PIEOWA: A Piece of America
PIEOWA: A PIECE OF AMERICA, an award-winning feature documentary, celebrates the myriad ways pie is woven into Iowa’s (and America’s) culture, the lengths people will go to for a slice, and how this humble pastry can bake the world a better place. Audiences and critics agree that “it’s a tonic for what ails us.” The film features comedian Tom Arnold, NPR economics correspondent Scott Horsley (NPR = No Pie Refused), Better Homes & Gardens food editor Jan Miller, among other notable names, alongside everyday people — church ladies, farmers, pie shop owners, State Fair pie competitors, chefs, food historians, RAGBRAI bike riders, and humanitarians of all ages. Wholesome and humorous, it will leave you feeling more hopeful about the world — and hungry for pie. (Run time: 76 minutes)
Producer/director of PIEOWA, Beth M. Howard, is the author of three pie-themed books and the former (and final) resident of the American Gothic House where she ran the Pitchfork Pie Stand. Howard experienced Iowa’s far-reaching influence of pie when she once got hired as a pie baker in Malibu, California. When asked what her qualifications were, she answered “I’m from Iowa” and got the job! Her film expands on the themes of her TEDx Talk, in which she espouses pie’s healing powers. how pie can build community and be used as a tool for social good
PRESS FOR PIEOWA
Guideposts magazine, June/July 2026 issue (in print, not online)
KCRW 89.9 FM (NPR, Los Angeles) Good Food with Evan Kleiman
LA Times, Orange Co. edition Film Screening Brings Soulful Slice of Americana to Newport Beach
The Guardian Feature on PIEOWA and Beth
Little Village ‘Pieowa’ is the taste-good, feel-good film of the year
Arts Midwest One Iowan’s Quest to Put Pie on the Big Screen
Eat Your Heartland Out Beth talks pie on popular podcast
Quiltfolk Pies and Quilts: Intertwined Language of Love
The Gazette Iowans demonstrate the power of pie in new documentary
Iowa Public Radio “Talk of Iowa” interview
Salon.com Justice Would Taste Like the Best Pie Ever
Kyle Munson’s Main Street My Visit to the World’s Largest Kitchen
Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger A Lot More Pie on the Way
WHERE TO SEE THE FILM
PIEOWA has screened in 9 states to nearly 7,500 people at over 60 venues.
It’s been shown at a range of venues from the famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood to over 60 cinemas, historic opera houses, museums, libraries, churches, senior living communities, and universities. It’s even been shown at a fire station, a one-room schoolhouse, and outdoors on a blocked-off street like a drive-in movie.
New screening dates and locations continue to be added so keep checking back for updates.
2026
September 9 (1 PM) – Platteville, Wisconsin. Details to come.
September 13 – Burlington, Iowa. Details to come.
Don’t see your town listed? Please contact us if you want to host a screening or bring the film to your community.
Four slogans and colors to choose from in soft fabric. Made by RAYGUN. Ten dollars from each item goes toward funding the film.
Thanks for following along on this crazy but fulfilling adventure! For more regular updates, please sign up for my newsletter, and follow me on Facebook and Instagram at The World Needs More Pie.
