Award Winning Film about Towboat Crews on the Mississippi River to be Screened at WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo in April

    NEW ORLEANS, LA, March 09, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "BARGE," an award winning documentary about towboat crewmembers and their 400-mile, 28-day journey on the Mississippi River, will be screened on April 14 at the WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo at the Morial Convention Center.

"The film paints an amazing picture of the lives of towboat crews on the Mississippi and perfectly captures the dedication and hard work that goes into their jobs," said David Krapf, editor in chief of WorkBoat magazine.

The film tracks a towboat and its crews from Rosedale, Miss., to the port of New Orleans on the Lower Mississippi River.

Producer and director Ben Powell will attend the screening, which is set for 11:30am - 1pm on the Main Stage. Powell spent four years interviewing the crews for the film, which debuted in 2015 at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, and was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Dallas International Film Festival and Best Feature Film at the Crossroads Film Festival.

"Growing up in Mississippi about 10 miles from the river, I heard stories all of the time about the characters who work on the river so the idea of going out on this boat really appealed to me," Powell said. "I'm sure some of the crew wondered why we chose to make this film. To them, they have been doing this their whole lives and it's no big deal. For an outsider to see this, it is like outer space. It's such a unique world filled with a tight-knit family of exceptional characters that make up the culture of life on a river towboat."

Following a year of film festival screenings, Powell said BARGE will be available online via iTunes and other digital platforms in early 2016. To view the trailer, click here. To learn more about the film visit, www.bargefilm.com.

Screening attendees will be able to enjoy a beverage and free popcorn.

About Ben Powell
Ben Powell is a photographer and documentary filmmaker. While assignments as a cinematographer have taken him to communities around the world, his two documentary films as a producer and director have focused on landscapes near and dear. His adopted home state of Texas and the obsessive characters that collect its historical treasures play a central role in "Phil Collins and the Wild Frontier," which premiered at the 2013 New Orleans Film Festival and is available on Vimeo, where it was awarded a Vimeo Staff Pick. Powell also directed and produced "BARGE," a feature length film about the culture of towboat workers not far from his home town of Cleveland, Miss.

Powell holds a BFA in film, animation and video from the Rhode Island School of Design and currently lives in Austin, Texas.

About the WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo
Based on the success of the 2015 inaugural WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo, the 2016 event will again bring together professionals from the commercial vessel maintenance and repair industry.

"The Expo will be the best place to connect with people, check out the latest products, and receive information and updates needed to stay informed and ahead of the curve," said Denielle Christensen, show director from Diversified Communications, which produces the award-winning International WorkBoat Show each year in New Orleans.

The inaugural event last year was attended by nearly 2,000 top commercial marine leaders. The 2016 event will build on that success and offer the unique combination of a custom-tailored conference program, a highly focused exhibit hall and extensive networking events. The Expo will also host a free Maritime Job Fair and Job Advice Center from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, as well as safety training and more than 200 exhibiting companies.

This year's featured speakers include Christian Vaccari, vice president, Gulf Island Shipyards LLC, who will discuss "Building Stronger Shipyards with Collaboration" on April 12, and Jeff Skiles, co-pilot, US Airways Flight 1549, the "Miracle on the Hudson," who will deliver a keynote address on "Crisis Management - When the Unexpected Happens, You're Ready."

Those interested in exhibiting at the show should contact Chris Dimmerling, sales director, at [email protected] or (207) 842-5666.

For further information, visit www.workboatmaintenanceandrepair.com.

About WorkBoat
WorkBoat is part of the Diversified Business Communications portfolio of commercial marine events, publications and digital products. The WorkBoat brand has been connecting qualified buyers with leading suppliers for more than 70 years. In print through WorkBoat magazine, online at WorkBoat.com, face-to-face at the International WorkBoat Show and through education with the Professional Series, WorkBoat delivers high quality information to all segments of the marine industry in North America. For more information, visit www.workboat.com.

About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications, based in Portland, Maine, provides information and market access through face-to-face events, publications and digital products. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine and business management. Diversified operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Canada. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com.

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