills of the Vermont countryside.

The second annual Sword & Spoon Summit was all that and more – bringing together filmmakers, musicians, writers, and others at OQ Farm for a fascinating few days of sharing of ideas, experiences, and creations.

Festivities began with The OQ Farm Songwriter’s Festival Concert – an evening orchestrated by Grammy Award-winning producer Charlie Peacock featuring performances by world-class musicians in the farm’s natural amphitheater.

Summit guests also enjoyed interactive panel discussions, movie screenings, and musical performances.

Among the highlights:

• Two Truths and a Lie – a conversation about what filmmakers of faith can and cannot accomplish in their work, followed by a screening of the film Last Days in the Desert
• A rough cut screening of the latest project from Sword & Spoon Productions documentary director Jody Hassett Sanchez – More Art Upstairs
• Insightful and entertaining conversations featuring Sword & Spoon and OQ Farm Partners Charlie Peacock and Mako Fujimura, as well as SixSeeds uber-bloggers Dave & Ashely Willis
• Musical performances by Castro, Scott Mulvahill, Sam Ashworth, and Daves Highway

The ideas, viewpoints, thoughtfulness, and enthusiasm that each guest brought to the summit helped make for fascinating conversations and promising connections.

The beautiful farm landscape has served for many years as a gathering spot offering respite, communion, and inspiration – providing a wonderful opportunity to find common interests, and talk about ways of achieving goals together. As people who believe in and strive for building relationships and seeing what wonderful byproducts can come of them, we are excited to think of the new possibilities that were incubated at OQ Farm this summer!

Already summit guest David Clayton has written about his visit and the farm, seeing cosmic beauty in the form of — of all things —  the farm’s British telephone booth (or box as it is called there)! Give it a read here.